Thuamul Rampur: The annual pilgrimage of Baba Khandua Budha and Maa Dokari Budhi will be held June 19 and 20 atop Khandual Mali hill near Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary in Kalahandi district’s Thuamul Rampur block.
Unlike last year, the traditional gathering is expected to go beyond religious rituals and take the form of a people’s movement. Thousands of indigenous residents who will assemble on the hill are set to take a collective pledge against the proposed Khandualmali mining project, vowing to protect their land, forests, water resources and way of life. The anti-mining pledge has emerged as the main highlight of this year’s event.
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According to reports, the centuries-old pilgrimage, usually held in March, could not take place on schedule this year due to the ongoing anti-mining movement in the region. The festival is being organised by the Khandual Mali Suraksha Samiti.
Traditional rituals and worship of Baba Khandual will begin on the morning of June 19. Chief priest Ramsingh Majhi will conduct the rituals, while devotees will offer sacrifices in keeping with local customs and beliefs for the welfare of all living beings.
Local residents allege that natural resources are being exploited and police action is being carried out without the consent of village assemblies, in violation of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution and the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA). As part of the programme, intellectuals, journalists and supporters have been invited to express solidarity with the indigenous communities’ struggle for livelihood and land rights.
The two-day event, organised with the participation of people from seven nearby gram panchayats, will also feature traditional cultural programmes in the evenings.
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