Zulfkar participates in International Conference on ‘Inclusive Tribal Congregation sharing experience of India and Africa’
Minister says education can change the fate of tribal’s in the world
23/02/2018
NEW DELHI, Feb 22: Minister for Food, Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Tribal Affairs, Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali has said that there is a very low literacy rate among tribal communities in whole world and only by way of providing education, their fate can be changed. This was stated by the Minister while presenting his paper in the International Conference on "Inclusive Tribal Congrega tion sharing experience of India and Africa" which was attended by leaders and diplomats all over the globe.
Speaking during the Conference at New Delhi which was organized by Forum for SC ST OBC Legislators and Parliam entarians in collaboration with Department of African Studies, Univer sity of Delhi, Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali said that only education can bring desired changes and every tribal community must focus on educating their wards so that to compete with mainstream. He appreciated the role of World Organiz ations, Government of India and Government of Jammu & Kashmir for focused attention on tribal issues.
The Conference was attended by Minister of State for External Affairs General (Retd) VK Singh, Minister of State in PMO, Dr Jatinder Singh besides T Woldem ariam, Dean Diplomatic Corps and Ambassador Eretia, Barka Luvanda High Commission of Tanzania, Pious Dunishki High Commissioner Nambia, Mossi Nymale Rossette Ambas sor of Congo, Ahmed Shoiab Second Secretary Political Arab Republic of Egypt, Manuel M Kuende, Secretary the Republic of Angolo, Major General Cris Aze Retd High Commis sion of Nigeria, Member Parlia ment of Uganda. The Working National Presi dent of Forum for SC ST OBC Legislators and Parliam entarians of India was also present.
Zulfkar Ali presented his view point over the tribal relationship between India and Africa. He said that India is a country of diverse culture, religion, caste, languages which differ from area to area. "India is a Mini World", he said adding that as per census 2011, the total Tribal Population of the country is 104 Million i.e. 8.6% and the Tribals are mostly concentrated in the Himalyas from Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pardesh, Uttar Pardesh, Uttrakhand, North Eastern Region, Odisha, Madhya Pardesh, Andhra Pardesh, Assam and smaller number in other areas.
Calling upon conducting more research on the tribal's, Zulfkar said that Tribal's in India have always been the source of study for Sociolog ists and Anthropologists but they have been treated differently by different scholars depending upon their individual background, experience and interest. "There has always been difference of opinion regarding suitable model for the integration of the tribal's to the mainstream of Indian life" he said, giving example of Census 1931 in which it was forcefully stick to the point that the tribal's were distinct from non-tribal's as far as religion is concerned.
Regarding model of tribal development, Zulfkar said that transformation springs from its historical experience and the constitution. He added that other countries have addressed themselves to the problem of national integration and it would be useful in India to go through the experiments made by African countries and United States in this regard.
Calling upon the world community to preserve tribal cultural heritage, Zulfkar said that integration must be sharply differentiated from assimilation which means complete loss of cultural identity for the weaker groups. He said that each Tribal group must be able to uphold its cultural heritage with dignity and sense of achievement. About African tribes, Zulfkar said that Africa is a very large and unique continent with many tribes and diverse ethnic peoples and each are having their own culture, language, customs and history.
He said that tribes and ethnic groups in Africa range from stone-age cultures to modern 21st Century people, all living next to each other in this amazing continent.
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