PM woos tribals, says earlier govts ignored their welfare

NEW DELHI : In a major tribal outreach to mark the first “Janjatiya Gaurav Divas”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Bhopal attacked Congress -- without naming the party -- saying tribal welfare had been ignored and the role of tribal communities in the freedom struggle was denied the importance they deserved by previous governments in office.
Stating that the government made tribal welfare a priority, the Prime Minister said, "the contribution of tribal society was either not told to the country, and even if told, very limited information was given" by those in power previously. This was because “those who ran the government in the country for decades after independence, gave priority to their selfish politics”.
On Monday, Madhya Pradesh, where the BJP is in power and which also has the largest tribal population in the country, became the platform for the Centre's political outreach. Last week at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Modi, the central government decided to observe tribal icon and anti-colonial warrior Birsa Munda’s birth anniversary as “Janjatiya Gaurav Divas” annually to celebrate tribal history and culture.
Addressing the large gathering in Bhopal, the PM said, “For the first time in the country after independence, on such a large scale, the art-culture of the entire country's tribal society, their contribution to the freedom movement and nation building is being remembered and honored with pride.”
Earlier in the day, the PM inaugurated the Bhagwan Birsa Munda Freedom Fighter Museum in Ranchi. Addressing the audience virtually, PM also remembered former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee highlighting the latter’s role in the formation of the state of Jharkhand in 1999 and during whose tenure the tribal affairs ministry was carved out. The PM added that as part of the celebrations to mark 75 years of Independence an attempt is being made to revive the stories and history of tribal icons who were denied the recognition that they deserved in the decades gone by.
During his address in Bhopal, the PM asserted that by not giving the tribal society the due importance, "the previous governments have committed a crime" and "this issue should be raised again and again". "A discussion on this should happen at every platform," Modi said.
He remarked that the tribal region of the country has always been rich in terms of wealth and resources. But “those who were in the government earlier, followed the policy of exploiting these areas. We are following the policy of utilising the potential of these areas properly,” he said.
Giving examples of how tribals were being mainstreamed through welfare schemes, the PM spoke about work being done in aspirational districts which include tribal areas. “Today, products by the artisans of the tribal section are being promoted nationally and globally. More than 90 forest produces are being given Minimum Support Price compared to 8-10 crops earlier. More than 150 medical colleges have been approved for such districts. More than 2,500 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras have been connected with more than 37 thousand self help groups leading to 7 lakh jobs,” the PM shared. He further shared that 20 lakh land ‘Pattas’ (rights) have been given to forest dwellers. “Emphasis on mother tongue in the New Education Policy will help the tribal people,” the PM added.