The newly-elected nine MlAs and two MPs belonging to various tribal groups on Thursday vowed to work for the development of tribal education in the State.
They made this commitment while being felicitated by the Odisha Adivasi Manch (OAM) at a special programme here. “We all tribal MlAs and MPs have gathered here for the first to thrash out tribal issues. I will definitely highlight tribal children’s education issues in the Parliament,” said Mayurbhanj MP Ramachandra Hansda.
Hailing the OAM for uninterruptedly working for the development of tribal education, Koraput MP Jhinna Hikka assured that he would extend all support to it in its endeavour.
Dharitri Patnaik from Bernard Van leer Foundation emphasized that the Government decision on introducing mother tongue-based multilingual education in 25, 000 anganwadis and primary schools in the tribal dominated districts of the State be implemented in true letter and spirit. “Though more than two years have passed since the Government issued the notification, tribal children are yet to get education in their own mother tongue,” she lamented. The State Government had issued the notification on July 31, 2012.
She urged the people's representatives to take steps for its implementation. Chitrokonda MlA Damburu Sisa, who is also OAM’s Malkangiri district convenor, urged all other tribal MlAs to join hands in raising the issue of mother tongue-based multilingual education in the State Assembly. G Udaygiri MlA Jacob Pradhan suggested all the tribal MlAs be sensitized.
OAM State convenor Ido Mandal, national convenor of the National Advocacy Council of development of Indigenous People (NACDIP) Jacob Thrundyl and Dharitri Patnaik felicitated the invited MlAs and MPs.
Other than two MPs and two MlAs mentioned above the MlAs who were felicitated are Praffula Pangi (Patangi), Chandrasekhar Majhi (Kotpad), Ganeswar Patra (Bada Sahi), Subas Gond (Umarkote), Manohar Randhari(Nabarangpur), Manas Madakami (Malkangiri) and Kailash Kulesika (laxmipur).