New Delhi, November 15 (Yes Punjab News)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that tribal communities were blessing the government for eliminating Naxalism, highlighting what he described as the country’s progress in tackling Maoist violence.
Virtually addressing the Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas programme in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra, Modi said the occasion coincided with two major achievements: nearly 50 crore people moving out of extreme poverty and the end of Naxalism and freedom from Maoist terrorism.
“Both these achievements are deeply connected to the lives of our tribal brothers and sisters,” he said.
Modi said people in tribal areas, including Gadchiroli, had witnessed how Maoist violence had affected their communities. He claimed that around 125 districts were affected by Maoism in 2014, with hundreds of violent incidents reported every year and thousands of people, many of them tribals, losing their lives.
He alleged that previous governments had neglected people affected by Naxalism, failed to protect their rights and remained silent while tribal communities faced violence.
The Prime Minister also said tribal people had been denied the opportunity to vote freely in affected areas.
“Children were taken away from their mothers by these Naxals; our daughters were taken away, and no one was able to do anything. However, today, when Naxalism-Maoism has been eliminated, mothers and sisters in the tribal community are giving us their blessings,” he said.
Modi said tribal communities were now making significant contributions to the country’s development. He also referred to President Droupadi Murmu, saying the country was proud to have a woman from the tribal community leading it.
Citing a World Bank report, the Prime Minister said nearly 50 crore people in India had moved out of extreme poverty over the past 12-13 years. He described it as one of the country’s major achievements since Independence and credited Central government schemes with playing an important role in the transformation.
He said the government had given special attention to regions that had remained underdeveloped for a long time through focused development initiatives in more than 100 Aspirational Districts and over 500 Aspirational Blocks, many of which have significant tribal populations.
Modi also highlighted the PM-JANMAN scheme, saying it was transforming the lives of tribal communities.
Concluding his address, the Prime Minister called for drawing inspiration from Bhagwan Birsa Munda and dedicating efforts towards building a Viksit Bharat. He also extended his greetings on Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas.
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