Amid renewed demands for declaration of national holiday on World Adivasi Day, the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples was celebrated with much enthusiasm across the Bhadrachalam Agency and elsewhere in the predominantly tribal populated district on Thursday.
The temple town of Bhadrachalam in Telangana’s tribal heartland came alive with an array of cultural programmes showcasing the diverse art forms of Adivasis, including Kommu Koya dance, thus marking the grand celebration of the World Adivasi Day.
Scores of Adivasis belonging to Koya, Nayakpodu, Konda Reddi and other tribal communities took out a huge rally in the town displaying their unique cultural traditions.
Earlier, Bhadrachalam MLA Sunnam Rajaiah, Project Officer of Integrated Tribal Development Agency, Bhadrachalam, Pamela Satpathy and others paid floral tributes to the statues of Adivasi freedom fighters Gantam Dora, Mallu Dora, Komaram Bheem and Alluri Sitarama Raju in the town. Schools across the district remained closed on Thursday on account of a local holiday declared by the district administration.
Meanwhile, a host of Adivasi organisations conducted a convention christened Adivasi Aikyatha Sadassu in Bhadrachalam on Thursday afternoon.
Tudum Debba State president Soyam Babu Rao and leaders of various other Adivasi organisations – Madavi Nehru, Chunchu Ramakrishna, Murla Ramesh, Podiyam Balaraju, Jagga Pullaiah and others – spoke on the occasion.
The participants of the meeting deliberated on the ways to forge a strong unity among all the Adivasi communities and explore legal options to defend their legitimate rights and achieve due share in educational, employment and other spheres.
Several speakers highlighted the need for declaration of a national holiday on August 9 by the government from next year to officially celebrate the World Adivasi Day so as to preserve the distinct customs, identity and cultural heritage of indigenous people.
