Category: Arts, Culture & Entertainment

ICCR felicitates foreign artistes of Indian classical music and dance

These artistes, selected from eight to 10 countries, will also perform at the upcoming ‘Pravasi Bharatiya Divas’ event.

The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) on Sunday felicitated foreign artistes of Indian dance and music from several countries such as Iran and Malaysia, who were selected through a first-of-its-kind talent recognition initiative.

These artistes, selected from eight to 10 countries, will also perform at the upcoming ‘Pravasi Bharatiya Divas’ event which will be organised this month in Indore, ICCR president Vinay Sahasrabuddhe said. On Sunday, in association with the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA), ICCR felicitated these artistes at ‘Pratibha Sangam’ event in New Delhi.

Mr. Sahasrabuddhe said, this is a first-of-its-kind initiative in which foreign-based artistes of Indian dance and music were recognised and awarded. Several artistes at the event performed various forms of Indian classical dance such as Odissi and Kathak.

thehindu.com

Meet Ranjeet Rathore, the first Indian student to be head of a students’ union in the UK

The pioneering student-politician on what it took to break the glass ceiling of colour and race in UK’s student politics.

While Indians across the world are still celebrating the appointment of Rishi Sunak as the first person of Indian-origin to become the Prime Minister of the UK, it is time to acknowledge the contributions of another political leader whose Indian roots have blossomed to great effect in Britain. Ranjeet Rathore, 26, from Jaipur, is the first Indian as well as the first international student to win their university student elections in the UK, a feat he achieved in June 2018. He held his presidential term till July 2020.

My Kolkata caught up with Rathore to take a deep dive into his political journey, his struggles and aspirations, the challenges of Indian students in the UK and more.

‘People like me were never meant to run for elections’

My Kolkata: Tell us more about how you won the students’ union election at Brunel University, London.

Ranjeet Rathore: My story is an unlikely one. People like me were never meant to run for elections. For people like myself it was never about planning our path to big universities or even to London. It was about keeping our heads low and surviving the tide because we are minorities here. Believing in the Indian teaching of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, which translates to “the world is one family”, I was able to get involved in my university and represent the voices of 15,000 students. 

How did everyone react when you became the first-ever Indian students’ union president in the UK?

The news of my victory was met with mixed reactions, as I wasn’t the traditional white candidate running for president. I wasn’t the “obvious choice”, as one would say! On one hand, the international student community was overjoyed with the results as “one of their own” had been elected. And on the other, there were people who had their doubts and were naysayers with respect to the results.

What are you currently involved in? 

I’m currently doing a balancing act of sorts, with my time split across two major things. First, community work, which I’m super passionate about, where I volunteer my time and resources with a number of charities from food banks to community trusts to working with youth organisations as well as the Indian High Commission. Second, working with the national political party — The Conservatives, in various capacities, from helping at the grassroots with organising and mobilising campaigns to advocating on a large scale when necessary. 

‘We can’t expect politics to change if we leave it to the same old people to run it’

How did you get interested in student politics in the UK? What are the challenges of being a student politician of colour in the UK?

Initially, I didn’t believe politics was for me. But we can’t expect politics to change if we leave it to the same old people to run it. Politics is for everyone. I’m a big believer in the fact that we need leaders who understand what it’s like to live like us, to face the everyday issues we face. That is why I got into politics. To give our youth and our communities a voice. 

The challenges of being a youth leader of colour are many. From systemic oppression to being up against elitist groups to being treated as a second-class citizen. 

What is your view of the political affiliations of the student community in the UK? Are they inclined more towards Labour or the Conservatives? Do student affiliations fluctuate a lot depending on demography and/or ethnicity?

There are both types of affiliations (towards the Conservatives and Labour) that prevail in the UK. Demographics and socio-economic factors play a major role in deciding which side you lean. Some universities and campuses are very vocal and Labour-leaning. Some universities are liberal but have other political views. With time and age, students get more clarity on what the right affiliation is for them as individuals. Regardless of political affiliation, I believe quality education should be the key focus. With the right education, students and adults in general will make more informed political decisions.

‘I was a volunteer campaigner for Team Boris, pulling in the masses to come out and campaign’

What did your work with Boris Johnson’s team entail?

Perhaps the highlight of my work so far came during the two-election season we saw in 2019, one being the snap elections and the second being the general elections. I was a volunteer campaigner for Team Boris, pulling in the masses to come out and campaign. Our work involved facilitating a wide range of conversations, developing strategies to drive change in the boroughs and beyond, delivering projects, resources and creating awareness about important causes through public engagements and door-to-door campaigning.

What are your long-term plans for UK politics? Do you ever plan to join politics in India?

There’s this famous saying by Marc Anthony, “If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.” I plan to carry on doing what I love doing for the community. There are general elections in the UK in 18 months’ time, and if during the lead up to it, the right opportunity comes along, I’ll try to do justice to whatever role I’m given in the UK’s political landscape. In terms of Indian politics, I plan to be a cheerleader of India’s economic growth and support its young leaders by getting more involved in shaping the nation. With India assuming the presidency of G20, I am leading projects for Youth G20 from the UK to discuss and debate global challenges and policy recommendations that people would like G20 leaders to take forward. 

‘I hope Sunak provides more opportunities to international students, especially Indians’

How do you envision the UK-India relationship developing considering Rishi Sunak is now the Prime Minister of the UK?

Sunak himself summarised it quite well when he said that the UK-India relationship should be a “two-way exchange”. This will benefit both the economies, especially when it comes to collaborating on big projects such as the India-UK Free Trade Agreement. I also hope it provides more opportunities to international students, especially Indians, since I’ve always been an advocate for the post-study work visa in the UK for Indian students. Overall, under Sunak, I think the future is immensely bright for the exchange of knowledge and business between both countries. 

Do you think the UK’s current policies are doing enough to battle systemic racism against Indians?

To battle systemic racism against Indians or anyone, the most important thing to do is to call it out. There are structural problems with race within our communities. A lot of groundwork is being laid to address this issue. The government has formed an Equalities Office, whose entire purpose is to eradicate systemic racism. From decolonising the curriculum to workplace changes to reformation of the criminal justice system, there’s a lot that’s being done.

‘The rightful country as far as the Kohinoor goes is India’

Following Sunak’s appointment, there was even more talk of the UK giving back the Kohinoor and which nation would be entitled to get it should that happen. What’s your take?

In August, London’s Horniman Museum agreed to return 72 stolen Nigerian artefacts, including the Benin Bronzes (a group of sculptures made of brass and bronze), taken over a hundred years ago. So, following the same precedent, the rightful country as far as the Kohinoor goes is India. 

What are the biggest social issues or challenges Indians face in the UK that you are trying to solve?

Indians in the UK work very hard, but the barriers to success are very high. From colourism to  systemic racism, from mental health being a taboo to housing issues to lack of  social mobility, it’s a long list. A lot of these come from the systemic hierarchies which have been embedded since colonialism began. My work to address these issues includes working on a race and equality charter with my university, lobbying for more BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) jobs and making Indians more aware about the resources they have available that can help them succeed. 

telegraphindia.com/mykolkata

Vadnagar town, Modhera Sun Temple, Unakoti sculptures added to UNESCO’s tentative list of World Heritage Sites

India now has 52 sites on UNESCO’s tentative list, an inventory of properties which each state party intends to consider for nomination.

Gujarat’s Vadnagar town, the iconic Sun Temple at Modhera, and the rock cut sculptures of Unakoti in Tripura have been added to the tentative list of UNCESO World Heritage Sites.

The UNESCO tentative list is an “inventory of those properties which each State Party intends to consider for nomination”.

“With this, India now has 52 sites on UNESCO Tentative List. The list indicates rich cultural and natural wealth of India and shows huge diversity of our heritage. With PM Narendra Modi’s dynamic vision and leadership, India is committed to add more sites on the World Heritage List,” Union Culture Minister G. Kishan Reddy tweeted.

“I congratulate ASI [Archaeological Survey of India] for their role in identifying more monuments and places for the world heritage nomination,” he said.

The ASI shared his tweet and said that the step will provide a big boost to India’s cultural heritage.

The Sun Temple, Modhera dedicated to Surya Dev, is the earliest of such temples which set trends in architectural and decorative details, representing the Solanki style at its best.

Vadnagar is a municipality under Mehsana district of Gujarat. A multi-layered historic town, the history of Vadnagar stretches back to nearly 8th century BCE. The town still retains a large number of historic buildings that are primarily religious and residential in nature.

Unakoti, located in the northeastern region of Tripura, is known as an ancient holy place associated with Shaiva worship. The site is a massive gallery set in a forested area displaying a number of towering low relief images in a unique style, making it a masterpiece of human creative genius.

thehindu.com

India restoring Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia: Jaishankar

‘Today, we are restoring and renovating the temples in Angkor Wat. These are contributions which we are making outside because the civilisation of India has gone beyond India’.

The Angkor Wat temple complex in Cambodia is being restored by India because our civilisation is not limited to India, but is spread across countries, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Sunday said.

Addressing the Kashi Tamil Sangamam on the subject ‘contribution of temples in society and nation building’ being held here, Mr. Jaishankar said, “There are temples not only in India, not only in the Indian subcontinent, but in many regions beyond.”

“I had gone with the Vice President to see the biggest temple in the world—the Angkor Wat temple complex. Today, we are restoring and renovating the temples in Angkor Wat. These are contributions which we are making outside because the civilisation of India has gone beyond India,” he said.

“So, today when we are restoring, rebuilding, and re-energising Indian civilisation, our task is not only in India. Our task is all over the world. But, it is not only where our civilisation went, it is also where our travellers went, our traders went, our people of faith went,” he said.

Recalling his days as India’s ambassador to China, the minister said, “Some of you know that for many years, I have been an ambassador to China. I have seen the remnants of Hindu temples even in China on the east coast.” He said that there is a very special connection between Ayodhya and Korea, whose people want to be associated with the developments in Ayodhya, he said.

He also mentioned that Shrinath jee temple in Bahrain, and said, “All these were established by our people, when they went out. It is a matter of pride for us that we are building a temple in UAE, that we got approval to built a temple in Bahrain. We have done a lot of work in Vietnam.”

“So, how do we today take our culture out, take our values, our philosophy, our way of life and share it with the rest of the world through activities outside. We are very committed in the foreign ministry to doing that. We also support what people of India are doing outside … There are more than 1,000 temples in the US,” he said.

He said that there are 3.5 crore Indians and people of Indian origin abroad, who have taken Indian culture with them abroad. “So, it is also our efforts today to support them, and we do it in different ways.” Mr. Jaishankar also informed the audience that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged ₹200 crore to build a Ramayan Circuit into Nepal, “so that all of us will have an opportunity to visit our heritage in close quarters.”

“Even in Sri Lanka, we restored the Thiruketheeswaram Temple in Mannar. This temple was closed for 12 years. So the fact that we took interest, made efforts, has made it possible for the revival of that temple,” he said.

Thiruketheeswaram Temple, one of the five sacred Ishwarams dedicated to Lord Shiva, is venerated by Shaivites throughout the subcontinent and the temple was testimony to the most difficult period in the history of Sri Lanka as it was closed for 12 years during the armed conflict and reopened in 2002.

The minister also said that in Nepal after the 2015 earthquake, many temples were damaged because they were old. “We have committed $50 million for restoration of cultural heritage in Nepal.”

thehindu.com

India’s Sargam Koushal wins Mrs World 2022, crown back in India after 21 years

Mrs. Polynesia was named the first runner-up, followed by Mrs. Canada as the second runner-up.

Sargam Koushal was named Mrs World 2022, beating contestants from 63 countries to bring the title back to India after 21 years.

Mrs World 2021 Shaylyn Ford of the U.S. presented the crown to Mumbai-based Mrs. Koushal at a ceremony held at Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino on Saturday evening.

Mrs Polynesia was named the first runner-up, followed by Mrs Canada as the second runner-up. The Mrs India pageant announced the winner on its official Instagram page on Sunday.

“The long wait is over, it’s after 21 years we have the CROWN back!” read the post. “We’ve got the crown back after 21-22 years. I’m so excited. Love you India, love you world,” Mrs. Koushal said. Sargam Koushal was named Mrs World 2022, beating contestants from 63 countries to bring the title back to India after 21 years. Mrs World 2021 Shaylyn Ford of the U.S. presented the crown to Mumbai-based Mrs. Koushal at a ceremony held at Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino on Saturday evening. Mrs Polynesia was named the first runner-up, followed by Mrs Canada as the second runner-up.

The Mrs India pageant announced the winner on its official Instagram page on Sunday. “The long wait is over, it’s after 21 years we have the CROWN back!” read the post. “We’ve got the crown back after 21-22 years. I’m so excited. Love you India, love you world,” Mrs. Koushal said.

Aditi Govitrikar, the actor-model who brought the Mrs India crown to India in 2001, also shared a congratulatory message on the unverified page of the Mrs World pageant.

Tagging Koushal, Govitrikar wrote: “Heartiest congratulations @sargam3 @mrsindiainc so happy to have been part of the journey.. it was time the crown came back after 21 years.” <MA>For the final round, Koushal wore a pink centre slit glittery gown designed by Bhawna Rao and was mentored for the runway by pageant expert and model Alesia Raut.

Mrs World is the first beauty pageant for married women, launched in 1984.

thehindu.com

Tornadoes motorcycle display team creates three new world records

With these feats, the ASC Tornadoes has increased its tally of world records to 35.

The ASC motorcycle display team, Tornadoes, created three new world records on December 4, Sunday. Captain Abhijeet Singh Grewal created a world record of 114 km in three hours and 29 minutes for the longest continuous ride standing on the seat of a motorcycle and broke the Guinness World Record of 41.8 km held by Hardan al Delaimi, Iraq, and the 75.2 km record held by Army Signals motorcycle Team, Daredevils.

Havildar Harikesh Yadav created a new record of 356 km in 9 hours and 17 minutes for the longest motorcycle ride while sitting in tail light and broke the earlier record of 111 km held by Army Corps of Signals Team Daredevils.

Yet another new record was created by Havildar Manish for the longest wheelie on a Royal Enfield 350 cc covering a distance of 2.4 km.

The attempts were conducted as per the guidelines of the Guinness Book of World Records, Limca Book of Records and International Book of Records. These feats were attempted at the ASC Centre (South) and NICE road, Bengaluru.

With these feats the ASC Tornadoes have increased their tally to 35 world records.

The Tornadoes was raised in 1982 after having given a stupendous display of daredevilry during the 1982 Asian Games. Since then the men of the Tornadoes team by their grit, determination and spirit of adventure have made a niche for themselves by rewriting various records.

The team is stationed at ASC Centre (South), Bengaluru, and has 39 riders of two officers, two Junior Commissioned Officers and 35 other ranks. Tornadoes have performed in numerous display shows in India and abroad.

The new records were attempted to commemorate the 262th ASC Corps Day and 11th ASC Reunion. According to the team, stunt riding on a motorcycle demands guts, personal courage, physical fitness and great skill in handling the motorcycle.

thehindu.com

A unique participatory museum in Raipur celebrates plurality and encourages dialogue

Conflictorium tries to imagine a peaceful society through an interplay between viewpoints on prevailing conflicts.

As visitors enter the room, they are greeted by an innocuous floor tile that asks: “Are you religious?” Two arrows branch off — one for ‘Yes’ and the other for ‘No’. Thus begins a flowchart that leads to one soul-searching question after another. The questions become increasingly intense, forcing visitors to ponder deeply before answering.

“Does humanity pose a threat to religion?”

“For the sake of your religion, can you kill an animal or a human?”

This entire room is an installation in Raipur’s Conflictorium, “a participatory museum that brings together different people to celebrate plurality and encourage transformative dialogue via art and culture practices”. The installation is part of a short-term exhibit that started on November 6 and will continue for the next couple of months.

The exhibit is an enquiry into the freedom of religion guaranteed under Article 25 of the Indian Constitution and includes a set of paintings and a video as the other installations. While developments like the hijab controversy define the exhibit’s contemporary relevance, it resonates in the very concept of the museum, Ayush Chandrawanshi, project anchor and curator of the museum, said.

“While the idea of conflict conventionally refers to overt violence, Conflictorium believes in deconstructing those acts to the smaller and seemingly simpler cracks in people’s perceptions of belonging, empathy and community. It acknowledges and explores the phenomenon of conflict transformation as a key move in imagining a peaceful society,” said Mr. Chandrawanshi, an alumnus of the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad.

A collaborative project of the non-profit Janvikas, Centre for Social Justice, and Navsarjan, the Conflictorium is the second of its kind museum anywhere in the country. There has been one in Ahmedabad for a decade, while the one in Raipur was inaugurated in April this year. The broad theme remains similar but the curators have tried to localise the Raipur Conflictorium, through exhibits depicting the various conflicts in the State with experiential exhibits that are permanent, semi-permanent, or short-term, such as ‘Markers and Morality’.

Extraction of minerals, for example, often leads to conflict in forest-rich areas of Chhattisgarh, where tribals oppose the deforestation and displacement that comes with it. One of the exhibits, for example, requires visitors to wear a miner’s helmet and walk on a bed of coals through a dark, unventilated passage that creates the experience of a coal mine.

Conflict does assume a more violent form in these mineral rich areas, with locals often finding themselves caught between Left Wing Extremists in areas such as Bastar, and the security forces camping in jungles to fight them.

The death, in a police firing, of four tribals protesting against a security camp in Silger last May, triggered an even bigger protest. To this day, it lingers on, notwithstanding the State’s claims that the deceased were Maoists. More recently, a court in Chhattisgarh acquitted 121 tribals in a case of Maoist ambush after they had spent five years in jail. On the other hand are killings by ultras, with reports of villagers being killed for being suspected police informers often making it to local dailies in the conflict zone of Bastar.

Witness Box, another permanent exhibit, captures some of these dimensions. Hanging headsets make the visitor feel like a witness in the middle of such discussions — such as a TV cameraman injured in a Maoist ambush making his last phone call, and an interview with someone who was falsely incarcerated for four years after being accused of being a police informer.

The “Gallery of Dispute” explores themes such as man-animal conflict, or communal tensions, boundaries of caste and religion, via an interactive experience where the participant feels she is a part of the overall experience, diving into the backdrop of these conflicts.

“This is one of the reasons why Raipur was chosen for setting up another Conflictorium because the conflicts are not restricted to the ones that have a military nature. So when the founders were looking for a second or third tier city, this is what drove them to zero in on Raipur. Also, it was felt that it was the perfect place to ignite a culture of social thought process, compared to the metros, or even other contenders like Imphal. The recent anti-mining protests in Hasdeo also gave it a contemporary context,” Mr. Chandravanshi said.

While pursuing his Masters in Photography Design from NID, the Raipur resident came in touch with the project’s founder-director Avni Sethi. The groundwork for the Raipur museum began in 2020, only to be slowed down by the two waves of the pandemic. Mr. Chandravanshi came on board in 2021, and worked on location hunting and on curating the exhibits, which include works by renowned poets, photographers and artists. He now manages the Conflictorium, spread across three floors, with a team of four.

thehindu.com

Restoration of Mumbai’s century-old museum wins UNESCO Asia-Pacific award

The jury hailed it as a project that ‘sets a standard’ for the conservation of world heritage monuments.

The restoration of the 100-year-old Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya in Mumbai has won the Award of Excellence in this year’s UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation, which was announced on Saturday.

The museum is a part of the Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai’s world heritage property. It was established as the Prince of Wales Museum of Western India in 1922.

UNESCO Bangkok, in a statement, said the jury hailed it as a project that “sets a standard” for the conservation of world heritage monuments. “The jury applauded the museum project for restoring ‘a major civic institution in the historic city of Mumbai’,” it said.

“Impressive in its scale, the project addressed extensive deterioration through well-informed architectural and engineering solutions, overcoming major challenges during the pandemic,” the statement added.

Thirteen projects from six countries – Afghanistan, China, India, Iran, Nepal and Thailand – have been acknowledged for awards by the jury this year.

Jury deliberations were carried out in November when members reviewed 50 entries from 11 countries from the Asia-Pacific region.

Other awards

The Domakonda Fort of Telangana and Byculla Station of Mumbai are among the winners in the ‘Award of Merit’ category, while the stepwells of Golconda in Hyderabad has won an award in the ‘Award of Distinction’ category.

Topdara Stupa, Charikar, Afghanistan, and Nantian Buddhist Temple, Fujian, China, have also received the ‘Award of Merit’, the statement said.

“The awards give people a sense of pride and sense of ownership of their own heritage,” Feng Jing, the Chief of the Culture Unit at UNESCO Bangkok, was quoted as saying in the statement.

Since 2000, the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation programme has been recognising the efforts of private individuals and organisations in restoring, conserving and transforming structures and buildings of heritage value in the region.

thehindu.com

Telangana scores a double win at Unesco heritage conservation awards

The 17th century stepwells inside the Qutb Shahi tombs complex were in a state of ruin and were disused until the Aga Khan Trust for Culture signed an agreement with the State Government that the wells were restored.

Telangana scored a double win at the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation with a Distinction of Merit for the restoration of the stepwells inside the Qutb Shahi Tombs Complex in Hyderabad and an Award of Merit for the conservation work on the Domakonda Fort in Kamareddy district. The awards were announced today at Bangkok.

The 17 th century stepwells inside the Qutb Shahi tombs complex were in a state of ruin and were disused. It was only after the Aga Khan Trust for Culture signed an agreement with the State Government that the wells were restored, beginning with the Badi Baoli. The latest restoration was that of the eastern baoli whose restoration function was attended by Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development K.T. Rama Rao.

“It is an incredible feeling that AKTC has won an award for the third year in running. There is a nature and culture linkage that heritage sites demonstrate. They can address climate change with net-zero water requirement. The restoration of wells show how conservation of heritage sites can have multiple objectives,” said Ratish Nanda, CEO of Aga Khan Trust for Culture which is restoring the Qutb Shahi Tombs Complex with a private-public partnership model which includes the Department of Archaeology and Museums, Tata Trusts, US Ambassadors Fund and other partners.

In contrast, the Domakonda Fort is a private property and was built in the 18 th century with an amalgam of styles including stucco work, arched pillars, flat ceiling, and a courtyard with a water garden pond. The fort was part of the celebration of the marriage function of Upasana Kamineni (a scion of the family that built the fort) and actor Ram Charan in 2012.

“I am feeling very proud as it was a challenging project and its has been a rewarding experience. I worked with local craftsmen, sourced local materials, so that it is a sustainable project with low-carbon footprint. We trained the craftsmen and had workshops from the time I began working on the project in 2011,” said conservation architect Anuradha Naik about the award for Domakonda Fort.

The citation for Domakonda fort recognises: “The project applied original construction techniques and authentic materials and trained local artisans in traditional building skills. The involvement of villagers during the restoration process and in the operations of the fort ensures direct benefit for the community.”

thehindu.com

IGNCA holds photo exhibition on occasion of ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas’

The Government has decided to celebrate the birth anniversary of tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda on November 15 as “Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas”. On this occasion, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) has organised a photography exhibition on ‘Tribes, Culture and Tradition’ in collaboration with Sathish Lal Andhekar at the “Darshanam” art gallery located in its premises.

The exhibition was inaugurated by Jual Oram, MP Lok Sabha, Chairperson, Standing Committee on Defence.

Expressing happiness over the decision to celebrate November 15th as “Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas” he thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for this.

Sachchidanand Joshi, Member Secretary of IGNCA was also present on the occasion.

The photographs included in the exhibition are of Photo Journalist Sathish Lal Andhekar.

He took these photographs over a period of 12 years.

The culture and tradition of the tribal communities of ten states have been displayed in this exhibition.

The exhibition will run till November 21.

Speaking on the occasion, Jual Oram said: “Today, President Droupadi Murmu went to Birsa Munda’s village Ulihatu. I had tried to take the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee there years ago, but there were many tall trees and such a dense forest that three helicopters could not land at the same time. One helicopter landed, the other two could not land. That’s why Atal ji said that you go, as the car would not go there, so I reached some distance by motorcycle and thereafter walked two to three km. Birsa Munda raised such a huge movement from that remote jungle and shook the British in his life span of only 25 years.”

Oram said that no other movement such as this has happened in the history of India, but historians and others ignored it.

“By organising ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas’, people will know about the legacy of Birsa Munda and his contribution to the history and culture of Indian tribal community,” he said.

He also said that now a lot of work has been done in Birsa Munda’s village.

“There has been development and Roads and schools have been built. People must go there and see the legacy of Birsa Munda, the great hero of ‘Ulgulan’.

“After seeing this photography exhibition, people will get a chance to know in detail about the tribal lifestyle and tribal society of India, their culture and tradition. Photographer Sathish Lal Andhekar has captured the tribal life with great subtlety and beauty in his camera”.

daijiworld.com