Lakshmindra Kumar Sarkar: lksarkar

Monday, 23 January 2012

DISCUSSION ON TRIBAL EXPLOITATION

KALANTAR, 34 year, 299 volume, 14^th August , 2001, 29^th Sraban 1408, Tuesday, Rs. 2.00

A debate was arranged in the Paschim Bango Bangla Academy on August 13 and 14. The program was organized by Khatra Adibasi and Development Center. All of them criticized the unscrupulous British rulers and the mahajans as well as the role of the Government. Hikim alleged the tribes were negligent of their problems. Nikhil Ranjan Majhi described warned those who exploit and torture people and said that the tribal people have to understand their own problems.

Among the other speakers, there are Gurucharan Murmu, Dr. Arunendu Sarkar, Amalendu Roy, Sushil Mahali, Pradip Har , Pratibha Mondol, Subodh Soren, Mangal Soren, Baleswar Soren , Maheswar Soren, Prabhat Ghosh etc. The secretary of the Lakshmindra Kumar Sarkar invited everybody to cooperate and announced that a newspaper called “Adibasi Sangbad” will be published. At the open grounds of Academy of Fine Arts, the tribals performed in a cultural program. Along with them, Dolon Mitra and Kabita Barui also participated.

DEBATE: WHY TRIBALS ARE NEGLECTED IN 54 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE?

SATYAJUG …10^th August, 2001…..Friday.

A debate will be organized in the coming Tuesday and Wednesday in the hall of the Bangla Academy. “Sadhinatar 54 Bochorey Adibasira Abahelito Keno?” (Why The Tribals are Neglected?) is the topic our debate. The organizer is Khatra Adibasi Culture and Development Center. Lakshimdra Kumar Sarkar informed that the population of the country is more than 102 crores. The majority of them is the tribal population. They have characteristics like cultural flow, feng shui, economics, religion, language , the socio-political method, etc. They are independent of higher caste Indians. But most of them are economically backward, very poor , half filled stomach, half naked, illiterate.

A notable timeline must be created and we need to give them their proper right. Many initiatives and planning have been made to bring them under the main stream. All the government planning was spoiled, their minimum requirement is health, education, language, culture and cultural structure and they are deprived from all of them.

The moneylenders have exploited them during the British rule in India. Why the neglect is there? The Minister of Jail and Society Welfare Minister, Biswanath Chowdhury, the head of Nandan, Angsha Sur, the secretary of Bangla Academy Sanat Chattopadhyay , the director in drama Usha Ganguly, journalist Niranjan Haldar, district officer Tapan Sen , Amalendu Ray, etc. are the well known personalities. From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, a tribal and folk program will also be organized in front of the Academy of Fine Arts.

TRIBAL JOURNAL LOOKS FOR FUNDS, NEW LEASE OF LIFE

[The Asian Age “An English Daily published from Calcutta to revived Adibasi Sambad coverage anchor story for Adibasi Sambad in the year of 1997]

(After 3 issues closed down, Adibasi Sambad due to financial crisis, KACDC organized and All India Conference to revive Adibasi Sambd at Khatra Tennis Court Premises in 6 and 7^th August 1994).

By Sonali Majumdar

Calcutta , July 18:

A 49-year-old journalist, Mr. Lakshimdra Kumar Sarkar, is in Calcutta to save Adibasi Sangbad – India’s first newspaper for tribals. Mr. Sarkar is confident that a monetary grant will be enough to get the newspaper back in circulation.

Adibasi Sangbad , published from Khatra sub-division, Bankura, folded up in October 1993 after only 3 issues. Mr. Sarkar, the editor has also applied for a 6 lakh loan from the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe Finance Corporation. “I am yet to receive a reply from the corporation,” says Mr. Sarkar.

A correspondent with a Bengali daily, Mr. Sarkar gave up his job in 1992 to start a newspaper for tribals. “I felt the city’s dailies are not doing justice to the tribals,” he says. Therefore, in August 1993, he launched the monthly Adibasi Sangbad from Khatra with much fanfare. Mr. Mahadev Hansda, an adibasi, was the assistant editor of the paper. Writer Mahasweta Devi and eminent Santhal poets Saradaprasad Kisku and Rupchand Hembram were present on the occasion. Mr. Ranjit Chatterjee provided the financial support during those three months.

The eight-page newspaper priced at Rs. 4 was unique because for the first time, tribals had a platform from which they could voice their opinion. “Articles from adibasis simply poured in, Mr. Sarkar recalls. They wrote on the poor state of the irrigation system in the villages, sociocultural problems like witch-hunting and many other issues.

There were a few success stories as well. The October issue, carried a story about their adibasi girl, Neoti Hembram, who became a state level champion in weightlifting. It also had drawn by adibasis.

Five thousand copies of the newspaper were circulated in Bihar, Bengal and Orissa and the response was overwhelming. About a thousand letters poured in from various states.

However, Mr. Sarkar had to close down the newspaper due to a funds crunch. He had even proposed to Bengali dailies to circulate two pages of Adibasi Sangbad for mutual benefit. The daily incorporating the Sangbad can rest assured that it will notch up the circulation of a few lakhs more. “ He says confidently.

Although newspaper was a thing of the past, Mr. Sarkar has started a programme of initiating young boys into journalism. About 250 children from Purulia, Midnapur and Ranchi have taught the basic tenets. “Now they can run a newspaper on their own,” Mr. Sarkar saves with pride.