Union Minister for Tribal Affairs; Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Arjun Munda, virtually laid the foundation stone of ‘Centre for Preservation and promotion of Tribal Culture & Heritage’ at Padampur, Kharsawan district, Jharkhand on Saturday. The museum is an effort to depict and preserve the rich legacy of the tribal community in the State of Jharkhand, while showcasing the rich tribal way of life and culture.

Addressing the gathering via video conference, Mr Munda said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Central Government has been working for the last ten years with the principle of ‘Development along with preservation of Traditions and Cultural Heritage’.

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The government has given utmost importance to the task of preserving and promoting Indian knowledge systems, traditions and cultural ethos at the national and international level.  Following the vision of the Prime Minister, it is our duty and shared responsibility to encourage and empower the tribal community for a strong self-reliant India of tomorrow, he added.

The Union Ministry for Tribal Affairs has approved this initiative by allocating a budget of Rs. ten crores for the establishment of this Centre in Kharsawan district of Jharkhand.

It would be showcasing the physical and intangible tribal culture, its history and heritage of the region. Further, it would be a knowledge and information centre for assisting the tribal communities in their development. The centre is aimed to be developed in future as a live centre, with space for artisans to demonstrate their skills and to serve as a hub for tourism.

At another event, Mr Munda inaugurated the recently renovated National Unique Tribal Museum, e-Library and ST Girls’ hostel funded by the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs at Bharatiya Adim Jati Sevak Sanghathan (BAJSS), in New Delhi. The BAJSS was established in the year 1948 by Amritlal Vithaldas Thakkar, popularly known as Thakkar Bapa, an Indian social worker who worked for the upliftment of tribal people.

Mr Munda acknowledged that the BAJSS museum of tribal artifacts and library, located at Jhandewalan, New Delhi, has a collection of rare books, a cultural heritage which if not conserved, protected and taken care of, could have disappeared.