Bhubaneswar: Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly Naveen Patnaik Sunday called on citizens to respect the wisdom of indigenous people, fight for the protection of their cultural identity, and demanded scheduled tribe status for 169 communities in the state. Patnaik was addressing a function held at Sankha Bhawan, the state headquarters of BJD, on the occasion of the World Indigenous Peoples Day and August Kranti Diwas. Referring to formation of Special Development Councils (SDC) in 23 of the 30 districts of Odisha during the BJD tenure, Patnaik said his government made the tribals equal partners in development. The SDC was a model for preserving tribal art, culture, traditions and sacred places while ensuring their participation in development, he added. The BJD president said that during his chief ministership, the state government had submitted a proposal to the Centre seeking inclusion of 169 tribal communities in the ST list.