By Md Aynal Haque

RAJSHAHI, Jan 6, 2024 (BSS)- Cultural activities of the plain ethnic minority people have flourished to a greater extent in the region, including its vast barind tract, by dint of pragmatic and effective initiatives taken by the present government during the last around 15 years.

Amid implementation of diversified innovation programmes, Rajshahi Divisional Ethnic Minority Cultural Academy (RDEMCA) has got a new look as well expanding opportunities for local ethnic people to promote their culture in many ways.

 Jogendranath Soren, President of Adibasi Mukti Morcha, said that Rajshahi is a home of around 21 ethnic minority groups and the academy has been working for promoting, protecting and fostering their culture and heritage.

The RDEMCA has been playing a vital role in revitalizing the ethnic cultural heritages in the region. "Many of our traditional cultural practices were on the verge of extinction, but at present the academy has been reviving those," said Jogendra Saren.

The academy has now been working for flourishing latent talents creating scopes for children of ethnic groups to rejuvenate their traditional cultural practices, said Chittoronjon Sardar, advisor of Raja Dighory Parishad.

 
Chittoronjon says the ethnic people, both male and female, get scope of participating in all programmes to observe the national and international days and come together with mainstream communities to celebrate their religious and social festivals.

 As well as the academy is working to boost up the young generation to enhance their level of confidence in career building, he said.

 Apart from publication of seven anthropological research books and periodicals, nine audiovisual documentary films on life and culture of Santal, Orao, Mahle, Munda, Kol, Paharia and Rajoare the academy has made twelve audio albums and composing more than 100 extinct songs of the ethnic people along with a music video.
 
A heritage museum on traditional musical instruments, dresses, ornaments and other traditional utensils of ethnic peoples has been set up. 
A newly built library and souvenir is earning much appreciation from people while a gallery styled "Bangabandhu and Bangladesh" has been established in the library with as many as 618 books and 50 rare pictures.

 Divisional Commissioner and president of RDEMCA executive council Dr Dewan Muhammad Humayun Kabir said the academy is giving importance to protecting the culture of ethnic groups from further degradation. The academy is successfully implementing various programs to this end.
He said the present government is very cautious to protect the cultural heritage of the plain land ethnic people as their heritage, culture and resources are an integral part of the society.

 Dr Humayun Kabir viewed that the country is now being widely regarded as a unique example of communal harmony as people of all religions are living in Bangladesh with equal rights.
 
Deputy Director of RDEMCA Kolyan Chowdhury while giving an overview on the academy, said, for the first time, the academy awarded reception to four ethnic minority women in recognition to their laudable contribution to social and educational development with hope that it would inspire many others to do some better work for people.

 Apart from organizing 'Ethnic Minority People Handicrafts Fair and Cultural Festival' every year the academy has arranged as many as 400 cultural programs, fair, festival, view-exchange meeting, seminars and workshops.

 The academy also arranged year round training programs on performing arts like music, dance, musical instruments and theatre and drama in addition to imparting training to around 950 people of cultural fields, said director of the academy Kolyan Chowdhury.