It is really appreciable on part of the ruling dispensation that equitable efforts have been taken for welfare and development of every sections of society, especially downtrodden, underprivileged and those who were ignored by the previous Governments in past. In this regard, the recently organized National Tribal Festival- Aadi Mahotsav successfully concluded with sales of more than Rs 3 crore, from February 16 to 27, 2023 at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi. The closing ceremony was graced by Arjun Munda, Union Minister for Tribal Affairs; Bhupender Yadav, Cabinet Minister for Labour & Employment; and Environment, Forest & Climate Change and M C Mary Kom, Brand Ambassador, TRIFED-Tribes India where the participants were recognized for displaying exceptional talent, showcasing the traditional art which the nation is proud of. On the occasion, Arjun Munda said that the tribals have been conserving and preserving natural resources since time immemorial. They are the protectors of environment which is the need of the hour in view of global warming and climate change, the Minister explained. In such a situation, the tribals have crucial role to pay with their nature and environment friendly way of life, he added. Arjun Munda said that it is a matter of great pride for tribals that the Prime Minister inaugurated Aadi Mahotsav, interacted with them and showed keen interest in their products. Aadi Mahotsav is special since it sells products derived from Jungle and Jameen, which are natural and organic. Munda also said that 29 PVTGs from 9 States/ UTs participated in the event. He further informed that an exclusive pavilion for the sale and display of Van Dhan products was also put up and 39 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras from 17 States/UTs also participated in the Mahotsav. Arjun Munda also said that the high volume of sales in Aadi Mahotsav shows people’s preference for items produced naturally by tribals and having good quality. He said that as per Prime Minister’s vision and food habits of tribals, millets stalls were set up and a good sale is recorded of the millets and millet based food from these stalls. Union Minister also said that it is our aim to provide market to the SHGs producing in far flung areas and uphold the spirit of Ek Bharath Shrestha Bharat. Bhupender Yadav said that as Narendra Modi stated, the event was a reminder that the lifestyle adopted by India’s tribal people is a lesson to the world in sustainable lifestyle. He also added that the tribal way of life contributes to sustainability because it is the way of life which is conducive to environment, humanity and the whole planet. It is the endeavour of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to work closely with Ministry of Tribal Affairs and TRIFED in area of Forest rights and livelihoods for tribals. At the closing ceremony prizes were distributed to the best performing artisans during Aadi Mahotsav. In Aadi Mahotsav on the invitation of MoTA National Health Authority (NHA) installed canopy at Dhyan Chand stadium. During these six days more than 4 thousand visitors visited NHA stall and inquired about both schemes of NHA. During this period more than 600 Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) cards for artisans and visitors, and 16 Ayushman Bharat card for the Artisans from different states were created. The theme of the festival was ‘Celebration of Spirit of Tribal Entrepreneurship, Crafts, Culture, Cuisine and Commerce’, which represents the basic ethos of tribal life. The festival featured exhibition-cum-sale of tribal handicrafts, handloom, paintings, jewellery, cane & bamboo, pottery, food & natural products, gifts & assortment, tribal cuisine and much more through 234 stalls.
