Participants at the training programme. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, Oct. 18: About 40 persons from various tribal belts of the state today came together to participate in the programme ‘Training of trainers on tribal youth as social animators’ that kicked off here today.

The programme, jointly organised by Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development of the ministry of youth affairs and sports and the Nehru Yuva Kenra Sanghatan, aims to lead tribal youths to act in their respective areas in generating awareness among their contemporaries to analyse and understand tribal issues.

Experts will discuss on the occasion subjects such as, empowerment of tribal youth: physical and psychological preparedness, tribal policies, programmes and tribal youth empowerment, Right To Information Act 2005, the Forest Rights Act and other constitutional provisions for tribal people, tribal situation, problem analysis and alternatives. Besides, there would be a session on personality development and leadership qualities, said deputy director of the Nehru Yuva Kenra Sanghatan N.K. Naik.

“These youths will also be made aware on the role of youth in local governance in tribal areas, employability of tribal youth, participatory exercises on personality development, socio-economic situation of tribal youth in Orissa, tribal youth and issues of human rights, disaster preparedness in tribal areas and role of the youth,” said zonal director of Sanghatan Satya Prakash Pattnaik, adding that experts from various government departments would deliver talks during the session.

“The youth are a major human resource for development and thus key agents of social change, economic development and technological innovation. This is true for the tribal community also. The unrest and social backwardness of the tribal society can be addressed effectively by empowering tribal youth by way of providing opportunities to understand availability of facilities to them and involve them in the development process,” said MP Baishnab Charan Parida while speaking on the inaugural session.

Moni Sirka, a young graduate from Mayurbhanj’s Jamda, who took part in the programme, said: “I teach students of Classes VIII, IX and X of my block. This training has been an eye-opener for many youths like me. I think it will be beneficial to us because we will be made aware of our rights.”