National Kol culture festival under way in Beohari with delegates from over 10 states

The National Kol Culture Festival is under way in Beohari, in Shahdol district. More than 300 delegates from over 10 states have gathered for it. The festival is being held at Vinayak Palace from December 13 to 15.

The event has been organised on the initiative of BJP MLA Sharad Kol. Delegates have come from several states, including Assam, Tripura, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and West Bengal.

The programme began with the community's memorial symbol. A member of a family that contributed to the freedom struggle hoisted the flag. The history of the Kol community and the struggle of its ancestors were remembered on the occasion.

The festival is showcasing the Kol community's traditional dress, food, jewellery, worship practices and marriage rituals. At the cultural programme, MLA Sharad Kol performed the traditional Koldahka dance. Representatives of the community also took part.

Delegates are discussing issues such as political participation, landlessness, unemployment and migration. Employment opportunities, the problems of landless families, ways to stop migration and increasing political representation are also being discussed.

People in the community are also looking forward to the proposed visit of Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav on December 16.