The Sammakka-Sarakka Jatara has got bigger, with believers from various non-tribal communities participating enthusiastically, writes Manjula Kolanu
Manjula Kolanu, The Hindu, February 25, 2016 | To read the full article, click here >>
Assertion of independence, pride in one’s identity and an open defiance of unjust authority have long been hallmarks of Telangana history. Heroes of such movements are cherished and glorified everywhere, but perhaps nowhere is hero worship of rebel leaders as exuberant and wild, nor as literal, as in the Sammakka-Sarakka Jatara in Telangana. The heroes (or heroines Sammakka and Sarakka, to be precise) of an old battle are deified and actually worshipped as Goddesses, by millions during this Jatara (loosely translated to mean seasonal market/fair).
Unlike Bathukamma and Bonalu festivals that are celebrated across the state, the tribal festival of Sammakka-Sarakka Jatara sees the convergence of lakhs of people at one particular place — Medaram village in Warangal district. […]
India is home to hundreds of tribes, but their voice is seldom heard. The first edition of the Nomad Film Festival, on September 4 at the India Islamic Cultural Centre in New Delhi, will screen seven films and documentaries that focus on the Denotified and Nomadic tribes in India and the issues being faced by them.
Organised by the National Alliance Group for Denotified and Nomadic Tribe (NAG – DNT), the festival will also pay tribute to the late poet Mahasweta Devi, who co-founded the organisation.
Ahmedabad-based filmmaker Dakxin Bajrange, who belongs to the Chhara community, says the festival is important because earlier Bollywood filmmakers romanticised these tribes, overshadowing the actual concerns. “One does not realise that due to the various acts protecting the forests and borders in India, being a nomad has become very difficult,” says Bajrange, 42, whose films Fight for Survival and Bulldozer will be screened during the festival. […]
“The tribal world and the tribal way is complete in itself.” – Mahasweta Devi quoted by Gopalkrishna Gandhi in “Swearing by Mahasweta” (The Hindu, 6 August 2016)
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