In a bid to remove its anti-tribal image created over an unsuccessful move to start mining atop Niyamgiri hills in Kalahandi district, Vedanta released a music album in 'Kui' dialect, a medium of conversation among Dangaria Kandha tribes.
The music album titled-Niyamgiri ti Rani produced by Krishna Movie Association with help of Vedanta Aluminium Limited (VAL), contained eight songs, the voice for which were lent by tribal artists.
Diwani.. Diwani..., a music number sung by Jitu Jakasika, a Dangaria Kandha youth who recently turned pro-Vedanta after opposing it for a long time, said that the theme of his song was based on the emotional feelings of the people of his community .
Orissa's tribal development minister Bijay Ranjan Singh Bariha released the album in presence of Oriya cine start turn BJD MP Siddhant Mohapatra, former minister Balabhadra Majhi and VAL's COO Mukesh Kumar.
Kumar rejected the allegation of the company's bid to appease tribals, paricularly Dangaria Kandhas who opposed its mining prorject at Niyamgiri hills. "It is part of the company's social corporate responsibility (CSR), Kumar claimed.
The company brought out this album barely a couple of days after its chief Anil Agarwal claimed that Vedanta was "pro-tribal".
