New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said November 15 will be a day to remember the tribal heroes, who made remarkable contributions in the freedom movement and development of the nation.
“Every year from today, the country will celebrate 15 November, which is the birth anniversary of Lord Birsa Munda as Tribal Pride Day,” the Prime Minister said while inaugurating the first Tribal Freedom Fighters Museum through virtual mode on Jan Jatiya Gaurav Diwas in Ranchi.
He said, “On this momentous occasion, country's first Tribal Freedom Fighters Museum is being dedicated to the countrymen who will play an important role in preserving, promoting culture and history of tribal people and their contribution in the freedom struggle.”
Modi also extended his wishes to the people of Jharkhand on the statehood day.
He said, “Apart from Bhagwan Birsa Munda Memorial Udyan-cum-Freedom Fighter Museum, nine more such museums are being fast-tracked in different states in the country.
“Soon, we will see these museums taking shape in Rajpipla in Gujarat, Lambasingi in Andhra Pradesh, Raipur in Chhattisgarh, Kozhikode in Kerala, Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh, Hyderabad in Telangana, Taminglong in Manipur, Kelsey in Mizoram, Ponda in Goa."
On the contribution of Birsa Munda for the society, he said Lord Birsa Munda lived for the society, sacrificed his life for his culture and country and, hence, "he is present in our faith, in our spirit as our God".
“He was in favor of modern education, he advocated for changes, and showed the courage to speak against the shortcomings and evils of his own society,” Modi said.
The Prime Minister said he has spent a large part of his life with tribal brothers and sisters and children and has been a witness to their joys and sorrows, daily lives and the necessities of their lives. “So, today is also an emotional day for me personally.".
Modi further said due to the “firm willpower of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Jharkhand came into existence. It was he who had formed a separate Ministry of Tribal Affairs & connected tribal interests to policies of the nation.
During his address, the Prime Minister also recalled the freedom movements undertaken by the tribal community.
“Be it the Munda movement led by Bhagwan Birsa, or the Santhal struggle and the Khasi struggle, the Ahom struggle in the Northeast or the Kol war in the Chota Nagpur region. India's tribal sons and daughters challenged British rule in every period,” he said.
On November 10, the Union Cabinet had approved the declaration of November 15 as Jan Jatiya Gaurav Divas dedicated to the memory of brave tribal freedom fighters so that coming generations could know about their sacrifices for the country.
Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda said a large number of national and state-level programmes will be held all through the week till November 22 to build awareness about the role of tribal freedom fighters. (UNI)