Jamshedpur: Samvaad, a one-of-its kind pan India tribal conclave organised by Tata Steel Foundation, is back in 2020 with its seventh edition from November 15 to 19 and will take the conversations and celebrations onto digital platforms this year.
The Samvaad ecosystem has brought together more than 30,000 people from 117 tribes across 27 states of India and 18 countries in the last 6 years, and is also an event that the citizens of Jamshedpur keenly look forward every year. The theme for this year is ‘Coming Together for Social Change’ representing a belief that there are inherent aspects of tribalism that places seamlessness as a core value of society, and valuable lessons in wonderful stories of tribal communities coming together to positively influence their core development challenges.
“We are living through times of immense uncertainty, but believe that we have a responsibility towards our extended Samvaad family to not disrupt the wonderful journey of celebration and contemplation at Samvaad. This has given us the confidence to setup Samvaad 2020 online. And we are doing this through a model which respects the current restrictions on mobility while balancing the gains and limitations that the digital format places on sustained conversation. The theme for the year is particularly relevant in the altered paradigms that have evolved in the last six months, and will possibly continue in the near future,” said Sourav Roy, Chief (Corporate Social Responsibility), Tata Steel.
The conclave will hear stories from across the country who will engage in experience sharing sessions in various areas that affect the communities and enrich the platform with their thoughts. The five days will therefore witness a cross-pollination of ideas among more than 1000 tribal women and men who are expected to join us online and celebrate the vibrant cultures of the different tribes.
The many offshoots of Samvaad such as tribal handicraft, tribal film screenings, tribal cuisine and the cultural performances from various tribes that contribute significantly to the essence of Samvaad will bring the traditional practices and rich heritage to the common masses through its YouTube channel.
Samvaad will celebrate traditional cuisines of 16 tribes across 10 state with the dishes exclusively available for the people of Jamshedpur on online food aggregator platform Zomato.
Cinema lovers have a lot to look forward to as tribal films will be screened on the YouTube channel which will be held followed by discussions with the filmmakers. Around 500 schoolchildren from Jamshedpur will attend the screenings.
Art enthusiasts will get a chance to attend master-classes on Oraon, Sohrai, Saura, Gond, Warli and Rajwar Bhittichitra art forms that will be hosted by tribal artisans. Each day will conclude with cultural performances from celebrated artists like Guru Rewben from Manipur and Tetseo Sisters from Nagaland and cultural groups from tribes of Galo, Siddhi, Dandami Madia, Bhumij and others.
This year will also witness the release of a musical composition as a tribute to Birsa Munda, curated by Padma Shri Mukund Nayak (Kunjban) and the Samvaad musical collective, Rhythms of the Earth.
