'People in India's metropolises not aware of northeast's rich culture'

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Tuesday said people in India's metropolitan cities are not aware of the rich cultural diversity that the northeast offers.

"They think of the region as belonging to a single cultural stock. Northeast was ignored and neglected for many decades but not anymore," Khandu said in his address at the 5th day of the Hornbill Festival here, adding that the festival has given exposure not only to Nagaland but also to the entire northeast.

Khandu's Manipur and Nagaland counterparts, N. Biren Singh and T.R.Zeliang respectively were also present.

Exhorting the northeastern states to hold investment meet regularly, Khandu said his state is soon going to hold an investment meeting.

Noting that Arunachal and Nagaland shares several things in common, he said in both states, the hornbill bird has great cultural significance.

Khandu also said both states has great cultural diversity due to which their people have to use a common languages to interact with other people from their own state.

Biren Singh said that there was so much that connects the two states of Manipur and Nagaland and its people based on their shared history and close cultural affinities.

"The two states must build the foundation upon which the people and institutions of the two states can collaborate and cooperate with a strong sense of common purpose... shared prosperity and collective gains can result only from shared vision and collective action," he said.

Healso suggested joint promotion of the two biggest festivals of the two states - the "Manipur Sangai festival" and the "Nagaland Hornbill Festival", held in the first 10 days of Decemberm.

"There are many untapped opportunities which Manipur and Nagaland as neighbours should jointly leverage to unlock the full potential of our two states and fulfill the aspiration of our people especially that of the youth," he said.

Welcoming his two counterparts to Nagaland, Zeliang also called called upon the common development strategy of all the northeastern states for India's 'Act East' policy.

--IANS

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