Media Has a Crucial Role in Giving National Recognition to Bastar’s Art, Culture and Tribal Way of Life
Extensive Discussion with NAI General Secretary Vipin Gaur on Tribal Development, Cultural Preservation and the Changing Bastar
New Delhi: Chhattisgarh Cabinet Minister and senior BJP leader Kedar Kashyap said that the tribal culture and traditions of India are an integral part of the country’s rich civilisational heritage. While bringing tribal communities into the mainstream of development, it is equally essential to preserve their cultural identity, traditions and heritage. Development and cultural preservation complement each other, and efforts are being undertaken with this vision for the overall development of tribal regions.
Kashyap made these remarks during a meeting in New Delhi with Newspaper Association of India (NAI) General Secretary and senior journalist Vipin Gaur. The two discussed at length Chhattisgarh and, in particular, Bastar’s tribal culture and traditions, social empowerment, development, the changing face of Bastar, and the important role of the media in taking the region’s positive identity to the country and the world.
Preserving Centuries-Old Traditional Knowledge Is Our Responsibility
Kedar Kashyap said that India’s tribal communities have lived in harmony with nature and the environment for centuries. Their traditional knowledge related to forests, water, land and the conservation of nature remains extremely important and relevant even today.
He said that the folk art, indigenous languages, customs, traditions and lifestyle of tribal communities are not merely symbols of their individual identity, but an important part of India’s rich cultural heritage. Preserving these traditions while connecting them with modern development and passing them on to future generations is a collective responsibility.
Tribal Communities Must Remain Connected to Their Roots and Culture While Embracing Development
Kashyap said that along with development initiatives in tribal areas, education, employment, basic infrastructure and social empowerment are being given continuous priority. The objective is to ensure development in which tribal communities benefit from modern facilities and new opportunities while remaining firmly connected to their roots, traditions and cultural identity.
He said that while protecting tribal culture, it is equally important to provide young people with better opportunities in education, skill development and employment. This will enable the new generation to take pride in its heritage while actively contributing to the development journey of the state and the nation.
Bastar Has Changed; Its Positive Identity Is Now Emerging Across India and the World
Speaking about Bastar’s rich cultural heritage, Kedar Kashyap said that Bastar is changing rapidly. Areas that were once discussed mainly in the context of Naxal violence and challenges are now witnessing new stories of development, trust, peace, tourism, sports, education, culture and tribal talent.
He said that with the decline of Naxalism, Bastar has entered a new phase. Today, the region is increasingly being recognised for its natural beauty, rich tribal culture, folk art, traditions, and the talent and potential of its people. This transformation has reached the national consciousness in a significant manner, and the media has played an important role in bringing this change to the forefront.
Kashyap said that the positive transformation in Bastar is not merely the result of development; it is also a reflection of the growing confidence of the tribal population and their increasing faith in the democratic system. The need of the hour is to further expand the positive identity of the new and developing Bastar at both the national and international levels.
Media Has Provided Strong Support in Giving Bastar a National Identity
Kedar Kashyap said that the media has played an important and commendable role in bringing the changing face of Bastar and the positive story of its tribal communities to the national platform. Through media coverage, people across the country are now looking at Bastar from a new perspective.
He said that when representatives of Bastar’s tribal communities got an opportunity to meet the President of India and share their culture, lifestyle and the changes taking place in the region, the media gave the interaction significant national attention.
Similarly, the meeting and interaction between members of Bastar’s tribal communities and Union Home Minister Amit Shah also received extensive media coverage. Such opportunities have helped bring the voice of Bastar’s tribal society and the positive changes taking place in the region to the national platform.
Kashyap said that the media’s strong support in highlighting such developments has played an important role in changing the perception of Bastar across the country. Today, people in different parts of India are increasingly learning about Bastar’s culture, tourism, tribal traditions and the transformation taking place in the region.
The Story of the New Bastar Must Now Reach the Country and the World With Greater Strength
Kashyap said that Bastar’s image is changing significantly. With the decline of Naxalism, an environment of peace and development has emerged, and it is now necessary to further strengthen the new identity of Bastar.
He said that alongside development, tourism opportunities in Bastar are expanding, local art and handicrafts are finding new markets, young people are making progress in sports and education, and interest in the region’s tribal culture is growing both nationally and internationally.
The role of the media will become even more important in bringing these positive changes to a wider audience in the coming years.
He said that the media has already made an important contribution in bringing the transformation of Bastar to the country. This effort can be made even stronger and broader so that every positive achievement, tribal talent, cultural speciality and development story from Bastar reaches people across the country and beyond.
Bastar’s Art and Culture Should Become a National and Global Identity
Kedar Kashyap said that the art, culture, traditions and tribal way of life of Bastar are not merely the identity of Chhattisgarh but represent a distinctive part of India’s cultural identity.
Bastar’s folk dances, folk music, handicrafts, forest-based lifestyle, traditional knowledge and the tribal community’s deep relationship with nature are of immense interest not only within India but also to the world.
He said that the wider the positive recognition of Bastar becomes, the greater the benefits will be for tourism, local products, handicrafts and tribal artists. This will also create new avenues of employment and self-employment for local youth.
Media Is a Powerful Platform for Telling Stories of Development and Culture
Kashyap said that the media is an important pillar of democracy and a powerful platform for bringing stories of positive social transformation to a wider audience. In the context of Bastar, the media has effectively fulfilled this responsibility.
He said that there is now a need to consistently highlight success stories emerging from Bastar’s villages, the achievements of tribal youth, the talent of local sportspersons, the skills of local artists, tourism opportunities and the historic transformation taking place in the region.
He expressed confidence that with the continued support of the media, Bastar’s new and positive identity will become even stronger, not only across India but also at the global level.
Vipin Gaur Appreciates the Positive Transformation in Bastar
NAI General Secretary Vipin Gaur appreciated Kedar Kashyap’s views and said that Chhattisgarh’s tribal heritage, particularly the culture of Bastar, is an invaluable part of India’s civilisational heritage.
He said that the positive changes taking place in Bastar in terms of peace, development and tribal empowerment should be presented before the nation in an even more effective manner. The media can continue to play a constructive role in providing a national platform to the art, culture, talent, achievements and changing lives of tribal communities.
Gaur also emphasised the need to give greater national visibility to Bastar’s cultural heritage and the positive transformation taking place across the region.
Government, Society and Media Can Together Strengthen Bastar’s New Identity
During the meeting, various issues relating to tribal empowerment, preservation of cultural heritage, journalism, Bastar’s changing identity, and providing greater opportunities and representation to tribal communities at the national level were discussed.
Both sides emphasised that the development of tribal communities and the preservation of their cultural heritage must move forward together. Positive coordination among the government, society and the media is essential to achieve this objective.
Kedar Kashyap said that Bastar has changed, and the time has come to take the positive story of this transformed Bastar to the entire country and the world. In the new environment of peace and development, the media has a major role to play in giving greater recognition to Bastar’s tribal culture, natural wealth, tourism potential, art, talent and achievements.
The meeting concluded on a positive note, with particular emphasis on making continuous efforts to present Bastar’s art, culture, achievements of its tribal communities and the region’s new development story more effectively at the national level.
