BALASORE: Members of the Bhumij tribes of Nilgiri are reviving their folk dance through an innovative marketing strategy for economic sustenance.
Bana Dhulira Phula, a charitable trust, is holding such activities to revive and commercialise the tribal folk dance with Bhumij tribes of Salabani village under Mahisapata panchayat of Balasore district.
Several folk dance troops titled ‘Salabani Bhmij Adivasi Nrutya Mandali’ have been formed since last January 2018. Bijay Kumar Acharya, chairperson, Bana Dhulira Phula has initiated the effort with a benevolent tribal woman who is the native of this tribal village as well as a senior OFS officer with the cardinal aim and ambition for tribal development & welfare, biodiversity conservation and revival of languishing tribal art and culture two years back.
A folk artiste said, “We are earning daily in the range of Rs 200/- to Rs 800/- for performances through mobilisation of the programmes by the trust round the year. We have performed on reputed platforms like Zilla Kala Sanskruti Samiti, Chandipur Golden Beach Festival, Jau Kandhei Bahaghara, Ratha Yatra of Emami Jagannath Temple and Nilgiri and Raja Utsav among others.”
They have also performed at various state and national-level events Toshali Mela 2019, Adivasi Mela-2019, Republic Day Parade 2019 and Rajya Loka Kala Mohotsav 2019. A team of seventeen tribal folk artists led by eminent artist Silpi Kesudas and a team of 6 tribal leaders participated in an international tribal conclave ‘Samvaad-2019’ organised by Tata Steel during 15th to 19th November 2018.
The group is approaching all political parties to involve tribal folk dances in political campaigns for value addition to their languishing folk culture as well as to increase the socio economic standard through additional incomes.
A few political parties have offered help. Acharya and Silpi Kesu Das, Principal Advisor for Art & Culture of Bana Dhulira Phula said, “They are trying their best to add value to the tribal folk dance by adopting many approaches through tying up with many government and non-government organisations in events including information education and communication (IEC) and brand promotion communication.”