Though the jatara has gained prominence in the last 20 years, ironically a mere 5-10 per cent of tribals take part in the festival. “This reflects the suppression of tribals by non-tribals which has been the case since the time of Kakatiya dynasty,’’ asserts historian V L Narasimha Rao. In this jatara, which ended on Saturday, only five lakh tribals attended (the crowd rush swelled to 90 lakhs this time around).
While the government goes to town about the cultural significance of the jatara, the increasing numbers of non-tribals, politicians, actors and techies turning up for the fair does not bode well, opine professors and experts. “It has become a ‘jalsa jatara.’ It’s appalling that no effort is being made to protect age-old customs, culture and art forms of the Girijans,’’ says Prof A Seetaram Naik of Kakatiya University.
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