THE STATE Government is toying with the idea of launching an exclusive TV channel for tribals who constitute nearly 22 percent of the Madhya Pradesh population.
The idea is in a nascent stage. Intricacies of launching a channel like finance, coverage and cultural inputs are yet to be worked out, State’s Tribal Welfare Minister Vijay Shah told reporters here on Friday. The idea is basically to showcase the unique tribal culture and provide infotainment to the tribals through their own programmes, he added.
The Government is organising a grand congregation of tribals in Bhopal on January 6 to deliberate on issues and problems concerning them. It will be in the line of women and farmers’ conclaves held in recent months in the State capital, the Minister said.
Through the meet, the government is keen on understanding aspirations of the tribals and their problems. Religious conversion might also come up for discussion though it is not on the agenda, Shah said. He expressed concern over the ‘misuse’ of benefits given by the government to only tribals by their converted counterparts.
Shah said he has received complaints from Dindori and Mandla districts that certain groups are terrorising tribals against reading Ramayan. The Government would take strict action against such elements, he warned.