Telangana: Tribals march to save culture

Adilabad: Fed up by the social and modern evils haunting them for years, some Adivasis have decided to embark on a mission to protect the community.

Adivasi Gonds of old Adilabad district are on a first-of-its-kind mission to safeguard their culture and traditions and making the tribals self-reliant by creating awareness among the community.

The community elders are visiting adivasi gudems and Rai centres and holding meetings with on the need to protect their culture and traditions.

The Raj Gond Seva Samiti and Rai centre elders are involving inhabitants of Adivasi gudems in the yatra so that they experience their culture, traditions, music and traditional dances first-hand. Understandably, the focus is on the Adivasi youth.    

Adivasi leader Kotnaka Kishan Moksal of Samiti says in Gondi dialect ‘Jathi Bonke Baki Manaval Selle’ (Adivasis should not take loans from ‘seths’ as it will land them in debt trap).

The leaders say Adivasis should practice their tradition of organic farming with cow dung instead depending on Bt cotton, pesticide and fertilisers.

The younger generation is told that it’s high time the traditional cropping stem and cultivation of pulses and jowar and maize is revived. They are urged not to sell cow dung and not give or lease their lands for cultivation to non-tribals. The youth are also asked to use seeds preserved by them, and not to waste time by waiting for government subsidies.

The Samiti team, comprising about 70 Adivasis, including women in their traditional attire, are participating in the yatra that started on September 29 from Wankidi of Kumarambheem Asifabad district. The yatra will culminate with the Avval puja to be performed at Jodeghat in Kerameri mandal in connection with the death anniversary of Kumaram Bhim.