Bhopal: The covid pandemic has landed every individual in tought times. The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has already affected over 6.9 million people, claiming more than 400 000 lives in over 200 nations all over the world. While some nations have successfully been able to flatten the pandemic curve, other nations are finding it difficult to achieve the same.
Bringing to fore the struggle of survival of the Adivasis in Madhya Pradesh, Union minister for Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda said that the Corona pandemic has given the government an opportunity to secure a place in the hearts of the Adivasis.
He has said the situation with regard to Covid vaccination in rural and Adivasi areas was 'challenging', adding that safe, healthy and self-reliant Adivasis will mean a safe, healthy and self-reliant nation.
The Minister was inaugurating a campaign 'Mission Van Dhan' for encouraging Covid vaccination among the Adivasi launched by the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) virtually on Thursday.
Munda said that the government was taking steps to spread awareness and education among the Adivasis. He said that though the impact of the second wave of Covid in the Adivasis areas was less than in the urban areas, the Adivasis need to get themselves inoculated as the vaccine was a sort of protection shield which would protect them from the disease in case a third wave strikes the country. The minister said that the Adivasis should try to become self-reliant.
The campaign will be run in collaboration with UNICEF, WHO and the departments concerned of the state government.
Around 50 lakh Adivasis engaged in collecting forest produce and various handicrafts would be associated with the campaign. The minister inaugurated the campaign by interacting with the field camps for Adivasis organised in Bastar (Chhattisgarh) and Mandla (Madhya Pradesh). Ministers of state for Tribal Affairs Renuka Singh and Bishweshwar Tudu were also present at the meet.
Under the campaign, a three-pronged approach would be adopted involving Jeevan (life), Jeevika (livelihood) and Jagrookta (awareness) to promote vaccination among the Adivasis communities.
Harshita Singh, collector of Mandla and Rajat Bansal, collector of Bastar briefed the minister about the situation in their respective tribal-dominated districts.
