Assam celebrates Jani Sikar festival honouring bravery of Adivasi women

Dibrugarh: The Adivasi community in Assam celebrated the Jani Sikar festival for the first time in the state on Sunday, paying tribute to the bravery, leadership, and resilience of Adivasi women.

Organised jointly by the All Adivasi Women’s Association of Assam (AAWAA) and the All Adivasi Students’ Association of Assam (AASAA), the event drew hundreds of women from across the state. Participants, dressed in traditional attire and warrior garb complete with traditional weapons, reenacted the legendary mock hunt central to the festival.

The event was graced by renowned academic Dr. Sonajharia Minj, Professor of Computer Science at Jawaharlal Nehru University and Co-Chair of the UNESCO Chair in Transforming Indigenous Knowledge, as Chief Guest, and Jharkhand Cabinet Minister Shilpi Neha Tirkey as Guest of Honour.

Other notable speakers included Pushpa Champia from Dibrugarh University and Namami Sharma from Tezpur University.

The festival, observed once every 12 years, commemorates the courage of tribal women during a 17th-century battle in Rohtasgarh (present-day Bihar). According to folklore, in 1610, Mughal forces attempted to conquer tribal settlements.

Tribal women, disguising themselves as men and taking up arms, successfully repelled the attackers twice before being finally overcome. The festival celebrates their resistance, bravery, and the spirit of empowerment.

Minj highlighted the enduring legacy of Adivasi women’s strength. “When Adivasi women went out for Jani Sikar, they never returned empty-handed. That is our strength,” she said. She added, “The strength of our people lies in the word ‘Adivasi’ itself—it means the original inhabitants. Wherever we have settled, we remain Adivasi.”

Minister Shilpi Neha Tirkey expressed her emotional connection to the community, saying, “The warmth and affection I received here made me feel like family. It is said that it took the Mughals 12 years to realise they were being defeated by women disguised as men, hence the festival is observed once every 12 years.”

The programme was presided over by Pauline Ekka, president of AAWAA, with former president Sujata Purty anchoring the proceedings. Other dignitaries included AASAA president Godwin Hemrom, AAWAA founder Veronica Tirkey, Munda Mahasabha Women Cell president Rekha Munda, Probin Topno, former MLA Roselina Tirkey, and several other prominent Adivasi leaders.

The festival’s celebration in Assam marks a significant step in preserving and promoting the cultural heritage and historical legacy of Adivasi women.