C’garh: Bastar’s Identity, Not Barood, but Virasat, Weapon’s Response Will Be Weapon: Shah
Different tribes living in Bastar have different cultures and every tribe of Bastar is known for their distinct cultural heritage.
Raipur: Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday highlighted the ‘unique culture’ of tribal-dominated Bastar in Chhattisgarh, saying that “Bastar’s real identity is its ‘Virasat’ (heritage), not ‘Barood’ (explosives)”.
Addressing the closing ceremony of ‘Bastar Pandum’, an annual cultural event, at Jagdalpur, headquarters of Bastar, Mr. Shah described the rich cultural heritage of Bastar as ‘unique’ among any other tribal regions in the world.
Different tribes living in Bastar have different cultures and every tribe of Bastar is known for their distinct cultural heritage.
Mr. Shah visited the exhibition on tribal traditions and culture, organized at Lalbagh Ground in Jagdalpur, on the occasion.
He highly appreciated the exhibition showcasing Dhokra craft, terracotta, wood carving, bamboo and iron crafts, tribal attire and jewelry, Tumba art, tribal paintings, local cuisines, and folk art.
The exhibition featured traditional costumes of various tribes.
“Bastar’s culture is unique among the tribal regions in the world. It is a living expression of India’s soul”, he said.
The Union minister however regretted that the four-decade-old Leftwing extremism had caused immense damage to the socio-economic life of the tribals in Bastar.
School, and hospitals in Bastar were destroyed with improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by Maoists depriving the poor tribals of basic education and healthcare facilities for the last several decades.
“Bastar's real identity is the region's 'Virasat', not 'Barood'’”, he added.
He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promoted tribal cultures and tribal icons of the country at the national and international levels.
He cited the move by the Centre to observe the birth anniversary of tribal icon Bhagwan Birsa Munda as Tribal Pride Day, to highlight Mr. Modi’s keenness to bring the tribal cultures of India to the limelight at the national level.
He also highlighted how the PM promoted the rich heritage of Bastar at the national level by honouring the several eminent tribals with Padma awards in various fields.
He said that Maoism never benefitted any society and spread terror and destruction wherever it existed and cited examples of Colombia, Peru and Cambodia, as cases in point.
He appealed to the Maoists to join the mainstream, promising them a dignified living.
Mr. Shah lamented that the young tribal girls are still in the Maoist fold and said that, “They (young tribal girls) must be sent for rehabilitation as their whole lives lie ahead of them”.
He reiterated that Maoist menace will end by March 31 and warned that those who continue to indulge in extremism will not be spared.
“Armed violence will be met with firm response. If someone holds weapons, the response will be also with weapons”, he warned.
Mr. Shah said that a transformation is discernible in Bastar where the atmosphere of fear, unleashed by the red terror, has now been replaced by festivities.
“Around 55,000 tribals across Bastar had participated in 12 disciplines of Bastar Pandum. Earlier there was fear among the tribals. Now such a large number of tribals have participated in the cultural event. This reflects the transformation of Bastar”, he said.
