Date:13/12/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/12/13/stories/2004121305290500.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Gonds' meet for common script

By Our Correspondent

UTNOOR (ADILABAD DT.), DEC. 12. The three-day `Akhila Bharata Gondi Sanskruti Dharma Sahitya Sammelanamu', which concluded on Sunday, resolved to adopt a common script for Gondi and all other dialects spoken by those tribals across the country who are culturally linked with the Gonds of Adilabad.

The script would be adopted in consultation with linguists and language experts who would be discussing the issue at a seminar soon.

Talking to newsmen, the conference convenor, Sidam Arju, the former Minister, Godam Rama Rao, and the member of the central executive committee of the Akhila Bharatiya Gond Adivasi Sangh, Madavi Raju, said effort would be made to bring all the tribes linked to Gonds under one umbrella.

They said the only way to stop the invasion by alien culture was to adopt `oke bhasha, oke dharma, oke sanskruti.'

Call for awareness

The Gond leaders said the three-day conference discussed threadbare the various aspects of tribal culture, art forms and the `dharma'.

It was felt that there was a need for creating awareness among the Gond youth about their own culture and dharma, they said.

The final day of discussions also saw the release of a cassette titled `Id Gondwana mava' (this is my Gondwana) which carries songs in Gondi whose lyrics were composed by Kumra Purushottam, Mesram Rajayya and sung by Subhadra and Atram Govind Rao.