Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said tribal communities had suffered the most from Naxal violence and had even been denied voting rights in Maoist-affected areas, while previous governments left them to fend for themselves, news agency Press Trust of India reported.Addressing a Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas programme marking the 151st birth anniversary of tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda, PM Modi also highlighted the government's welfare and development initiatives for tribal communities and called for collective efforts to build a developed India.Speaking virtually at the programme in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra, PM Modi said previous governments had remained silent when Maoists forcibly took away children and abducted young tribal women. “Naxals denied the tribal communities voting rights but the previous governments remained mute spectators,” he said.PM Modi said the situation had since changed with the elimination of Maoist violence. Tribal women were now blessing the government because they felt secure, while children whose childhood had been affected by violence were receiving education and employment opportunities, he added.
According to PTI, the Prime Minister said nearly 50 crore people had emerged from extreme poverty over the past 12 to 13 years, describing it as one of India's biggest achievements since Independence. Citing a World Bank report, he attributed this to the collective efforts of citizens and society, along with government welfare schemes.PM Modi said the Centre had allocated more than Rs 1 lakh crore for the PM-JANMAN scheme and the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan to speed up development in tribal areas that lacked basic facilities.
He said the government had prioritised disadvantaged communities by providing more than four crore permanent houses to poor families, supplying electricity to 18,000 villages that had remained without power for decades after Independence, and offering free treatment of up to Rs 5 lakh under the Ayushman Bharat scheme.More than 1.75 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs had been set up across the country, extending healthcare services to remote tribal areas, PM Modi said. He added that the government had provided loans without collateral under the MUDRA scheme to create livelihood opportunities for poor families.The Prime Minister said special development campaigns had been undertaken in more than 100 aspirational districts and over 500 aspirational blocks, many of which had substantial tribal populations.
He said the PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana would focus on 100 districts lagging in agriculture to create better opportunities for farmers and tribal communities.Recalling the role of tribal communities in India's freedom struggle, PM Modi referred to the sacrifices of several tribal heroes, including Tirath Singh of the Khasi Hills, leaders of the Kol movement, Sidho-Kanho of the Santhal rebellion, Govind Guru, Rani Gaidinliu, Tantya Bhil, Alluri Sitarama Raju and Rani Durgavati.He said Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas, first observed in 2021, had grown into a national celebration. More than two lakh programmes were organised across the country last year to mark Birsa Munda's 150th birth anniversary, with crores of people participating, he added.To mark this year's occasion, more than 170 tribal development projects were inaugurated on Sunday and foundation stones were laid for over 70 projects across states.
Together, the projects are worth about Rs 30,000 crore and include educational institutions, healthcare facilities, marketing centres for tribal products and initiatives to improve basic infrastructure in villages.PM Modi also expressed pride that President Droupadi Murmu, a woman from the tribal community, was leading the country. He urged people to draw inspiration from Birsa Munda, work towards the goal of a developed India and make Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas a stronger national celebration every year.Maharashtra Governor Jishnu Dev Varma, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram and Minister of State Durga Das Uikey were present at the programme in Gadchiroli.In his address, PM Modi linked improved security in former Maoist-affected areas with greater access to education, employment and welfare, while outlining government spending and projects aimed at developing tribal regions.- Ends(With PTI inputs)