During a visit to Odisha on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a powerful political message, emphasising that tribal communities are becoming active partners in India's development journey, thanks to central government initiatives.
His remarks underscored the significance of the BJP's selection of Odisha-born Droupadi Murmu as India's first tribal woman President and Mohan Charan Majhi as the state's first tribal Chief Minister. This focus is particularly relevant in Odisha, where tribal communities make up 23 per cent of the population, compared to 8 per cent nationally.
The Prime Minister was speaking at a large public meeting in Rairangpur, located in President Murmu's home district of Mayurbhanj. The event celebrated the completion of two years of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi's government.
In his address, Modi stated that decades of deprivation faced by tribal populations are being replaced by new opportunities in education, healthcare, livelihoods and social advancement. He praised the state government for its achievements and said Odisha is witnessing rapid progress under Mr. Majhi's leadership.
The event might have been strategically timed to coincide with President Murmu's birthday. In his speech, Modi extended birthday greetings to the President, who was present at the meeting. Earlier in the day, he had visited her nearby village, Pahadpur, which he described as a privilege.
Noting that a daughter of Mayurbhanj today occupies the nation’s highest constitutional office, the Prime Minister announced that Pahadpur will soon be developed as a Surya Gram, powered by renewable energy and equipped with modern public infrastructure.
Reinforcing the Centre’s ‘Purvodaya’ vision for developing Eastern India, the Prime Minister inaugurated and laid foundation stones for projects worth more than ₹47,000 crore. Key initiatives include the ₹25,000 crore Bharat Coal Gasification and Chemicals Ltd project,
power infrastructure upgrades worth ₹17,117 crore and two railway multi-tracking projects worth over ₹732 crore: the Hindol-Meramunduli line and the Jakhpura–Jajpur Keonjhar Road–Baitarani Road line.
President Murmu expressed her gratitude to the Prime Minister for visiting her village and lauded his efforts towards national development and his transformative initiatives.
Other dignitaries present at the event included Odisha Governor Dr Hari Babu Kambhampati and Deputy Chief Ministers Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and Pravati Parida.
