Ranchi
Celebrating the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People’s Day, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren inaugurated a two-day Jharkhand Janjatiya Mahotsav 2022 at the famed Morhabadi Grounds here on Tuesday.
In his address, Soren said everyone calls for saving jungle (forests) and janwar (animals) but no one says save the tribals. If the tribals are saved, then the forests and animals will be automatically saved, he asserted even as he maintained that it is the land of the adivasis that is always eyed upon.
The Chief Minister reiterated the age-old problems faced by the poor tribals in the modern world too, and repeated his government’s commitments to bring things back on the right track. He maintained that the tribals were skilled, hard working and honest, but, they were doomed to fend for themselves due to the lackadaisical approach of the modern society.
“If you ask a Santhali youth who was Rana Punja (considered a hero by the tribal Bhil cimmunity), he will reply Rana Sanga. A Bhil youth too knows nothing about Budhu Bhagat (tribal freedom fighter). Though the tribals are known for their separate languages and religious and cultural values, they are being suppressed everywhere because of their thin population,” he opined.
The stalls at the fest mainly showcase traditional art and culture. But mouth watering cuisines are one of the main attractions for the visitors, who thronged the venue in droves braving rains and the heavy traffic jams due to the Muharram processions. The organizers are expecting the numbers to swell on the second and concluding day on Wednesday.
He outlined that the empowerment of tribals was very important for conservation of forests and protection of wildlife, because only the tribals have been safeguarding them since ages. “But, unfortunately, the tribals are being demeaned most of the time,” he lamented.
