Contribution of tribals to freedom struggle ignored

Jamui (Bihar): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday charged previous Congress governments in the country with having tried to undermine the contributions of tribal leaders to the freedom movement "so that only one party and one family got away with the credit". He made the remark, without mentioning the opposition party or the Nehru-Gandhi family by name, in the Jamui district of Bihar.

He was addressing a function organised on the 150th birth anniversary of legendary freedom fighter Birsa Munda, which was marked by the launch of tribal welfare projects worth more than Rs 6,000 crore.

Modi asserted that he worshipped the ‘Adivasi Samaj’ and his government took the decision to celebrate Munda’s birth anniversary as ‘Janjaatiya Gaurav Divas’ (the day of glory for tribals) because the community never got 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 Rama from a prince to a god,” said the PM.

“Tribals also played a significant role in the struggle for Independence. But the previous governments deliberately tried to suppress this fact so that all credit was given to one party and one family,” alleged Modi, who spoke in the presence of BJP allies like 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 PM underscored that his government was taking steps for the uplift of tribals, like 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 meagre Rs 25,000 crore,” he said. In his speech that lasted about 30 minutes, the PM 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, Kumar, whose JD(U)’s support is critical for the BJP’s survival in power at the Centre, had 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 the governor of Jharkhand, “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 targeted growth of the most backward tribals, a scheme involving Rs 24,000 crore. The credit for the scheme also goes to 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 the tribals. Their environment-friendly way of life has come to characterise India, making it a shining example for the world to follow in an era marked by anxieties about climate change,” he added.

Modi said the tribals also had an admirable “traditional system of medicine” and his government, while recognising these, was making efforts to help the community by setting up 700 Eklavya schools across the country. “Our government has also taken steps to preserve the cultural heritage of tribals. Several artists from the community have been conferred with Padma awards.

A museum named after Birsa Munda has been set up in Ranchi,” pointed out the PM. Highlighting the areas of concern, he underscored the high prevalence of sickle cell anaemia 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,” said Modi.