PM Modi invites Odisha Bonda couple to Republic Day function

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Jan 16:

A Bonda couple from Odisha’s Malkangiri have been invited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the Republic Day parade on January 26 in New Delhi.

The couple Dhabalu Sisa (41) and his wife Samari (46), belonging to one of India’s most primitive tribes, have received the invitation letter from Prime Minister and have confirmed that they will attend the ceremony.

They will visit Delhi accompanied by local ITDA (Integrated Tribal Development Agency) Project Administrator Ramakrushna Ganda and would  meet Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in Bhubaneswar before leaving for Delhi. They have sought Ganda’s presence to avoid the language barrier.

Residents of Bandiguda village under Mudulipada gram panchayat of Malkangiri district, visiting Delhi and shaking hands with President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a big dream for the couple. The entire village is ecstatic about the trip and have been celebrating the invitation with dance and music.

The couple will meet President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Modi after witnessing the grand show of India’s military might and a series of tableaux highlighting its cultural diversity at the Republic Day parade.

Apart from the joy factor, the couple plans to take up some serious issues with the Prime Minister too. Samari, a mother of five children (one son and four daughters), said that she would draw the attention of Prime Minister on the poor road connectivity to the Bonda Hills.

Notably, the population of Bonda community is about 7,000. They are members of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG).