NIT Rourkela today observed ‘Janajatiya Gourav Diwas 2022’
The government of India had declared 15th November as ‘Janajatiya Gourav Diwas’ to commemorate the birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda Ji. Remembering great freedom fighter Bhagwan Birsa Munda Ji on his birth anniversary today, the faculty, student, and staff of NIT Rourkela observed the ‘Janajatiya Gourav Diwas’ and paid homage to iconic tribal hero. A debate competition among students in English and Odia languages was also organized to enlighten students on the legacy of tribal leaders like Bhagwan Birsa Munda Ji as well as other great personalities and unsung heroes of Janajati communities. The theme of the competition was ‘Contributions of Janajati Heroes in Freedom Struggle’. Prof. R.K. Biswal (Department of Humanities and Social Sciences) as the coordinator for the Janajatiya Gourav Diwas gave the opening remark and said, “People from tribal community are still fighting for basic rights. Inclusivity is the soul of Indian culture and unity in diversity is our signature. We must ensure that the rights of the diverse communities are protected and their culture and tradition are nurtured.” Ph.D. students, Sagun Murmu and Viren Kumar Oram from the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences sang a Santhali song on ‘Awareness about the tribal community’ at the inaugural session.
On this occasion, the Chief Guest, Prof. Pradip Sarkar (Dean, Planning and Architecture) addressed the event and said, “Bhagwan Birsa Munda Ji will forever shine as a representation of patriotism. His teachings will continue to inspire generations. Today, we pay homage to all the brave tribal freedom fighters and celebrate the heritage, and history of tribal communities who were the custodians of ‘Jal, Jangal, and Jameen’. All of us must remember their contribution and freedom struggle through tribal movements during the wars for Independence.”
During the event, Prof. Prof. Pradip Sarkar and Prof. Rohan Dhiman felicitated the winners of the debate competition and appreciated the student members who work for promoting the legacy of the tribal community of India. Paying tribute to the tribal heros of India, Prof. Rohan Dhiman (Registrar, NIT Rourkela) said, “ I feel inspired when I hear the stories of our tribal heroes, even when they were not having well equipped resources to fight, they fought with the courage, determination showing the love for the motherland. We at NIT Rourkela try to extend all posible support to share these stories. Recently we organized an exhibition in collaboration with The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) to showcase the tale of their bravery. Further, NITR has been invited to attend a program by NCST in Delhi to promote the Tribal Communities of India.”
The session ended with a vote of thanks by Prof. Narayan Sethi (Head of Department of Humanities and Social Sciences). Amit Suryadipta, V. Raja Patro, Sarthak Sahoo and Srinivas Panigrahi (Student members from different club from Student Activity Centre) were the convenors for the program.