Women from the Vantangia community, which comprises people who were brought from Myanmar for afforestation exercise during the colonial rule and live in forests, took a big leap towards their further inclusion in the mainstream when they walked on the ramp here for the first time.
Fifteen of them "rocked the stage" during the Purvi Mahotsav here on Monday evening.
The Vantangiya community comprises people who were brought from Mayanmar during the colonial rule planting tress. The community faces problems related to the use of natural forest produce like fruits, honey, wax, wood and leaves to meet their daily needs as the forests inhabited by them were not considered as revenue villages.
However, in 2018, in a bid to bring the forest-dwelling community into the mainstream, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath declared their 18 settlements as revenue villages.
Talking to reporters, one of the participants, Kentuli, said on Monday, "It was difficult for me to stand on the stage in front of everyone and many times I thought of quitting. But ultimately my willpower won. It was an amazing experience."
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