KEEPING A TRADITION ALIVE: Artists dressed to perform at the inauguration of the State-level Budaga Jangama Kshemabhivruddhi Sangha's conference in Bangalore on Thursday. — Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.

BANGALORE: Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh on Thursday assured the nomadic people belonging to the Budaga Jungama tribe that he will constitute a special committee of experts to study the problems of nomadic tribes in the State and suggest ways of solving them.

The Chief Minister was addressing a two-day State-level conference organised by the Karnataka State Budaga Jangamas Welfare Association.

Mr. Dharam Singh said leaders from all nomadic tribes, including the Budaga Jangamas and the officers of different departments involved in ameliorating the sufferings of these tribes, will be invited to the meeting to form the special committee. Referring to the demand made in this regard by writer Baraguru Ramachandrappa, he said the committee will be constituted shortly.

The Chief Minister said that "ashrama shalas" will be opened exclusively for the children of nomadic tribes. He gave away Budaga Ratna and Budaga Shree awards to N.R. Venkatesham of Osmania University and K.M. Metri of Kannada University of Hampi.

The former ministers, B.N. Bache Gowda and B.T. Lalita Naik, were present.

Janata Dal (Secular) State unit Working President H.D. Kumaraswamy said he will pay special attention to forming the special committee.

Burrakatha Eramma of Bellary, who is said to have authored thousands of folk songs on tribal people and their life, was present.

The former Minister H.M. Revanna said that his first job is to serve the cause of the nomadic tribes and bring them on par with others.

A memorandum was presented to the Chief Minister demanding removal of Beda Jangama from the Scheduled Caste list in the State, the names of Balasanthoshi, Bairagi in category I and Bahuroopi in category II of the Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission and to recommend to the Centre to remove the three names mentioned above from its backward classes list.

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