Bhawanipatna: Over a thousand members of primitive tribal communities, who gathered at the traditional worship ceremony at Niyamagiri hills, warned the government against its efforts to lease out the hills for mining activities a report said.
Tribals of 112 villages at the foothills of Niyamagiri took a vow to fight with the police, the administration and the private companies to protect the hills after their three-day ritual concluded at Ijurupa village Sunday.
Dressed in traditional attire and armed with traditional weapons, the tribals including Dongria Kondhs and others performed folk dances and rendered their customary songs at the function following sacrifice of a large number of goats, sheep and pigeons as part of their ritual to worship the hill god and mother earth. The practice of cattle sacrifice was stopped a year ago.
Niyamagiri Suraksha Samiti president Kumuti Majhi and Green Kalahandi president Siddharth Nayak attended the function.
Members of outfits such as Orissa Rajya Krushak Sangathan, Saharabirodhi Andolan, Adibasi Samata Sangathan, Deomali Suraksha Samiti, Lok Sangram Manch, Khandual Mali Suraksha Samiti, Krushak Sangathan Bargarh, Kashipur Suraksha Manch, Gandhamardhan Suraksha Manch, Lower Suktel Suraksha Manch and Kalinganagar Suraksha Sangathan also attended the programme. PNN