President attends the ‘Janajatiya Gaurav Diwas’ celebration in Ambikapur, Chhattisgarh

President Smt. Droupadi Murmu today graced the ‘Janajatiya Gaurav Diwas’ celebration organized by the Government of Chhattisgarh in Ambikapur, Sarguja.

While speaking on the occasion, the President said that the contribution of tribal communities forms a proud chapter in India’s history — a history that upholds India as the mother of democracy. This spirit is reflected not only in ancient republics but also in many tribal traditions, such as the “Muria Darbar” in Bastar, which is regarded as the parliament of indigenous people.

The President highlighted that tribal heritage is deeply rooted across various regions of India, including Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Jharkhand. She expressed happiness that this year the Chhattisgarh Government celebrated the Janajatiya Gaurav Fortnight from November 1 to November 15 on a large scale.

She noted that over the past decade, several national-level schemes have been formulated and implemented for the welfare and development of tribal communities. Last year, on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, the ‘Dhartii Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan’ was launched, which will benefit more than 5 crore tribal brothers and sisters across the country. In 2023, the PM-JANMAN Abhiyan (Prime Minister’s Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups Development Mission) was launched to uplift the social and economic conditions of 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).

The President said that to further energize tribal development initiatives, the Government of India launched the ‘Adi Karmyogi Abhiyan’ during the 150th birth anniversary year of Bhagwan Birsa Munda. Under this campaign, a network of nearly 20 lakh volunteers is being prepared across the country. She expressed confidence that these volunteers will play a decisive role at the grassroots level in ensuring the development of tribal communities.

The President expressed happiness that across the country, including in Chhattisgarh, people are giving up the path of left-wing extremism and joining the mainstream of development. She said that with the well-planned and coordinated efforts of the central and state governments, it will soon be possible to eradicate left-wing extremism entirely.

She also expressed delight that the recently held Bastar Olympics witnessed participation from more than 1,65,000 participants. The President concluded by expressing confidence that by following the ideals of great tribal icons, the people of Chhattisgarh will make invaluable contributions toward building a strong, self-reliant, and developed India.