Samvaad - A Tribal Conclave 2015
As a part of the Affirmative Action initiatives, Tata Steel's Tribal Cultural Society, in its effort to revive, preserve and promote tribal culture, organises 'Samvaad' - A Tribal Conclave.
Tata Steel's Tribal Cultural Society is organising the second edition of Samvaad - A Tribal Conclave from 15th - 22nd November, 2015 at Gopal Maidan in Jamshedpur.
Committed to preserving and promoting tribal culture, Samvaad 2015 will be inaugurated on November 15 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda, the iconic tribal freedom fighter, and the Statehood Day of Jharkhand.
The event will welcome a variety of tribes from all over India to participate in Cultural Performances, Handicrafts Exhibition, Panel Discussions, Film Screenings and more - all a part of Samvaad 2015.
Day 1 began with an obeisance to Birsa Munda by the Birsayat people. The process involved invoking the gods and seeking their blessings for the success of Samvaad 2015. It was followed by a prayer by Guru Rewbewn, the king of tribal pop from Manipur. He recited a prayer in Naga language.
The celebration began through a musical representation in praise of Jharkhand by Madhu Mansuri from Ranchi. The Guest of Honor Mr. Koushik Chatterjee, Group Executive Director - Finance & Corporate, then addressed the gathering. Following him was a graceful Sarfa dance performed by the Santha community of Jharkhand. These dancers were trained and honed by the Tribal Culture Society.
The Chief Guest Mr. T. V. Narendran, Managing Director, Tata Steel - India & SEA addressed the august gathering and started the beating of 151 nagaras by beating along with Mr. Chatterjee on the nagara gifted to him by A K Gunjal, grandson of Dr Ram Dayal Munda.
Following it were various cultural displays by different tribes to depict their lineage, traditions, culture and rituals. Day 1 saw performances from the African origin Siddis, Car Nicobarese, Gadabas, Irulas, Ao Nagas and the Ho tribe.
Highlights:
- Obeisance to Birsa Munda by the Birsayat people
- Prayer by Guru Rewben Mashangva from Imphal, Manipur
- Welcome Address by Mr Biren Bhuta , Chief, CSR, Tata Steel
- Song in praise of Jharkhand by Madhu Mansuri frm Ranchi, Jharkhand
- Address by Mr. Koushik Chatterjee, Group Executive Director, Tata Steel
- Sarfa dance performance
- Address by T V Narendran, MD, Tata Steel
- Anhad Naad: ‘The Primordial Sound’ featuring 151 Nagaras of Jharkhand and Odisha to commemorate Birsa Munda Jayanti
- Mashira Nritya dance of the Siddis
- Dance of Car Nicobarese
- Dhemsa Naach by the Gadabas
- Attam-Pattam (Dance and Song)
- Dance of the Ao Nagas
- Orchestra by Boyo Gagrai from the Ho tribe from Chaibasa, Jharkhand
- Handicrafts exhibition and sale
Day 2 at 'Samvaad' witnessed engaging panel discussions and cultural performances. The panel discussions were on ‘The Threatened Tribal Languages’ at the Chintan auditorium. The day ended with a series of cultural performances by various tribes.
Highlights:
- Panel discussion on 'The Threatened Tribal Languages'
- Open forum on tribals' perspective on development presided over by Shri Shantha Sinha
- Prayer in Santali
- Music and Dance from Ladakh
- Shim Laam or the Fly Dance of the Rongmei Kabui Nagas of Manipur
- Kata Beanlu Laam or the Strings and Bangles Dance of the Zeliangrong Nagas of Manipur
- Laophun Laotai Laodi Laam of the Rongmei Kabui Nagas of Manipur
- The Tarpa Troupe, the Warli tribe from Maharashtra
- Dance of the Adi from Arunachal Pradesh
- Dance of the Konda Reddi from Andhra Pradesh
- Birli of the Bamboo Dance of the Dhurwa tribe of Odisha
- Paika Dance from Jharkhand
- Orchestra by Dulai Manki from the Tea Tribe of Assam
The day went kicked off with panel discussions at the Chintan auditorium with eminent panelists sharing their thoughts on ‘The Resurgent Tribal Literature’ and ‘Have we as a country failed our tribal communities?’ Paper presentations were made on ‘Tribes in Contemporary India: Orality, Identity & Development’. Day 3 drew to a close with cultural performances which were graced with the presence of Cyrus Mistry, Chairman of Tata Sons.
Highlights:
- Prayer in Ho to start the proceedings
- Kung Kung Go and Tasosa Tyangri Dances from Sikkim
- Dance of the Kurubas from Karnataka
- The King of Naga Folk Blues, musical performance by Guru Rewben Mashangva
- Dance of Khadias from Jharkhand
- Dance performance from ground Ziro, group from Arunachal Pradesh
- The Hill Dwellers: The Dongria Kondhs
- Aphilo Kuwa: The Warrior Dance
- Unurum, a compilation of traditional Santhali songs
Samvaad 2015 at a Glance
Event Attractions
Cultural Performances
- Cultural Performance by ‘King of the Naga Folk Blues’, Guru Rewben Mashangva from the Tangkhul Naga tribe who has worked on ancient songs to make them appealing to modern listeners.
- Gujarat’s ‘Siddi’ tribe will entertain the audience with their lively hunting dance and songs that talk of the tribe’s migration from Africa 400 years ago.
- Warrior dances of the ‘Ao’ and ‘Sumi’ tribes of Nagaland and ‘Adi’ tribe from Arunachal Pradesh.
Handicrafts
- The ‘Bodos’ of Assam will showcase their intricate weaving skills and age-old motifs that depict intricate facets of nature such as the eye of a pigeon, the footprint of a bear etc.
- Samvaad’15 will provide a platform to artisans from TRIFED, Jharcraft, Anwesha from Odisha and Oja Resource Centre from Arunachal Pradesh among many others.
- The practice of tattooing called the ‘Godna’ in Chhattisgarh will also be showcased at the event with a chance for users to get their favourite Godna.
Panel Discussion
A special panel with Padma Shri Ganesh Devy, Dr. R. Balasubramanium, founder of the Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement, Sanjiv Phansalkar, Program Leader at Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and Padma Shri Tulsi Munda, noted social activist, among others would discuss the most relevant subject, 'Has India failed its tribal communities?'
Film Screenings
A new feature 'Samuday ke Saath'- a film festival on tribal issues from across the country would be organised with screenings at colleges and community centers along with interaction sessions with film makers.
The films that will be screened include The Women Betrayed, Khankhar Ankhar, Have You Seen The Arana?, Adivasi Putul Katha, In The Forest Hangs A Bridge, Only An Axe Away, In The Search Of Green Gold, and Mission Minouli.
Programme Itinerary
7th / 11th November, 2015
| 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm | Film Screenings Centre For Excellence |
15th November, 2015
| 5:00 pm onwards | Inauguration followed by Cultural Performances |
16th - 18th November, 2015
| 9:00 am - 1:00 pm | Paper Presentations |
| 9:30 am - 1:15 pm | Panel Discussions |
| 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm | Open Forum - Tribal Perspective on Development |
Panel Discussion - “Have We Failed Our Tribal Communities?” |
|
| 6:00 pm - 9:30 pm | Cultural Performances |
| Performances by groups from Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, J&K, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Sikkim and Tripura. | |
| Including a Tribal Fashion Show |
15th - 22nd November, 2015
| 10:00 am - 9:30 pm | Handicrafts Exhibition |