BHUBANESWAR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed the efforts of Pramila Pradhan and her troupe at Murgapahadi village in Ghatagaon block of Keonjhar district for using the traditional Sankirtan to raise awareness on the hazards of forest fire.
In his latest Mann Ki Baat radio programme, Modi spoke about Pramila’s unique approach towards reducing forest fires through her Radhakrushna Sankirtan Mandali.
“The most beautiful glimpse of India’s diversity is found in our folk songs and traditions, and our bhajans and kirtans are a part of this. But have you ever heard of people being made aware of forest fires through kirtans? You may not believe it, but something amazing is happening in Keonjhar district of Odisha. There is a group named Radhakrishna Sankirtan Mandali. Along with devotion, the group is also chanting the mantra of environmental protection. The inspiration behind this initiative is Pramila Pradhan ji,” PM Modi said.
To protect the forest and the environment, she has added new lyrics and new messages to traditional songs. Her troupe this year went from village to village and through traditional songs, made people to understand the damages forest fires can cause, the PM stated.
Pramila’s initiative was published in the Brightside page of The New Indian Express under the headline Sankirtan shows the way to save forests from wildfire, which has drawn notice of the prime minister.
Five years back, Pramila decided to revive the Sankirtan Mandali formed by her father-in-law three decades back. She roped in members from her village and nearby ones. Her motive was to supplement her family income and also help a few others in the area in doing so. Today, the 20-member troupe has 10 women of Murgapahadi village including adolescent girls.
Considering their popularity in the area, the Forest department approached them this year to perform in villages on the theme of forest fires. Since March this year, the troupe has moved across all villages located in the vicinity of Atei reserve forest located within Ghatagaon forest range under Badajamuposi panchayat and performed Sankirtan, creating awareness among people about forest fires, poaching and other environmental issues.
Pramila claimed there has been a significant positive impact of the initiative. “None from the villages lit any fire in the forest and hunting has also come down,” she said.
PM Modi also spoke about National Handloom Day and highlighted efforts to revive traditional handlooms over the last decade including tribal women from Mayurbhanj district who are reviving the traditional Santhali sarees.
“There is a similar success story in Mayurbhanj, Odisha. Here, more than 650 tribal women have revived the Santhali saree. Now these women are earning thousands of rupees every month. They are not just making cloth, but also carving their own identity,” he said.