New Delhi: Arjun Munda, Hon’ble Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, will launch the virtual edition of Aadi Mahotsav. The 10-day long festival, commencing on December 1, 2020, will be hosted on the Tribes India website(www.tribesindia.com). The main focus will be on the tribal craft, culture of Madhya Pradesh. Smt Renuka Singh, Hon’ble Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, Ms. Meena Singh, Hon’ble Minister for Tribal Development, Government of Madhya Pradesh and Shri Ramesh Chand Meena, Chairman, TRIFED will be the guests of honour for this online inauguration which is slated at 11:30 am on December 1, 2020.
The Aadi Mahotsav – A Celebration of the Spirit of Tribal Culture, Crafts, Cuisine and Commerce – is a successful initiative that was commenced in 2017. The festival was an attempt to familiarise the people with the rich and diverse craft, culture of the tribal communities across the country, in one place. Held between 16-30 November, 2019 in New Delhi, the 15-day festival featured an exhibition-cum-sale of tribal handicrafts, art, paintings fabric, jewellery. More than 400 tribal artisans and producers from across India enriched the festival with their participation and it received tremendous response.
Despite the unprecedented circumstances caused due to the pandemic this year, TRIFED decided to continue with this tradition and has moved the event online and will be hosted on the Tribes India Marketplace (www.tribesindia.com). The event will showcase the tribal traditions of the various tribal communities – by having their crafts and natural produce on display. Videos showcasing different aspects of their culture – music, dance etc, will also be shared. In essence, it will still be a celebration of the tribes and their diverse, varied lifestyle but on a different platform.
Tribes India e-market place is a noteworthy initiative that showcases the produce and handicrafts of tribal enterprises from across the country and helpsthem market their produce/ products directly. It is amajor leap towards the digitisation of tribal commerce. 5 lakh tribalproducers/ artisans from across the country are connected via this platform to national and global markets.
The virtual Aadi Mahotsav, which will bring the spotlight on all the major tribes one-by one, will be an excellent platform for not only the region/ tribes in focus. This helps in bringing the tribal culture, life, traditions, crafts etc to the mainstream, while retaining their unique flavour as is. The Tribes India e-marketplace sources various handicraft, handloom, natural food products across the country and brings the best of tribal produce/ products.
Tribes constitute over 8% of our population however, they are among the disadvantaged sections of the society. An attitude that pervades among the mainstream is the erroneous belief that they have to be taught and helped. However the truth is otherwise – the tribals have a lot of teach urban India. Characterised by natural simplicity, their creations have a timeless appeal. The wide range of handicrafts which include hand-woven cotton, silk fabrics, wool, metal craft, terracotta, bead-work, all need to be preserved and promoted.
Trifed, as the nodal agency working for tribal empowerment, has been working and putting in place several initiatives that helps in improving the income and livelihoods of the tribal people, while preserving their way of life and traditions. The Aadi Mahotsav is one such initiative.
With these impressive ventures, TRIFED continues further with its efforts to enable the economic welfare of these communities and bring them closer towards mainstream development.
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