August 9th 2024.
Naveen Patnaik, the Leader of Opposition in the Odisha Assembly, made some important demands during a function held at the Biju Janata Dal headquarters in Bhubaneswar. The event was organized to observe the International Day of the World's Indigenous People.
In his address to the audience, Patnaik stressed on the need for inclusion of 169 communities in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list of Odisha. He also highlighted the state government's repeated requests to the Centre for the inclusion of various tribal languages like Ho, Mundari, Bhumij, Saura and others in the 8th schedule of the Constitution. These efforts have been pending with the Centre for a long time.
Patnaik, who is also the president of BJD, expressed hope that the Union Government will take necessary steps in this regard soon. He emphasized that tribals make up a significant 25% of Odisha's population and it is crucial to protect their culture and identity.
The former chief minister also mentioned that 64 major tribes and 13 particularly vulnerable tribal groups reside in Odisha. He proudly stated that during his tenure, several institutions were named after prominent tribal leaders as a way to honor and preserve their legacy.
It is worth noting that BJD, which had been ruling the state for 24 years, was defeated by the BJP earlier this year. Despite this, Patnaik assured that the BJD government had taken various measures to safeguard the culture of tribals, including the formation of a Special Development Council - a first of its kind in the country.
Patnaik also mentioned the establishment of numerous hostels for tribal students in different residential schools as a way to support their education. He concluded his speech by stating that the BJD will continue to work towards the development and protection of the unique identity of our tribal brothers and sisters.
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