Tribals didn’t get justice earlier: PM

New Delhi/Patna: Sending a clear signal to the tribal community, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated while addressing a rally in Jamui, Bihar, that India’s tribals had not received justice in earlier years. With an eye on the Jharkhand Assembly election, Modi also hailed tribal icon Birsa Munda on his 150th birth anniversary.

Addressing a function organised to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Birsa Munda, and after launching tribal welfare projects worth more than Rs 6,000 crore in Jamui district of Bihar, Modi accused previous Congress governments of trying to undermine the contributions of tribal leaders to the freedom movement “so that only one party and one family got away with the credit.”

Modi made the remark without mentioning the opposition party or the Nehru-Gandhi family by name.

The Prime Minister asserted that he worshipped the “Adivasi Samaj” and his government decided to celebrate Bhagwan Birsa Munda’s birth anniversary as “Janjaatiya Gaurav Divas” (Day of Glory for Tribals) because the community never received its due.

“Tribals have played their role in preserving the country’s cultural heritage since times immemorial. It was the ‘Adivasi Samaj’ that helped the evolution of Lord Ram from a prince to a god,” he said.

“Tribals also played a significant role in the struggle for Independence. But previous governments deliberately tried to suppress this fact so that all credit was given to one party and one family,” Modi alleged, speaking in the presence of BJP allies like Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Union Minister Chirag Paswan.

He said, “If only one party and one family were to be given credit, who would remember Birsa Munda and Tilka Manjhi (an 18th-century Santhal leader)?”

The Prime Minister noted that his government was taking steps for the uplift of tribals, such as declaring districts with a high population of the community as “aspirational.”

“We are committed to ensuring better education, health, and job opportunities (padhai, kamai aur dawaai) for tribals. To this end, the budget for tribal welfare has been raised to Rs 1.25 lakh crore by my government. Earlier, it was a meager Rs 25,000 crore,” he said.

The Prime Minister also thanked Nitish Kumar for offering “full support” when “a tribal woman,” Droupadi Murmu, was made the presidential candidate by the BJP-led NDA.

Earlier, in his brief speech, Nitish Kumar, whose JD(U)’s support is critical for the BJP’s survival in power at the Centre, said that he considered his two short-lived alliances with the RJD-Congress combine as “a mistake that I shall never repeat.”

Modi also said that he was impressed with the fact that Murmu, while she was Governor of Jharkhand, “had always discussed with me the problems faced by the most backward communities among tribals, about whom the previous governments never cared.”

“Today, we have launched PM Jan Man Yojana for the targeted growth of the most backward tribals, a scheme involving Rs 24,000 crore. The credit for the scheme also goes to President Murmu, whose election to the highest constitutional office is a matter of pride for not just the BJP, but the entire NDA,” he said.

“We can also never forget what we owe to the value system inherited from tribals. Their environment-friendly way of life has come to characterize India, making it a shining example for the world to follow in an era marked by anxieties about climate change,” he added.

Modi stated that the tribals also have an admirable “traditional system of medicine” and his government, recognizing this, is making efforts to help the community by setting up 700 Eklavya Schools across the country.

The PM pointed out that his government has also taken steps to preserve the cultural heritage of tribals, and several artists from the community were conferred Padma awards. He mentioned that a museum named after Birsa Munda has been set up in Ranchi.

Highlighting areas of concern, he underscored the high prevalence of sickle cell anemia among the tribal population and spoke of “a massive nationwide campaign launched a year ago” under which 4.5 crore people have been screened.

“We are also trying to ensure that Adivasi families do not feel compelled to travel long distances for healthcare needs. To this end, a large number of Ayushman Aarogya Mandirs are being set up,” Modi said.

Earlier, Modi hailed Birsa Munda on his birth anniversary and stated that he sacrificed everything to protect the honor and glory of the motherland. Born in 1875 in what is Jharkhand today, Munda had challenged British rule and is credited with mobilizing tribals against the empire. He died in British custody at the young age of 25. The PM also shared a video and audio montage as tributes to Birsa Munda.