Itanagar, Dec 22: Renowned theatre and art educator Anuradha HR, Head of the Untitled Arts Foundation, Bengaluru, has expressed concern over the growing alienation of Arunachali youth from their indigenous culture and languages, calling upon parents and schools to take proactive steps to address the issue.
Anuradha shared her views after completing a 21-day Art and Theatre Workshop Series conducted from December 2 to 21 across schools and libraries in Lohit district and Roing, at the invitation of the Lohit Youth Library Network. She was accompanied by her junior colleague Saadrusha.
“Arunachali youth are increasingly coming under the threat of alienation from their own culture and language. Parents and schools must act proactively to save them from this dilemma,” Anuradha stated.
Recalling her earlier visit to the region in 2016, when the Foundation had conducted a 10-day workshop in Wakro and Tezu in collaboration with the DDSE Lohit, and at Abali Government Secondary School, Roing, jointly with RIWATCH, Kinjili, Anuradha observed noticeable changes in student behaviour.
“Compared to 2016, parental nurturing and mentoring seem to have declined, with students increasingly coming under the influence of social media. This could seriously impair their social interaction, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities,” she remarked. She urged schools and education authorities to give greater emphasis to life skills, communication skills, and broader exposure, noting that “these alone will help Arunachal students adjust to social challenges anywhere in India or abroad.”
During the current visit, the team conducted a wide range of interactive and creative sessions for students from Class III to X, including workshops on Art, Reading and Theatre, Storytelling and Storyboarding, Poetry Recitation, Creative Writing, and Image and Theatre.
In Lohit district, programmes were held at Bamboosa Library, Nimkay Vidya Niketan, Denning Keba Primary School, Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalaya (VKV) Tafrogam, VKV Sunpura, APNE Library Wakro, and Govt Secondary School, Medo. At Intaya Public School, Roing, the team guided teachers in scripting and directing a play titled “Boy with the Drum”. The workshop at Pen-drive School, Roing was organised jointly with the AMYAA NGO and the Forum of Library Activists. At Kendriya Vidyalaya, Namsai, apart from student sessions, Anuradha also attended the Annual Day celebrations as Chief Guest.
Additionally, teacher-training workshops on “Creative Teaching Tools” were conducted at the Pen-drive School, Roing, and Nimkay Vidya Niketan, Tezu. Students across all venues participated with great enthusiasm, while teachers noted that the techniques introduced were highly stimulating and effective in making classroom teaching more engaging. Bahailu Rangmang, senior member of the Forum of Library Activists, expressed gratitude to Anuradha and her team for conducting 24 programmes during the visit, highlighting that the entire initiative was undertaken by the team at their own expense, travelling all the way from Bengaluru.