President Droupadi Murmu inaugurates Bastar Pandum festival at Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh

President Droupadi Murmu, today inaugurated the Bastar Pandum festival at Jagdalpur, the divisional headquarters of Bastar in Chhattisgarh. Addressing the programme, the President said that the people of Bastar live life like a celebration.

She said that through the Bastar Pandum festival, the country and the world get a glimpse of the rich tribal culture of the Bastar region.

The President said that the Bastar region has remained affected by the problem of Maoism for the past four decades. She noted that tribal communities, youth and Dalit sections of society have suffered the most due to this.

She said that decisive action taken by the Central Government against Maoist violence is putting an end to the atmosphere of fear, insecurity and mistrust that had prevailed in the region for years.

Chhattisgarh Governor Ramen Deka, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Union Minister of State Tokhan Sahu were present at the inaugural ceremony.

Under the Bastar Pandum festival, divisional-level competitions are being held till 9th of February. During this period, more than 700 artists from 84 teams will present performances in twelve cultural disciplines.

These will include tribal dances, handicrafts, traditional tribal cuisine and indigenous musical instruments.