President Murmu at TRIFED event; thousands of women SHGs to attend

President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu is set to interact with Women SHGs at the Mahila SHGs Sammelan organised by the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) and the National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC) under the aegis of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

It has been noted that women from the tribal community who are predominantly engaged in different forms of employment compose the majority of the SHGs.

The objective of this Sammelan is to primarily focus on encouraging and inspiring women SHGs and other small entrepreneurs, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, through the agencies of Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) and National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC).

The mega event will be held at the Birsa Munda College Stadium in the Khunti District of Jharkhand (today) on May 25th 2023. Those to be present include Union Minister of Tribal Affairs, Arjun Munda, MoS Tribal Affairs, Smt. Renuka Singh Saruta, and MoS for Tribal Affairs and Jal Shakti, Bisweshwar Tudu,   Governor of Jharkhand, Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan, and CM Hemant Soren.

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has been implementing the Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission (PMJVM) under which financial support is provided for setting up of Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVK), consisting of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to reap the advantages of economies of scale in training, aggregation of raw material, branding, packaging, and marketing operations of locally available MFPs & non-MFPs.

The President of India’s address and interaction with the women SHG members will take the stage during the event. Additionally, it is planned for TRIFED, NSTFDC, and other Ministries/Departments of Central/State Government to set up booths showcasing diverse tribal crafts as well as live demonstrations of tribal art and craft.

The purpose of the event is to educate female entrepreneurs on their rights regarding forests, the benefits of VDVKs, possible routes to financing and the market, and economies of scale.

Craft wise Display of Tribal products will be presented in 20 stalls for which 20 suppliers & VDVKs of Jharkhand and Bihar States have been invited to participate along with their products. It will include different craft wise stalls, besides displaying tribal products from across the country.

The craft demonstration is planned to be arranged for weaving of textile, Bamboo Basket, Making Organic Kharsawan Haldi (Turmeric), Making Yoga Mat, Making Sabai Grass Products, Pearl Farming demo, Sohrai Painting, Making & Playing Musical Instrument and making Lac Jewellery.

In order to prioritize health, a Health Corner will be set up for the purpose of screening for diseases that are prevalent among tribal communities and are genetic or lifestyle diseases, such as Sickle Cell Anemia, Malnutrition, and Tuberculosis, etc.