Tribal body celebrates 17th World Indigenous Day

--‘Tribal people need to be protected’

BHUBANESWAR: “Tribal people need to be protected,” said the social workers, tribal leaders and elected representatives during the celebration of the 17th World Indigenous Day organised by the Adivasi Janjati Adhikar Manch (AJAM), a national-level network of 63 organisations working for tribal development, here on Thursday.

A total of 265 Social workers and tribal leaders from different community based organisations, networks, federations, women organisations and tribal youth groups across the State had participated in the celebration.

Swadhinata Sangram Samiti president Purusotam Nayak inaugurated the session of the celebration and expressed that tribal people are the real owner of natural resources of our county and they have rights over these resources. Tribal identity is at stake now with threat from various groups and forces. He suggested that the need is to protect tribal identity and natural resources.

Prafulla Samantara said the tribals for generations are being neglected and oppressed. “It is time for all elected representatives to come together beyond party boundaries to address tribal issues,” he added.

Campaign for Survival and Dignity (CSD) and Odisha Jangal Manch encouraged community representatives to make PESA act 1996 and Forest Rights Act, 2006 operational in the country. They said PESA will ensure traditional governance system for the tribal and help them get control over natural resources.

Among others, Ramesh Ch Majhi (Minister of State), Laxmipur MLA Jhina Hikaka, Nabarangpur MLA Monohar Randhari, activist Prafulla Samantara, journalist Rabi Das and some members of AJAM spoke in the function. They all shared status of tribal and their resources in their respective States and expressed that AJAM has given space for all tribal to express their culture and traditions.