When I left my small town Noamundi Iron Mines in Jharkhand to pursue my dreams and aspirations, I had never thought that my culture and my state would call me back to witness an absolute mindblowing programme called 'Samvaad - A Tribal Conclave'. The whole concept of Samvaad is to bring different tribal groups of India and abroad at one place, where they exhibit their talent to the mass. Organised by Tata Steel in the lush green field of Gopal Maidan of Steel City Jamshedpur, this conclave is under tight security, drone cameras, volunteers, acute cleanliness and hygiene with separate washrooms. Use of bottles was prohibited and one had to either carry a bottle or drink from the tap.
Be it their cuisine, medicines, handicrafts, costumes or they themselves, every tribe brings with them their unique identity. Why a conclave of Tribes? To answer this question, let's walk through Samvaad. The entire exhibition was mesmering, but my eyes got stuck on the handicraft items brought by these tribes.
I knew jute is a wonderful item but when I saw the Jute handicrafts, I was left dumbstruck. Tribals from Birbhum (West Bengal) had brought masterpieces made of paperpulp base and jute over it. They had items such as flower vase, Lord Budhha, penstand, horses and many more home decor items. The perfection in their work is not only worth appreciating but also keeping them in our homes. Every stall was decorated with their handicraft items, narrating the story of their culture and existence, with their uniqueness and perfection. Naming them below:
Paddy Jewelleries from Birbhum by Shantal Tribe
Organic Soaps, creams, litions, mosquito repellants by Sumi Tribe, Nagaland
Sheep fur items and copper items from Ladakh by Bota Tribe
Lah Bangles from Jharkhand
Home Decor items by Kondh Tribe, Odisha
Bamboo Craft by Maurya Tribe, Chattisgarh
Wood Craft by Santhal Tribe, Jharkhand
Cane products, stolls, shawls, woollem items from Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Shillong, Naga Jewelleries all under one roof.
To add more to the flavour paintings of different art forms were also present such as Saura Art from Odisha, Oraon and Gond Art from Madhya Pradesh, Warli Art from Maharashtra,
My next stop were the medicinal stalls where tribes from Srilanka, Mexico, South Africa and Uganda were present alongwith Indian tribes from different states. These international tribes brought with them century old medicines derived purely from herbs, trees, plants, flowers.
Four Doctors from Srilanka with expertise in Snake bite treatment, bone setting, astrology were present with their medicines and giving advise to the people present over there.
His Majesty Bekano from Cameroon was himself present to share his wide knowledge of tribal therapies and medicines. I bought a herbal tea from Jharkhand Stall that was a mixture of different types of herbs, is said to cure paralysis, cancer, and even gynaecological problems.
And when the guests get tired after purchasing the stuffs, the aroma of tribal food is enough to attract them towards the food stall. The food was being prepared there only and served hot to the guests. The evening follows with cultural programme where different tribal groups show their dance forms. The evening becomes so colourful and full of happy vibes and energy that it is difficult to leave and go.
Be it an Indian tribe or International Tribe, their fight is for their recognition that is being lost because they are not getting their recognition that they deserve. Today when we talk about Ayurvedic medicines, we end up in spending lots of money buying them. But who are real source for these medicines? It is our tribes. Be it the dreaded disease cancer, asthma, jaundice, arthitris, they have herbs to cure for every disease.
It is their art that is originally being made by them but sold at exorbitant price in the market and intetnationally.
Samvaad was an eye opener for me to see amd appreciate the real talent hidden somewhere. These tribes are the real creators and healers who deserve to be recognised by the world. Organised every year in the month of November for 5 days, this tribal conclave is a must visit and make their talent reach to other parts of country and abroad.
