Be the Brand Ambassador of Tribes in India

Ministry of Tribal Affairs

Context:

Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation Ltd (TRIFED), Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India has launched two interesting competitions, Be the Brand Ambassador of Tribes India and Be a ‘Friend’ of TRIBES INDIA Contest in association with MyGov.in, the citizen-government engagement platform.

Key Highlights:

• These competitions have been launched with the sole objective of promoting tribal craft, culture and lifestyle.
• Through these innovative contests, awareness about tribal heritage, arts, crafts can be enhanced among the general public. With more knowledge and awareness about tribal heritage, it is hoped that citizens will also contribute to overall tribal empowerment by purchasing more tribal products.
• “Be the Brand Ambassador of Tribes India” is inviting stories featuring any tribal product (s) from customers across the country.
• The stories should highlight his/ her experience in using the product and provide details of the product and the place/ shop from where it was purchased.
• The requirement is that the stories are in the form of short videos ranging from 30 seconds to 5 minutes.
• The tribal products may include gents or ladies’ apparel, jewellery, accessories, paintings, metal crafts, terracotta & pottery, decorative items, food & organic items, cane & bamboo items, stationery, furniture, home furnishings, cuisine, etc.
• Participants will have to share their stories in the form of a link to the video uploaded on YouTube.
• Following the success of its first Quiz contest on Indian culture which was organised in association with MyGov in February, TRIFED has launched the second edition of the Quiz. Called “Be A Friend of Tribes India”
• TRIFED, as the nodal agency under Ministry of Tribal Affairs, has been working to improve the income and livelihoods of the tribal people, while preserving their way of life and traditions. It has also put in place several initiatives to familiarise the people with the rich and diverse craft, culture of the tribal communities across the country and to help the tribal population in the area of marketing development of their rich products. These initiatives, launched in association with MyGov fall in line with the Atmanirbhar Abhiyan, the PM’s vision of emphasising local products and promoting local entrepreneurship.

Way Forward

Tribes constitute over 8% of our population however, they are among the disadvantaged sections of the society. An attitude that pervades among the mainstream is the erroneous belief that they have to be taught and helped. However the truth is otherwise – the tribals have a lot of teach urban India. Characterised by natural simplicity, their creations have a timeless appeal. The wide range of handicrafts which include hand-woven cotton, silk fabrics, wool, metal craft, terracotta, bead-work, all need to be preserved and promoted.