Aboriginals rejoice on Adivasi Day in Kothagudem

Kothagudem: The World Adivasi Day was celebrated with fervor in the district on Thursday with hundreds of people belonging to various tribes, along with officials and elected representatives, taking part in the festivities.

Members of tribal communities participated in various cultural events clad in traditional outfits. The district headquarters wore a colourful look with the main thoroughfares and major centres in the town being decorated with festoons and drapes.

The Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) conducted several special programmes as part of the celebration at its office in Kothagudem. The District Collector, who is the Chairmen of the ITDA, declared one-day holiday to government and private schools in view of the occasion. This is the first time the government had declared local holiday on account of the tribal festival.

Adivasis from various villages came to the district headquarters in colorful traditional attires and took part in the celebrations with pomp and gaiety. Cultural programmes were conducted at the ITDA office in Bhadrachalam. Adivasis danced to the tune of popular folk song Rela… Rela... much to amusement of onlookers. They also performed Kommu dances and enthralled the people.

The roads in the temple town reverberated with fold songs and drumbeats. All Advasi MLAs also participated in the programme. They also joined the tribal dancers and shook their legs in their consistencies. Adivasi MLAs Sunnam Rajaiah, Payam Venkteswarlu and Tati Venkatewswarlu participated in various programmes across the district.

ITDA Project Officer Pamela Sathapathy speaking on the occasion, said the government was implementing many schemes for the development of Adivasis. Before the programme, she wished all tribal community members happy World Adivasi Day.

The Project Officer also spoke in Adivasi language during her speech. She said the government was giving priority to the welfare of tribal youth and urged them to utilise all facilities which were provided by the government. She said the government was putting all efforts to provide quality education and better healthcare for Adivasis. She said roads had been built to tribal hamlets to provide better transportation in villages.

Tribal leaders, speaking on the occasion, asked the government to provide more funds for the development of Adivasis. They said some of the Tribal hamlets were not developed yet and therefore many villagers were facing many hardships in those villages. They also requested the government to make whatever possible to development those villages.

After the meeting, a rally was conducted by Adivasi youth from the ITDA office to all main centres. The Project Officer participated in the rally and garlanded tribal leaders’ statues at Ambedkar Centre in the town. Adivasis also raised slogans ‘Adivasi Vardhillali’ on the occasion.

ITDA Deputy Director Ch Ram Murthy, AO Bheem, officers Rama Krishna, Ramanaiah, GCC Divisional Manager K Vani, Circle Inspector Satyanarayana Reddy, leaders of Adivasis M Ramesh, P Krishna Dora, M Nehru, Nageswara Rao, Mane Rama Krishna and other tribal leaders attended the programme.