Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited will launch its year-long silver jubilee celebrations at Vigyan Bhavan New Delhi on August 6.
Noted Gandhian and paediatrician Abhay Bang will deliver the guest lecture. He will also make a presentation on “From tribal welfare to Swaraj”.
Sharing experiences
“I will share my varied and interesting experiences of working with tribals for the past 26 years. My NGO Society for Education, Action and Research in Community Health has been working in the Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra in the field of maternal and child health. Tribals are earning money by selling bamboo.”
Dr. Bhang, who spent his formative years in Mahatma Gandhi’s Sevagram Ashram, has been working along with his wife Rani Bang in the upliftment of tribal community.
According to TRIFED managing director Jiji Thomas, focus will be on minor forest produce and facilitating tribals to gain better knowledge and improved skills in the collection, processing and storage of honey, lac and mahua.
“As part of our silver jubilee celebrations, we will conduct workshops in Jharkhand, Uttarakhand and the North East in helping tribal folks upgrade their products. We will also set up Adivasi Suvidha Kendras where modern training will be imparted.”
Mr. Thomas says TRIFED has been looking at other ways to help the tribal folks. “Right now, our mandate is to procure artefacts, jewellery, textiles and herbal products and sell them at our retail outlets. But we want to diversify. Right now our customers are foreigners and affluent persons. But we want to reach out to the huge middle class population.”
Keywords: Tribal federation, silver jubliee celebrations, New Delhi
