The Biju Janata Dal organized a special event at Sankha Bhawan in Bhubaneswar to observe World Indigenous Peoples Day and Mahan Kranti Diwas, honoring the rich culture, heritage, and traditions of tribal communities. Organized under the aegis of the BJD tribal cell, the celebrations commenced early in the morning with floral tributes offered at the statues of prominent tribal freedom fighters and legends across various locations.
Members of indigenous communities, dressed in traditional attire, welcomed party president and Leader of Opposition Shri Naveen Patnaik to the stage with traditional songs and dance. Patnaik offered floral tributes to the portraits of great freedom fighters to pay respect to their sacrifices.
Addressing the gathering, Shri Naveen Patnaik stated that the BJD regards the tribal community as its closest friend and considers tribal empowerment as its guiding mission. He recounted key initiatives taken during his tenure, including granting panchayats the rights over minor forest produce, establishing thousands of hostels, implementing the Anwesha higher education program, granting forest land rights, and creating Special Development Councils to preserve indigenous culture, language, and arts. He also reiterated BJD’s proposal to include 169 tribal communities in the ST list and reaffirmed that the party’s fight to protect tribal heritage while bringing them into the developmental mainstream will continue.
Senior Vice President Shri Debi Prasad Mishra coordinated the event, while media coordinator and tribal leader Dr. Priyabrata Majhi managed the stage. Tribal leaders including Shri Mangala Kisan, Shri Sudam Marandi, and Shri Manas Madkami praised Shri Naveen Patnaik for giving a new vision to tribal progress in Odisha. The event saw the presence of numerous party leaders and concluded with a vote of thanks proposed by Bharati Singh.