Jamshedpur, May 15: Tribals from East Singhbhum will knock the doors of the Centre to keep alive the ritualistic animal hunting in Vishu Shikar, a traditional festival.

The tribals will meet Union environment and forests minister A. Raja with a plea to legalise the killing of animals during the annual festival and withdraw cases against the tribals who were booked under the Wildlife Protection Act for killing a barking deer during the recent hunt.

The delegation will be led by senior office-bearers of Dalmaburu Bishu Shikar Samity (DVSS), the apex body that decides on the dates and chalks out the nitty-gritty of the festival, who will head for New Delhi in June.

?We have decided to meet the minister and inform him about the traditional hunting festival, which is being practiced by tribals on ryoti land (private land) in Dalma,? Lava Purty, vice-president of DVSS, said.

He added the festival has been continuing for generations. ?It is an open secret that tribals have been staying in the forests for time immemorial and like the followers of other religions, they also perform their rituals,? Purty held.

The vice-president also alleged that the Government of India had declared the vast stretch of hilly forestland as the Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary for conserving wildlife without even consulting the local tribals who still worship the Dalma.

?Most of the tribals are not aware that the Union government had declared Dalma as a sanctuary for preserving wild tuskers and other species of endangered animals,? Purty pointed out, adding that unlike Independent India, the British regime had given them the liberty of hunting animals as a part of their tradition.

Principal conservator of forest (wildlife) U.R. Biswas said the state forest and environment ministry has decided to draft fresh ?rights and concessions? for the tribal people in a bid to accommodate their hunting and worshipping rights in sanctuary. He added that the department is looking into record books of the British regime to check the veracity of the tribals? claims.