New Delhi
Aadi Mahotsav, organised from February 16-27, concluded on Monday with Arjun Munda, Minister for Tribal Affairs, Bhupender Yadav, Minister for Labour & Employment, and Environment, Forest & Climate Change, and MP M C Mary Kom, Brand Ambassador, TRIFED-Tribes India, in attendance.
“Tribals have been conserving and preserving natural resources since time immemorial. They are the protectors of environment which is the need of the hour in view of global warming and climate change. In such a situation, the tribals have crucial role to pay with their nature and environment friendly way of life,” Munda said.
The Union Tribal Affairs Minister said it is a matter of great pride for tribals that the Prime Minister inaugurated the Aadi Mahotsav, interacted with them and showed keen interest in their products. The Aadi Mahotsav is special since it sells products derived from Jungle and Jameen , which are natural and organic, Munda maintained.
He gave out details of the Mahotsav saying 29 PVTGs from nine States/Union Territories participated in the event; an exclusive pavilion for the sale and display of Van Dhan products was also put up and 39 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras from 17 States/UTs participated in this Fest.
Munda said that the high volume of sales (Rs 3 crore) in Aadi Mahotsav shows people’s preference for items produced naturally by tribals and having good quality. He said that as per Prime Minister’s vision and food habits of tribals, millets stalls were set up and a good sale of the millets and millet-based food items from these stalls has been recorded.
The Union Minister also said that it is our aim to provide market to the SHGs producing in far flung areas and uphold the spirit of Ek Bharath Shrestha Bharat.
For his part, Bhupender Yadav said that as PM Modi stated, the event was a reminder that the lifestyle adopted by India’s tribal people is a lesson to the world in sustainable lifestyle.
The Union Environment Minister said that the tribal way of life contributes to sustainability because it is the way of life which is conducive to environment, humanity and the whole planet. It is the endeavour of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to work closely with Ministry of Tribal Affairs and TRIFED in the area of Forest rights and livelihoods for tribals, he outlined.
At the closing ceremony, prizes were distributed to the best performing artisans during the Aadi Mahotsav. On the invitation of Ministry of Tribal Affairs, the National Health Authority (NHA) installed a canopy for six days from February 22. During the period, more than 4,000 visitors visited the NHA stall and inquired about both its schemes; more than 600 Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) cards for artisans and visitors, and 16 Ayushman Bharat card for the Artisans from different states were created.
The theme of the festival was “A Celebration of the Spirit of Tribal Entrepreneurship, Crafts, Culture, Cuisine and Commerce”, which represents the basic ethos of tribal life.
The festival featured exhibition-cum-sale of tribal handicrafts, handloom, paintings, jewellery, cane & bamboo, pottery, food & natural products, gifts & assortment, tribal cuisine and much more through 234 stalls. Over 1000 tribal artisans, artists, healers, chefs and cultural troupes participated in the Aadi Mahotsav.
