PM hails tribal community's contribution to freedom struggle; accuses Congress of neglecting them

Dediapada (Gujarat), Nov 15 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the tribal community's contribution to the country's freedom struggle was significant, but the Congress did not acknowledge the same and neglected the community during its 60-year rule.

The contribution of tribal freedom fighters was ignored so that the credit could be given to a "few families", he said, speaking at a large gathering at Dediapada town in Gujarat's Narmada district to mark the birth anniversary of tribal icon Bhagwan Birsa Munda on Janjatiya Gaurav Divas.

Before his speech, the prime minister inaugurated or laid the foundation stone of infrastructure and development projects costing more than Rs 9,700 crore.

"Whenever the nation's honor, self-respect and freedom were concerned, our tribal community stood at the forefront. Our freedom struggle is the greatest example of this. Numerous freedom fighters emerged from the tribal community and they carried forward the torch of freedom," Modi said.

Citing the tribal freedom fighters such as Govind Guru, Rupsingh Nayak and Motilal Tejawat from Gujarat, the PM said countless chapters of the freedom struggle are filled with examples of manifestation of tribal pride and bravery.

The tribal community shed its blood for freedom, but its contribution was "ignored" so that the credit could be given to a "few families", Modi claimed.

"We cannot forget the contribution of tribal communities in the freedom movement, and this work (of recognising the same) should have been done after Independence. But in the pursuit of giving credit for independence to a few families, the sacrifices and dedication of my tribal brothers and sisters were ignored," he said.

Due to this attitude, no one remembered Bhagwan Birsa Munda before 2014, Modi added.

Family members of Birsa Munda were with him on stage, and he was the first prime minister to visit Munda's house, he informed.

The celebration of Janjatiya Gaurav Divas provides an opportunity to remember the "injustice done to tribal brothers and sisters", Modi further said.

"The Congress party, which ruled the country for six decades, left the tribals to their fate. Though the tribals were facing several issues such as malnutrition and lack of healthcare, education and connectivity, the Congress governments remained idle," he alleged.

"Tribals are also associated with Lord Ram. They come from that era. But those who ruled for six decades did not realize that something was needed to be done for the development of such a large tribal community. Tribal welfare has been the BJP's top priority, and we have resolved to end this injustice," the PM added.

It was former prime minister and late BJP stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee who established a separate ministry for the tribal community at the Centre, Modi said.

"But, when Congress came back to power after Vajpayee, they neglected the tribal community for the next 10 years and completely forgot about it," he alleged.

Referring to acclaimed sportspersons like Mary Kom, Dutee Chand and Baichung Bhutia, the PM said tribal youths have made a significant contribution to bringing glory for India on the global stage.

"Similarly, new players from tribal areas are emerging in every major competition. Recently, India's cricket team won the Women's World Cup, and a daughter from our tribal community played a key role in that. Our government is continuously working to discover new talent in tribal areas and encourage them to progress," said the PM.

His government works with the vision of providing equal opportunities to the underprivileged, Modi said, adding that in the last five years, the Union government has spent more than Rs 18,000 crore on building model tribal schools in the country.

"Essential facilities have been provided to the students. As a result, the number of tribal children enrolled in these schools has increased by 60 per cent," he said.

Earlier, the PM inaugurated or laid the foundation stones of multiple development projects aimed at uplifting tribal communities and improving infrastructure in rural and remote areas of the region.

He also witnessed the `Grih Pravesh' ceremony (marking a family taking possession of a new dwelling) for 1,00,000 houses built under the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN) and Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DA-JAGUA).

The prime minister also inaugurated 42 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) for tribal students, built at a cost of around Rs 1,900 crore; 228 Multi-Purpose Centres to act as hubs for community-led activities; Centre of Competence in Assam Medical College, Dibrugarh, and Tribal Research Institute building in Imphal, Manipur for the preservation of tribal culture and heritage.

In addition, the PM flagged off 250 buses for 14 tribal districts of Gujarat, laid the foundation stone for 748 km of new roads in tribal areas and 14 Tribal Multi-Marketing Centres under DA-JAGUA to serve as community hubs.

He also laid the foundation stone of 50 new Eklavya Model Residential Schools, to be built at a cost of over Rs 2,320 crore.

Earlier in the day, Modi offered prayers to Pandori Mata, a deity of the tribal community, at a temple in Devmogra village of Gujarat's tribal-dominated Narmada district. PTI PJT PD BNM KRK