Jharkhand News: Jharkhand Tribal Festival-2023 started colorfully on the occasion of World Tribal Day. State Coordination Committee Chairman and Rajya Sabha MP Shibu Soren and Chief Minister Hemant Soren inaugurated the festival at Birsa Munda Smriti Udyan in the capital Ranchi. On this occasion, CM Hemant Soren said that along with dance and music, always struggle is the identity of the tribal society. On this occasion, CM has also given many wishes to all the people of the state.
Tribal life philosophy and folk culture will get special recognition
Addressing the inauguration ceremony of Jharkhand Tribal Festival-2023, Chief Minister Hemant Soren said that this festival has its own meaning. Tribal life philosophy and folk culture will get a different and unique identity from this festival.
Struggle along with dance, music is the identity of tribal society
The Chief Minister said that along with dance, music, constant struggle is the main identity of the tribal society. Said that our tribal brothers and sisters are forced to face harassment in different areas of the country. They are forced to fight for their existence. Thousands of houses have been destroyed by fire in Manipur. Hundreds of people have been killed. The respect of women has been played with. Actually this is an extension of the struggle going on for centuries. The struggle is between the forces of supremacy and the forces of equality and fraternity. The struggle is between the religious fundamentalists and the liberal forces of ‘live and let live’. The struggle is between the futuristic, fatalistic thinkers and the forces that enrich the present. There is a struggle between the destructive forces that have captured nature and the hardworking and courageous forces that remain as co-partners of nature.
fight together and move forward
He has appealed to more than 13 crore tribal brothers and sisters of the country to unite and fight and grow. Said that Gond, Munda, Bhil, Kuki, Meena, Santhal, Asur, Oraon, Chero etc. all have to think unitedly. Today the tribal society of the country is scattered. We are divided on the basis of caste-religion-region whereas everyone has one culture. If the blood is one, then the society should also be one. Our goal should also be the same. The texture of our problem is almost the same, so our fight should also be the same.
The pain of displacement has been a prison for the tribal community
In almost all the parts, the tribal society has had to bear the pain of displacement and no matter whose government is in the center or the state, proper efforts have never been made to reduce the pain of the tribal society. How cruel is our system? Never even worked to find out where the people displaced by mines, dams, factories went? 80 percent of the people displaced by mines/industries/dams and rendered homeless are tribals. Millions of people were cut off from their language, from their culture, from their roots. It is said that yesterday’s farmer is forced to sell coal there on a bicycle. They have been forced to go to big cities to wash utensils, raise children or do bonded labor in brick kilns. Lakhs of acres of land were given to coal companies without rehabilitating the act. The city of Jharia has been burning on the furnace of fire for years, but the coal companies and the center are sleeping.
After all, how can the tribal society adopt this development?
The Chief Minister said that how can the tribal society accept this development as their own? After all, whose land has gone in the grip of development? Whose livelihood has been taken away? Whose language is dying out? Whose culture is in danger? Shouldn’t the government have taken stock of this? Who are those who have evolved? The so-called mainstream historians have also done dishonesty with the tribals. They did not record their history, nor was the contribution of tribals in the development of the country marked. Be it the war against the British or the struggle against the tyranny of moneylenders or the courage to be hanged or the courage to die fighting as the last man, despite the leadership in these, historians have not given place to our forefathers.
Tribal languages are becoming extinct
He said that today many languages of tribals have disappeared or are on the verge of disappearing in different parts of the country. Today, efforts are being made to tie our lives with the centers of faith. People are busy snatching even our name from us. We are tribal / native but it is a strange thing! Some are calling the society which does not have caste a ‘tribe’, while some are teasing it in a way by calling it a forest dweller. Today, when the tribal is trying to speak against the neglect done in history for his identity, efforts are being made to silence him. Even though there have been many revolutionary heroes, scholars and thinkers among the tribals, efforts have always been made by the mainstream of the society that we could not have any status and we could not have any role in policy-making.
tried to tear us to pieces
When we try to know the history of tribal culture, tribal society, then not much mention is found before 1800 AD. Even when writing about us was started, we were only considered as the leader of the chain of revolution. There was an attempt to divide us into pieces, whereas in every period of history, the tribal society has been registering its special presence. Our forefathers established a republic, built a state, established ruling dynasties for public welfare. Under these circumstances, it would not be wrong to say that the contribution of the tribal society in shaping the civilization and culture of this country should be reinterpreted. We need to see the tribal society from the eyes of tribal thinker, writer and scholar. It is true that even today the poorest, uneducated, oppressed, displaced and exploited class of the country is the tribal class. But, it is also true that we are the heirs of a great civilization. We have a lot to give to the world and human society. There is a need for policy makers to have a vision.
For tribals own land-own culture-own language is very important
The Chief Minister said that is it not unfortunate that today’s policy makers are not ready to accept the same diversity due to the different language-culture-religion which made us tribal? For us tribals, our land, our culture and our language are very important. Tribal community is a self-respecting community, it is a community that works hard and eats, it does not beg from anyone. We belong to the community of Lord Birsa, Eklavya, Rana Poonja. We are the natives of this country. Our forefathers have saved forests, rivers and mountains.
Need to see tribal culture with respect
He said that this great tribal culture needs to be seen with respect. We should not be seen as just poor living in the jungle. Our forefathers have the whole story of forest and human development. Today there is a need to inculcate sympathy towards the tribal society within a common countryman. There is a need to create a sense of respect and cooperation among the common people towards the tribal society.
I have been getting love from the tribal community of the country
The Chief Minister said that I thank all those people who have reposed faith in us. Being a tribal chief minister has its own meaning. I am well aware of the love I get not only from Jharkhand but also from the tribals of other parts of the country, what is expected of me. Let us take a pledge to take our solidarity forward.