Latest news with #STCommission
Hans India
7 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Indigenous peoples' lives remain in darkness, says tribal leader
Kakinada: Despite 78 years of India's independence, the lives of tribal communities in agency areas remain in darkness, said Vaditya Sankar Naik, founder and national president of the Tribal People's Federation and Students' Federation, and former member of the ST Commission. The organisations marked World Indigenous Peoples' Day in Kakinada on Saturday with a grand cultural celebration chaired by Dr L Madhu Kumar, president of the North Andhra districts unit. Students performed traditional dances, highlighting the richness of indigenous heritage. Inaugurating the event by lighting the ceremonial lamp, Naik criticised both Central and state governments for their failure to bring meaningful change to tribal life despite allocating thousands of crores annually for welfare. He noted that many villages still lack basic roads, forcing pregnant women to be carried in makeshift stretchers during emergencies. Each monsoon, hundreds die from seasonal diseases due to lack of timely medical care, he said, lamenting that 'the lives of indigenous people seem to hold no value for the government.' Naik further pointed out that in some areas, tribals still walk up to 15 km to collect ration rice. He condemned the ongoing neglect, stating that no matter which party comes to power, their lives remain unchanged. 'Government officials and rulers rarely visit these areas to assess the people's health, education, or living conditions,' he added. He accused Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu of breaking promises made during an election rally in Araku, where Naidu had pledged to restore GO No 3 and safeguard tribal rights if voted to power. Calling the unfulfilled promises a betrayal, Naik said constitutional safeguards exist but are poorly implemented. Naik stressed that governments treat World Indigenous Peoples' Day merely as a symbolic occasion of cultural performances rather than an opportunity to address core issues like welfare, development, education, and employment. 'True celebration,' he said, 'would mean reviving and passing on disappearing indigenous cultures and traditions while ensuring progress that restores the self-respect of tribal communities.'
The Hindu
09-08-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Banjara voices from Telangana speak of pride, struggle and the fight to preserve a fading heritage
As the world observes the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, individuals from Telangana's Banjara community have shared their journey, the challenges they continue to face, and their efforts to preserve a cultural heritage that is at risk of fading. The Banjaras, also known as Lambadis, are among India's oldest nomadic tribal groups, spread across nearly 15 States. They are known for their distinctive attire, jewellery, traditions and language. A scholar's decades-long journey For Surya Dhananjay, Vice-Chancellor of Veeranari Chakali Ilamma Women's University, the road from a modest indigenous background to academic leadership was long and demanding. 'My path was filled with struggle for at least three decades before I could reach my present position,' she said. Her career spans higher education, research, teaching and public service, with a focus on documenting tribal history, preserving indigenous cultures and advocating for constitutional rights. 'We must document oral histories, safeguard traditional dress, crafts, and music, promote festivals and introduce the Banjara language in schools, colleges and universities. We also need community museums, cultural centres and digital archives, with youth playing a central role. The Banjara community, like other tribal groups, faces poverty, landlessness and low educational access. Women in particular face heavy workloads, limited decision-making power and poor access to healthcare,' she added. She called for a separate State-level ST Commission, recognition of Banjara Boli as an endangered language, and its inclusion in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. A writer's call for clarity and courage Writer and poet Ramesh Karthik Nayak who is the youngest and the first Telugu author to be honoured with the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar 2024 believes that while art and scholarship are important, real change must begin in the villages. Mr. Ramesh challenges the perception that the Banjara are uniformly well-settled compared to other tribal groups. 'Yes, some have done well, but that does not mean everyone has. Many work as auto drivers, gig workers, gardeners or gatekeepers in Hyderabad. We tend to focus on the few who get national awards or become IAS officers, but the struggles of others remain invisible.' He adds that discrimination is a shared experience with other marginalised groups. Mr. Ramesh hopes to see more indigenous literature across Indian languages, especially from the 33 to 35 tribal communities in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. 'We need more tribal people telling their own stories, and society must give them the time, space and respect they deserve. I hope our literacy rate increases, not just for the Banjara, but for all tribal communities.' Art as preservation For artist Srinivas Nayak, heritage is kept alive on canvas. Encouraged by his school drawing teacher he pursued a Bachelor of Fine Arts before dedicating himself to full-time painting. His works capture the flowing skirts, embroidered blouses, mirror work and heavy jewellery that once defined Lambada attire. 'Our elders' clothes carried meaning in every stitch. Now, very few wear them, and these customs are disappearing. Through my paintings, I try to preserve what is vanishing,' he said. While education and urban migration have brought opportunity, Mr. Srinivas laments the slowly disappearing of cultural identity. 'Children today often do not know our songs or embroidery patterns. Some cannot even speak our dialect.' Meanwhile, social media has become an ally for Mr. Srinivas. 'When I post portraits of Lambada women in traditional dress, people respond with pride and nostalgia. Some even ask for portraits in that style. It is a small way of keeping our heritage alive,' he said.
