Visakhapatnam: Andhra University conducted a sensitisation workshop on “Scheduled Tribes: Issues and Perspectives for Development” to mark the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples or World Tribal Day on Wednesday. The workshop was held jointly by the Centre for Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy (CSSEIP) and Department of Journalism and Mass Communication of the varsity.
“The indigenous population in India is yet to be part of our mainstream society, socially and economically and uplifting them in a right way is the need of the hour, said Andhra University College of Arts and Commerce Principal Prof. K. Ramamohana Rao who graced the occasion as chief guest. “The development of the tribal population should be the priority of the government policies. The tribal communities are still far from the developmental process, despite spending crores of money in the name of tribal development since Independence,” he added.
Presiding over the workshop, Prof Challa Rama Krishna, head, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication and Co-Convener of the workshop stated that the tribal communities represent 370 million people, totalling to 5 per cent of the world’s population. He observed that the tribes do not have access to minimum basic needs and explained his views drawing from his personal experiences, in particular, the Visakhapatnam Agency region.
Director of the CSSEIP, Dr P. Subba Rao explained that the objective of the workshop is to sensitise and ignite the young minds on the issues faced by the tribal communities. BC Commission member, Prof. V. Subramanyam, in his keynote address stated that India accounts for the second largest tribal population after Africa with 8.6 percent population. “The tribal communities are being exploited very much by the traders and money lenders because of their impoverishment, illiteracy and ignorance,” Prof. Subramanyam said. Prof. P.D. Satya Pal, Head, Department of Anthropology and Prof Kishore Joshi of Bhavnagar University also spoke. Faculty and staff of the CSSEIP and Department of Journalism, invitees and around 75 students and scholars and NGOs participated in the workshop.
