Bhubaneswar
For 11 days since the Republic Day, the Adivasi Exhibition Ground in Unit-I was transformed into a mini tribal village and “haat”.
The Adivasi Mela was a vibrant socio-cultural event depicting Odisha’s tribal life, language, agricultural richness, empowerment of tribal women, cultural promotion and conservation, livelihood and employment opportunities.
The event that kickstarted on the came to a colourful end on February 5, amid prize distributions for meritorious students in SSD schools and winners of various state-level competitions and categories.
The major highlights of this year’s annual tribal fair, however, included a three-day multilingual drama festival. The festival showcased plays in Santali, Desia, Ho and Mundari languages, focusing on social awareness and promoting multiculturalism. It served as a compelling sideline event during the World Odia Language Conference in the Temple City, emphasising the significance of mother language-based education and its patronage in the State.
Two additional major attractions included 10 tribal huts, with seven representing Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) and three from other tribal communities. The event also weaved a beautiful tapestry of tribal culture by showcasing dances performed by 40 troupes from various tribal communities, out of the 62 found in the geographic spread of the region.
The Adivasi Mela, the much-awaited annual event of the Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Department, drew a crowd of over 10 lakh people this year. The event also witnessed a significant business volume, surpassing Rs 5 crore.
While Commissioner-cum-Secretary ST, SC Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Department, Roopa Roshan Sahoo, and Managing Director Tribal Development Cooperative Corporation of Odisha Limited, Dr Poma Tudu, joined as Guests of Honour, Member Secretary Academy of Tribal Languages and Culture, Indramani Tripathy, and senior officials of the department were also present.
On the concluding day, the stage saw a diverse array of prize distributions. In her closing remarks, Sahoo said, “Odisha is bestowed with a rich tribal legacy of 13 PVTGs and there are many dialects in use besides the overall 62 tribal communities. We are working dedicatedly towards their holistic development, cultural conservation and welfare so that the State will have a distinct honour across the globe for the achievement.”
