India's history incomplete without sacrifices of tribals Gujarat CM on Janjatiya Gaurav Divas

Ahmedabad, Nov 15 (PTI) Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Sunday said the country's history remains incomplete without the valour and sacrifices of tribal communities.

Their contribution to India's culture and national consciousness dates back thousands of years, he said addressing a state-level celebration of 'Janjatiya Gaurav Divas' in Chhotaudepur on the 151st birth anniversary of tribal freedom fighter Bhagwan Birsa Munda.

"Tribal communities had always been at the forefront whenever the country's honour, self-respect and sovereignty were at stake. The history of our nation remains incomplete without the valour and sacrifices of the tribal community. For thousands of years, tribal pride has been an integral part of Indian culture and national consciousness," he said.

"During our freedom struggle, countless brave souls from the tribal community fought against British rule, made supreme sacrifices and kept the torch of freedom burning," he said.

Their contributions remained neglected for decades after Independence, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi initiated the nationwide observance of Birsa Munda's birth anniversary as Janjatiya Gaurav Divas in 2021 to recognise the contribution of tribal heroes to the country's freedom struggle, Patel pointed out.

"Before 2014, the name of a great revolutionary like Bhagwan Birsa Munda had not reached the wider public consciousness of the nation. The Prime Minister changed this situation and reminded the nation of the immense contribution made by tribal communities in securing the country's independence," he said.

The chief minister said development projects and individual benefits worth Rs 2,311 crore were being extended to tribal communities of Gujarat on the occasion as part of efforts towards their social, economic and educational upliftment.

Around 109 development projects covering roads and buildings, water resources, education, health, agriculture, animal husbandry, rural development, forests and women and child development sectors were dedicated to various tribal regions of the state, he said.

Referring to the Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana launched in Gujarat in 2007, the CM said the development of tribal regions underwent a transformation under Modi's leadership over the past 25 years.

He said the Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana had been an important step towards the development of tribal communities.

Patel said infrastructure and educational facilities in tribal regions had expanded over the years. He cited the establishment of 12 science colleges, two universities and 12 medical colleges, along with 57 Eklavya Model Residential Schools and 43 Gujarat Livelihood Residential Schools.

More than 22,500 smart classrooms had also been introduced to improve access to education in these areas, he said.

On forest rights, Patel said the state had granted rights to more than 18,800 individuals belonging to communities that had traditionally lived in forest areas.

The chief minister also participated in a roadshow from Bhagwan Birsa Munda Circle to the SN College Ground before addressing the public meeting.

The state-level celebration was part of programmes organised across Gujarat to mark the birth anniversary of the tribal freedom fighter.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)