New Delhi/Patna
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced a major green initiative on the occasion of Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas celebrations. He announced the setting up of Birsa Munda Janjatiya Gaurav Upvans (parks/groves) in tribal-dominated districts to observe the year-long 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Bhagwan Birsa Munda.
The Prime Minister said 5 lakh trees will be planted in the Upvans even as he highlighted India’s major role in the world in the fight against Climate Change. He said that this was due to the values taught by the tribal societies, which venerated nature and which was the core of our thoughts.
The Prime Minister was in Jamui to attend the main function organised to mark the commencement of the 150th birth anniversary of Birsa Munda. Since 2021, Birsa Munda’s birthday on November 15 is being celebrated as ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Divas’.
Recalling that he was in Dharti Abha Birsa Munda’s birth village Ulihatu on last year’s Janjatiya Gaurav Divas, Modi remarked that this year he was in place which had witnessed the bravery of martyr Tilka Manjhi.
Incidentally, this is the PM’s second tour of Bihar, where he, on Wednesday, laid the foundation stone for AIIMS at Darbhanga, one of the major cities in the state’s northern region. The selection of Jamui was carefully made. The district with some Adivasi population shares its borders with Jharkhand, where Assembly elections are underway. The tribal outreach was not missed out.
The Prime Minister congratulated the one crore people from various villages who had joined virtually in today’s event at Jamui, Bihar. On the occasion, Modi felicitated descendant of Birsa Munda, Budharam Munda and descendant of Sidhu Kanhu, Mandal Murmu.
Modi said the celebrations marked an honest attempt to correct a major historical injustice as tribals had not received their due recognition in the society in the post-independence period. He said it was the tribal society which transformed Prince Ram to Lord Ram but there were attempts to wipe out such important contributions of tribal society in the decades after independence fueled by selfish politics.
He listed out the various contributions of tribals for India’s independence like the Ulgulan movement, Kol rebellion, Santhal rebellion, Bhil movement and said that various tribal leaders from across India like Alluri Sitarama raju, Tilka Manjhi, Sidhu Kanhu, Budhu Bhagat, Telang Kharia, Govinda Guru, Telangana’s Ramji Gond, Madhya Pradesh’s Badal Bhoi, Raja Shankar Shah, Kuvar Raghunath Shah, Tantya Bhil, Jatra Bhagat, Lakshman Naik, Mizoram’s Ropuiliani, Raj Mohini Devi, Rani Gaidinliu, Kalibai, Gondwana’s queen Rani Durgavati Devi and numerous others could never be forgotten. He also remarked that the Mangarh Massacre, wherein the Britishers had killed thousands of tribals.
The PM said it was their good fortune to elect Droupadi Murmu as the President, who is the first adivasi President of India and the credit for all the works incepted under the Rs 24,000-crore PM-JANMAN yojana goes to her.
“Tribal welfare has always been the priority of our government”, said the Prime Minister adding it was Atal Behari Vajpayee’s Government which formed a separate Ministry for Tribal affairs. Modi noted that the budgetary allocation was increased 5 times from Rs 25,000 crore to Rs 1.25 lakh crores in the last 10 years. He said a special scheme named Dharti Abha Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA) was started recently benefitting more than 60,000 tribal villages with an investment of Rs. 80,000 crore to ensure availability of basic facilities in the tribal villages along with creating job opportunities and training of the tribal youths
Modi spoke at length about the various other initiatives of his government for Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination, strengthening of traditional tribal medicinal systems, encouraging tribal art and artists among others.
“Our government’s focus is on education, income and medicine of the tribal society”, exclaimed Shri Modi. He was pleased that the tribal children were coming forward in various fields like medical, engineering, armed forces or aviation. This, he said, was the result of creation of better prospects from school to higher education in the last decade in the tribal areas. The PM underlined that his Government had added 2 new Tribal universities in the last decade as against the one Central tribal university in six decades of post-independence period.
Highlighting the achievements of the tribal youth in winning medals in international sports events in the last decade, Modi said modern playgrounds, sports complexes are being developed as part of Khelo India Abhiyan in the tribal dominated areas. He also noted that India’s first national sports university was started in Manipur.
He pointed out how laws related to Bamboo were very strict even after 70 years of Independence causing huge difficulties to tribal society and that his Government had eased them. He said that more than 4,000 Van Dhan Kendras were operating today in India, helping around 12 lakh tribal farmers.
“Around 20 lakh tribal women have become Lakhpati Didi since the inception of the scheme,” the PM asserted adding Tribal Haats were being set up in major cities for the tribal products like baskets, toys and other handicrafts.
A Global Marketplace was being created on the internet for tribal handicraft products, he said and revealed that he also ensured to give tribal products and artefacts like Sohrai painting, Warli painting, Gond Painting when he met international leaders and dignitaries.
PM Modi Launched And Laid Foundation Stones For Developmental Projects Worth Rs 6,640 crore
- The PM unveiled a commemorative coin of Rs 150 and a postal stamp of Rs 5 to honour tribal icon Birsa Munda.
- PM Modi participated virtually in the ‘Grih Pravesh’ ceremony for 11,000 houses constructed for tribal families under the PM Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN).
- To improve healthcare access in remote tribal regions, PM Modi launched 23 mobile medical units (MMUs) under PM-JANMAN and an additional 30 MMUs under the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA).
- He inaugurated 10 Eklavya Model Residential Schools and 300 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras, aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and improving livelihoods.
- PM Modi also inaugurated two Tribal Freedom Fighters’ Museums in Chhindwara and Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh, and two tribal research institutes in Srinagar and Gangtok to document and preserve the history of tribal communities.
- He laid the foundation stones for 500 km of new roads and 100 multi-purpose centres intended to act as community hubs for tribal regions.
- Additionally, PM Modi laid the foundation stone for construction of 25,000 houses under PM-JANMAN and 1.16 lakh houses under DAJGUA, alongside 370 hostels for tribal students.
- The projects unveiled by PM Modi are aimed at uplifting tribal communities and improving infrastructure in rural and remote areas of the region.
Highlights of Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas
- President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh paid tribute to Bhagwan Birsa Munda at Parliament
- Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced that ISBT Sarai Kale Khan Chowk in Delhi will be known as Birsa Munda Chowk. “Seeing this statue and the name of that chowk, not only the citizens of Delhi but also the people visiting the International Bus stand will definitely be inspired by his life,” he said.
- Union Home Minister Amit Shah unveiled a statue of Bhagwan Birsa Munda at the entrance of Baansera Park on Ring Road in Delhi
- Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel paid floral tribute to Birsa Munda on ‘Tribal Pride Day’
- Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren extended wishes on commencement of 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Birsa Munda
