Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma has hailed indigenous festivals as not only an insight into the rich cultural heritage of the communities of the region but also a medium to re-link with their rich customs and traditional values.

While attending the Nyokum Yullo festival of the Nyishis at Doimukh on Sunday, Sangma stressed on traditional values passed down through generations and urged the people to practice these in their daily life so that it passes on to the next generation.

He felt that with time people are giving less importance to the traditional values that call for respect to elders, bonhomie with other communities, peaceful co-existence and moral character.

Only celebrating festivals in traditional attire and going through the rituals routinely without following our traditional values does not have a meaning, Sangma pointed.

Another traditional value he cited was respect to nature with which the indigenous communities of the region have lived in complete harmony since ages.

He said until people respect and preserve the abundant natural resources and judiciously utilize it for mutual benefit, celebrations like Nyokum would stand no ground.

Sangma, who had earlier attended the valedictory function of the silver jubilee celebration of Arunachal's Statehood on February 24, said Arunachal and Meghalaya were the only states in the region to attain statehood without throwing a stone or shedding a drop of blood.