NEW DELHI: The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has proposed that a day be earmarked as ‘National Tribal Day’. According to the 2011 Census, the proportion of tribes to total population is 8.6 per cent. There are over 700 STs’ notified in India.
According to the NCST, earmarking such a day would be an opportunity to showcase the rich heritage and culture of the tribal communities in the country. It would also be a positive direction in acknowledging the contributions of tribal communities towards nation building.
The Commission will now hold a second round of meeting with the different state governments in order to invite their comments on the issue. The consultation between the NCST and the state governments will be held in the first week of August. While there were deliberations on the date, including August 9, no date has been zeroed in on so far.