Finance
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi inaugurated the famous annual Adivasi Mela at the Exhibition Grounds in Bhubaneswar on Sunday. This year’s market will take place from January 5 to January 15, ahead of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas summit.
On this occasion, the Chief Minister stated that this fair has become a vital part of the lives of both visitors to Bhubaneswar and residents of the city. This year, abroad Indians will visit Bhubaneswar to view, know, and experience the grandeur of Odisha’s tribal culture. The Chief Minister stated that this year’s magnificent festival of Odisha’s tribals will undoubtedly receive international attention.
The Chief Minister also launched the Shahid Madho Singh Haath Kharcha Scheme and said that this will help in increasing the tribal students’ interest in education and reducing the dropout rate.
As per the scheme, tribal students who pass Class 8 and enroll themselves in Class 9 and 10 and those who enroll in Class 11 will be given an incentive amount of Rs 5,000 per annum at one time.
Students who register for the relevant class and then attend regular lessons will profit from this plan. The incentive cash was distributed to 1.6 lakh tribal students on Sunday, with more than 2 lakh tribal students expected to gain from it, according to the Chief Minister.
The Chief Minister stated that the tribals’ sacrifices in the country’s freedom war are unprecedented. He shed light on the plight of Bhagwan Birsa Munda and Shaheed Madho Singh.
The Chief Minister recounted Shaheed Madho Singh’s struggle as a tribal landowner in Ghansa, Bargarh district. He was a close companion of Veer Surendra Sai and rose out against the British government’s atrocities. In 1857, he killed many British soldiers at Sangada Ghati near Sambalpur. Madho Singh also killed British Captain Shakespeare and Captain Woodbridge in that battle. However, after fighting for many days, he was finally captured by the British soldiers and hanged on December 31, 1858. Even after this, his four sons – Hatte Singh, Kunjal Singh, Bairi Singh and Iri Singh fought against the British and became martyrs in the freedom movement, making Odisha blessed.
The Chief Minister said that about a quarter of the population of Odisha is tribal. He stated that the state’s success is impossible without the development of such a vast number of people, and that it is unfortunate that even after 75 years of independence, tribals are falling behind in every social and economic indicator. The Chief Minister stated that the tribals of Odisha are extremely backward in terms of education, health, income, and livelihood.
This year’s event features 147 exhibitors, 15 live demonstrations, food courts, art and artisan kiosks, and the Bhagwan Birsa Munda Pavilion.
Nityanand Gand, Minister for Scheduled Tribes and Caste Development, Minority and Backward Classes Welfare, School and Mass Education, Social Security, and Disabled Empowerment, described this year’s Tribal Fair as remarkable. This expo provided an opportunity for tribal communities from all around Odisha to sell their products. This Tribal Fair has offered a proper platform for the tribal community, and they will now have a worldwide market for their products, he stated.
On this occasion, the Chief Minister recognized nine indigenous talents and ten tribal farmers. He released the edition of the journal ‘Banja-2025’, published by the Tribal Language and Culture Academy.
