Pottangi: A google search describing dhemsa as a traditional dance of Andhra Pradesh has triggered resentment in Koraput district, with tribal groups and political leaders alleging that the region’s cultural identity is being misrepresented.
Dhemsa, widely performed by tribal communities across the undivided Koraput region during festivals, weddings and other auspicious occasions, is regarded by local communities as an important part of their cultural identity. The controversy comes amid the long-running dispute over Andhra Pradesh’s claims to villages in Kotia panchayat of Pottangi block in Koraput district.
According to local residents and tribal leaders, a Google search for Dhemsa displays Aluri Sitharama Raju district in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh as its location. They have questioned the description, saying the dance is deeply rooted in the tribal traditions of Koraput.
Koraput is home to several tribal communities, including Paraja, Kondh, Gadaba, Saura, Konda Dora, Bhumia, Durua, Bhatra, Kotia, Pentia, Halba and Amanatya. Dhemsa forms an integral part of many of their cultural and religious celebrations.
It is also regularly performed at government programmes and has been promoted through the district’s Parab festival. The issue gained further attention after Dhemsa was reportedly performed at the inauguration of the Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh’s Vizianagaram district August 1.
Local leaders alleged that a large number of young women from border villages in Odisha were brought together for the performance. BJD senior general secretary and state spokesperson Bhrugu Baxipatra questioned why a dance associated with the tribal communities of the undivided Koraput region was being projected as part of Andhra Pradesh’s cultural identity.
He urged the state government to intervene and assert that Dhemsa is an integral part of the cultural heritage of Odisha’s tribal communities, particularly those in the Koraput region.
“The government should clarify why it has remained silent on the issue,” Baxipatra said. Kui Samaj district adviser Damodar Jani and tribal federation district vice-president Trinath Gemel also questioned the attribution of Dhemsa to Andhra Pradesh.
Gemel acknowledged that tribal communities in Andhra Pradesh’s border areas also perform Dhemsa, but questioned the practice of presenting the dance as an Andhra tradition when it is performed to songs and music rooted in the Koraput region. The controversy has added a cultural dimension to the longstanding sensitivities along the Odisha-Andhra border.