NEW DELHI: Tribal communities suffered the most due to Naxal violence and were even denied the right to vote in the Maoist-affected areas, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday, accusing previous governments of leaving them to fend for themselves.
Virtually addressing a 'Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas' programme at Gadchiroli in Maharashtra marking the 151st birth anniversary of tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda, Modi said the previous governments remained silent when Maoists forcibly took away children and abducted young tribal women.
“Naxals denied the tribal communities voting rights but the previous governments remained mute spectators," Modi said.
However, the situation has since changed with the elimination of Maoist violence, and tribal mothers and sisters are now blessing the government as they feel secure, Modi said.
Children whose childhood was affected by violence are now getting opportunities for education and employment, he added.
Modi also said that nearly 50 crore people have come out of extreme poverty over the past 12-13 years, terming it one of India's biggest achievements since Independence.
Citing a World Bank report, he described the achievement as a result of collective efforts of society and citizens, with government welfare schemes also playing an important role.
The prime minister said 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.
The government has prioritised the deprived communities by providing more than four crore pucca houses to poor families, extending electricity to 18,000 villages that remained without power even decades after Independence, and providing free treatment of up to Rs 5 lakh to people under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, the prime minister said.
More than 1.75 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs have been set up across the country, extending healthcare services to the remote tribal areas, he added.
The government, he noted, has also provided collateral-free loans under the MUDRA scheme to create livelihood opportunities for poor families.
Modi said special development campaigns have been undertaken in more than 100 aspirational districts and over 500 aspirational blocks, many of which have a substantial tribal populace.
The PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana will focus on 100 districts lagging in agriculture to create better opportunities for farmers and tribal communities, he said.
Recalling the contributions of tribal communities to India's freedom struggle, the prime minister referred to the sacrifices of several tribal heroes, including Tirath Singh of the Khasi Hills, the leaders of the Kol movement, Sidho-Kanho of the Santhal rebellion, Govind Guru, Rani Gaidinliu, Tantya Bhil, Alluri Sitarama Raju and Rani Durgavati.
He also said the observance of Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas, which began on this day in 2021, has grown into a national celebration.
More than two lakh programmes were organised across the country last year to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Birsa Munda, with crores participating, Modi said.
To mark the occasion, more than 170 tribal development projects were inaugurated on Sunday, while foundations were laid for over 70 projects across states, with a total worth of around Rs 30,000 crore.
These included educational institutions, healthcare facilities, marketing centres for tribal products, and projects to improve basic infrastructure in villages.
Modi also expressed pride in the fact that a woman from the tribal community, President Droupadi Murmu, is leading the country.
Calling upon people to draw inspiration from 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.
Maharashtra Governor Jishnu Dev Varma, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram and his deputy Durga Das Uikey were present in Gadchiroli.