Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said tribal communities bore the brunt of Naxal violence, while blaming the previous governments of being "mute spectators" of their suffering.
While addressing the 'Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas' programme at Gadchiroli in Maharashtra marking the 151st birth anniversary of tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda, PM Modi said tribals were unable to even vote in Maoist-affected areas in the past. He said his government lifted nearly 50 crore Indians out of extreme poverty over the past 12-13 years, hailing it as one of the country's greatest achievements since Independence.
"During that period, the people affected by Maoism and Naxalism, these very brothers and sisters of mine, had been left to their fate by the governments of that era. Their rights had been taken away. Everyone sat in silence and remained quiet. The governments of that time remained mere spectators and sat with their eyes closed," PM Modi said. He went on to say that the country has become "free from Naxalism and Maoist terror".
PM Modi highlighted crimes during previous governments where children and young tribal women were kidnapped by extremists. "Now that Maoism and Naxalism have been defeated, those mothers, the mothers and sisters of my tribal community, are showering countless blessings upon us," he said.
The end of extremism has led to educational and job opportunities for children of the tribal communities, PM Modi said. He added that the Centre has allocated more than Rs 1 lakh crore for the PM-JANMAN scheme and the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan to accelerate development in the tribal areas that remained deprived of basic facilities.
PM Highlights Welfare Measures For Tribals
PM Modi also highlighted measures taken by his government to prioritise housing, electricity and healthcare access for the tribal population, along with the provision of collateral-free loans to create livelihoods.
PM Modi said the observance of Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas, which began on this day in 2021, has grown into a national celebration. Calling on people to draw inspiration from tribal icon Birsa Munda, the prime minister urged them to work towards the goal of a developed India and make Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas an even stronger national celebration every year.
PM Modi also expressed pride in the fact that a woman from the tribal community, President Droupadi Murmu, is leading the country. "Today, even the leadership of the country is in the hands of a daughter from the tribal community. We are all proud of President Droupadi Murmu ji," he said.
