Bhubaneswar: Keen to work exclusively on a mission for tribal language and culture, ST & SC Development Minister Nityananda Gond directed the establishment of a new Academic Centre and Language Laboratory for the city-based Academy of Tribal Languages and Culture (ATLC) under the 100 Days’ Plan of the ST, SC Development, M&BCW Department.
Minister took this decision after he took over the charge recently.
Accordingly, a new Academic Centre and Language Laboratory for ATLC will be developed very soon at Gothapatana on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, near the proposed Adivasi Bhawan, where a multipurpose centre for meetings, conferences, shows and exhibitions of tribal art, culture and development has already been planned.
For the connoisseurs of tribal subjects and publications with respect to Odisha’s 64 tribes and 13 particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs) spanning across their folktales, culture and traditions, riddles, biographies, cuisines, dictionaries, songs, folk songs, novels, proficiency modules and supplementary readers for multi-lingual education and empowerment, ATLC is perhaps the only one-stop destination in the heart of the Temple City to explore. One of its bestsellers, “Tribal Atlas of Odisha” is a beautiful compendium of the tribal wealth of Odisha.
ATLC, a premier autonomous institution under the ST, SC Development M&BCW Department, was previously known as the Academy of Tribal Dialects and Culture (ATDC). Though established in 1979, later in 2007-2008, it was rechristened as ATLC and operates from the Adivasi Exhibition Ground, Unit-I, Bhubaneswar.
Research and publications apart, ATLC is engaged in a multi-dimensional year-long activities and it also involves guidance and consultancy services to scholars, filmmakers, writers, non-government organizations (NGOs), and government institutions interested in tribal communities and their cultures. In a nutshell, ATLC is possibly doing everything to explore the best-kept secrets of tribal culture and traditions in the State.
The academy has been organising language training programmes in various tribal sub-plan (TSP) areas to impart language skills to field workers and teachers, enhancing their working knowledge of tribal languages. Currently, these programmes are organised by ‘Samhati’, under the aegis of Scheduled Caste Scheduled Tribe Research and Training Institute (SCSTRTI).
ATLC also organises the Annual Adivasi Mela, which has become a popular event of cultural exchanges at the State Capital. In order to encourage tribal children in SSD Department schools, ATLC also organizes a state-level students’ festival ‘Sargiful’ and sponsors tribal cultural troupes for various national, state, and district-level festivals.
HONOURING TRIBAL ACHIEVERS:
The annual felicitation of ‘outstanding tribal talents’ having a remarkable impact across various fields by ATLC has become a major activity. The organisation felicitates 10 tribal achievers from various domains at the Annual Adivasi Mela having remarkable impact of indigenous talent across various fields starting from literature and social work to sports and culture.
Commissioner-cum-Secretary Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Department Roopa Roshan Sahoo said “ATLC’s recognition of tribal achievers at the Annual Adivasi Mela is a commendable tribute to their outstanding contributions across diverse fields. By honouring their achievements, ATLC not only celebrates their accomplishments, but also inspires others within the tribal communities to strive for similar achievements.”
Apart from honouring the tribal achievers, ATLC also gives awards to 50 best performing SSD Schools and 100 best students at the Annual High School Certificate (HSC) examination from those SSD Schools, conducted by the Board of Secondary Education, Odisha, at the annual Adivasi Mela every year.
Currently, the academy has been processing manuscripts from 172 tribal writers from nine different tribal languages for their publications under various categories. This will definitely take the writers to the next level in order to make their writings see the light of the day.
ATLC’s annual souvenir, ‘Banaja’ publishes articles written by scholars, researchers, and literature enthusiasts. Additionally, it also comes out with students’ magazine ‘Sargiful’, featuring stories, poems, and paintings by schoolchildren from schools run by SSD Department.
