Tribal communities share issues and culture at mega event in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: More than 140 people from 38 different tribal communities of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
assembled during ‘Samvaad’- a two-day event to discuss various issues and concern of their communities and share
innovations, work of research, music, food and cuisine at Paralakhemundi of Gajapati district in Odisha.

Organised by Tata Steel in association with various tribal communities across India, the event aimed at providing platform to the tribals to start dialogue between them and come out with collective solution for various problems faced by the communities.

“Apart from problems and issues at Samvaad we listen to many unheard voices from tribal hinterlands. Based on the above issue based workshops, interaction with subject matter specialists, best practices sharing between communities and a plethora of activities connected to tribal culture, sports, medicine, cuisine the final solutions are thought of,” said Madan Murmu, a tribal from Keonjhar district.

This year’s theme of Samvaad was ‘Çoming together for social change’. The event was structured to enable introspection, ideation and dialogue within small groups of participants to arrive at issues of development & nation-building. The collective approach is to seek solutions for tribal communities in India.

“Samvaad has emerged as a platform to better understand tribal communities, their core development challenges and help create solutions through a process of dialogue. We remain grateful and are inspired by the continued trust placed in Samvaad by tribal communities across India,” said Sourav Roy, chief corporate social responsibility (CSR), Tata Steel.

A total of six sessions of regional Samvaad has been planned for this year. As part of this intensive exercise, the team intends to take this platform to universities and institutions across Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Nagaland, Jharkhand and Central India. After such regional conclaves in five states across India, the main Samvaad conclave will be held at Jamshedpur in November 2018, he added.

(The Times of India)