The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu, visited Ulihatu village in Jharkhand this morning (November 15, 2022) on the Janjatiya Gaurav Divas and paid her respects before the statue of Bhagwan Birsa Munda.

Subsequently, the President landed at Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh where she addressed a Janjatiya Samagam.

Addressing the gathering, the President greeted the fellow citizens on the occasion of Janjatiya Gaurav Divas.  She said that Madhya Pradesh has the largest tribal population in the country. Therefore, organising this Samagam in the state is appropriate.

The President said that the spirit of sacrificing everything in the interest of justice has been the speciality of the tribal society. In our freedom struggle, different ideologies and activities have played important role. The history of freedom struggle also includes several streams of struggles by the tribal communities. Many great personalities like Bhagwan Birsa Munda and Sidhu-Kanhu of Jharkhand, Tantia Bhil and Bhima Nayak of Madhya Pradesh, Alluri Sitarama Raju of Andhra Pradesh, Rani Gaidinliu of Manipur and  Saheed Laxman Nayak of Odisha have enhanced tribal pride and also amplified the pride of the country. Many revolutionary warriors of Madhya Pradesh include Kishore Singh, Khajya Nayak, Rani Phool Kunwar, Sitaram Kanwar, Mahua Kol, Shankar Shah and Raghunath Shah. Revered as the 'Gandhi of Chhindwara', Shri Badal Bhoi had chosen the path of non-violence for the freedom struggle. The President paid her tributes to all such freedom fighters. 

The President said that tribal communities have been instrumental in enriching the cultural heritage of Chambal, Malwa, Bundelkhand, Baghelkhand and Mahakoshal regions of Madhya Pradesh. She expressed confidence that this region, once full of prosperity during the reign of the tribal kings, will once again write impressive tales of modern development.

The President said that most of the tribal areas have been rich in forest and mineral wealth. Our tribal brothers and sisters live a life based on nature and respectfully protect nature. They had fought fiercely during the British rule to protect this natural wealth from exploitation. Conservation of forest wealth was, to a large extent, possible due to their sacrifices. In today's time, of climate change and global warming, everyone needs to learn from the lifestyle of tribal society and their determination towards forest conservation.

The President said that tribal community gives equal importance to humanity and nature. They give priority to the community over individual, co-operation over competition and equality over distinctiveness. Equality between men and women is a feature of the tribal society. Gender-ratio in tribal society is better than that of the general population. These characteristics of tribal society are exemplary for all.

The President was happy to note that the Central and State Governments have taken several steps for the development of tribal communities in past few years. She said that the holistic national development and the development of the tribal community are interlinked. Therefore, efforts are being made to maintain the identity of tribal communities, increase the sense of self-pride among them and at the same time benefit from the fruits of development. Development of tribal areas in the spirit of harmony is beneficial for all.

Please Click here to see the President's Speech in Hindi

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DS/BM