India Celebrates Adivasi Culture On World Tribal Day

By Renata Nathania

On the eve of Indigenous Peoples Day, people from all over the country are celebrating this year's Vishwa Adivasi Diwas, or World Tribal Day, on August 9, 2021. This Day commemorates the efforts and contribution of the Indian tribes in various capacities of the country's socio-economic scale.

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs tweeted, "#InternationalDayofIndigenousPeoples is observed every year on 9 th August to protect and promote the right of indigenous people. On this day, let us remember and salute our tribal brethren for their contributions towards world development".

Tribal Day, or International Day of Indigenous Peoples is celebrated by indigenous cultures worldwide, since the declaration by the United Nations in 1994, which was implemented after the meeting of the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations, in Geneva in 1982.

Ghoomar is a traditional folk dance of 'Bhil' tribe performed to worship Goddess Sarasvati which was later embraced by other Rajasthani communities.wikimedia

The observance of this day is to promote awareness of the lifestyle and culture of the tribes of the world. It is also to recognize the human rights of the native people of various countries who come under scheduled castes, and scheduled tribes, but are not acknowledged as citizens with equal rights under the constitution.

Last year, the celebrations focused on the resilience of the tribes during the pandemic. Special attention was given to the particularly vulnerable tribal groups of the country. India is home to nearly 700 tribes and they constitute 8.6% of the population, as of a 2011 census.