PM hails tribal community's contribution to freedom struggle; accuses Congress of neglecting them
Dediapada (Gujarat), Nov 15 (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the tribal community's contribution to the country's freedom struggle was significant, but the Congress did not acknowledge the same and neglected the community during its 60-year rule.
The contribution of tribal freedom fighters was ignored so that the credit could be given to a "few families", he said, speaking at a large gathering at Dediapada town in Gujarat's Narmada district to mark the birth anniversary of tribal icon Bhagwan Birsa Munda on Janjatiya Gaurav Divas.
Before his speech, the prime minister inaugurated or laid the foundation stone of infrastructure and development projects costing more than Rs 9,700 crore.
"Whenever the nation's honor, self-respect and freedom were concerned, our tribal community stood at the forefront. Our freedom struggle is the greatest example of this. Numerous freedom fighters emerged from the tribal community and they carried forward the torch of freedom," Modi said.
Citing the tribal freedom fighters such as Govind Guru, Rupsingh Nayak and Motilal Tejawat from Gujarat, the PM said countless chapters of the freedom struggle are filled with examples of manifestation of tribal pride and bravery.
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The tribal community shed its blood for freedom, but its contribution was "ignored" so that the credit could be given to a "few families", Modi claimed.
"We cannot forget the contribution of tribal communities in the freedom movement, and this work (of recognising the same) should have been done after Independence. But in the pursuit of giving credit for independence to a few families, the sacrifices and dedication of my tribal brothers and sisters were ignored," he said.
Due to this attitude, no one remembered Bhagwan Birsa Munda before 2014, Modi added.
Family members of Birsa Munda were with him on stage, and he was the first prime minister to visit Munda's house, he informed.
The celebration of Janjatiya Gaurav Divas provides an opportunity to remember the "injustice done to tribal brothers and sisters", Modi further said.
"The Congress party, which ruled the country for six decades, left the tribals to their fate. Though the tribals were facing several issues such as malnutrition and lack of healthcare, education and connectivity, the Congress governments remained idle," he alleged.
"Tribals are also associated with Lord Ram. They come from that era. But those who ruled for six decades did not realize that something was needed to be done for the development of such a large tribal community. Tribal welfare has been the BJP's top priority, and we have resolved to end this injustice," the PM added.
It was former prime minister and late BJP stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee who established a separate ministry for the tribal community at the Centre, Modi said.
"But, when Congress came back to power after Vajpayee, they neglected the tribal community for the next 10 years and completely forgot about it," he alleged.
Referring to acclaimed sportspersons like Mary Kom, Dutee Chand and Baichung Bhutia, the PM said tribal youths have made a significant contribution to bringing glory for India on the global stage.
"Similarly, new players from tribal areas are emerging in every major competition. Recently, India's cricket team won the Women's World Cup, and a daughter from our tribal community played a key role in that. Our government is continuously working to discover new talent in tribal areas and encourage them to progress," said the PM.
His government works with the vision of providing equal opportunities to the underprivileged, Modi said, adding that in the last five years, the Union government has spent more than Rs 18,000 crore on building model tribal schools in the country.
"Essential facilities have been provided to the students. As a result, the number of tribal children enrolled in these schools has increased by 60 per cent," he said.
Earlier, the PM inaugurated or laid the foundation stones of multiple development projects aimed at uplifting tribal communities and improving infrastructure in rural and remote areas of the region.
He also witnessed the 'Grih Pravesh' ceremony (marking a family taking possession of a new dwelling) for 1,00,000 houses built under the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN) and Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DA-JAGUA).
The prime minister also inaugurated 42 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) for tribal students, built at a cost of around Rs 1,900 crore; 228 Multi-Purpose Centres to act as hubs for community-led activities; Centre of Competence in Assam Medical College, Dibrugarh, and Tribal Research Institute building in Imphal, Manipur for the preservation of tribal culture and heritage.
In addition, the PM flagged off 250 buses for 14 tribal districts of Gujarat, laid the foundation stone for 748 km of new roads in tribal areas and 14 Tribal Multi-Marketing Centres under DA-JAGUA to serve as community hubs.
He also laid the foundation stone of 50 new Eklavya Model Residential Schools, to be built at a cost of over Rs 2,320 crore.
Earlier in the day, Modi offered prayers to Pandori Mata, a deity of the tribal community, at a temple in Devmogra village of Gujarat's tribal-dominated Narmada district.
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Virudhunagar firecracker unit blast: Toll climbs to 25, Rs 5.5 lakh ex gratia announced
Virudhunagar (Tamil Nadu) (PTI): With most bodies charred beyond recognition, identification remains difficult, police said on Monday, as the toll in the massive explosion at a fireworks unit near Kattanarpatti here rose to 25.
The Virudhunagar district administration has announced Rs 5.5 lakh ex gratia to the kin of deceased.
The accident is one of the deadliest industrial disasters in the region in recent years.
"Bodies were so badly charred that we were able to identify mostly with jewellery that the victims were wearing," a police official told PTI.
He said that the families have not yet claimed the bodies due to the uncertainly in the identities.
The factory owner is absconding, he added.
The accident occurred at the Vanaja firecracker unit, owned by one Muthumanickam, which functions under the Vachakarapatti police station limits.
The unit is reportedly licensed by the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO), Nagpur.
Post-mortem reports have established that the 25 victims, include 22 women and three men, the police official added.
Eight workers, mostly women, are critically injured with 60 per cent burn injuries. Twelve others, including eight policemen, were injured in a second blast on Sunday evening while rescue operations were underway.
Rescue operations were severely hampered for hours, as unexploded materials continued to detonate.
A second blast at 7.20 pm, triggered as an earthmover was clearing debris, caused chaos and injured several responders, including a revenue official.
Meanwhile, sources said about 1,000 people, including the families of the victims and residents of nearby villages, are threatening a road roko, demanding the arrest of the owner of the factory.
Local eyewitnesses, including Ranganathan from the nearby Seervaikarampatti village, described hearing a massive blast that sent "thick black smoke" into the sky.
"Nothing was recognisable. We saw bodies being loaded four at a time into vehicles," he told PTI Videos.
Many of the deceased were from Seervaikarampatti village, with residents claiming that at least 20 victims belonged to their village.
Among those killed was 46-year-old Indrani, a veteran worker of 25 years.
"My mother was the sole breadwinner. My father is disabled and stays home. I have an MSc degree, but I’m working at a petrol bunk to help out, and we haven't even paid my brother's school fees yet," said Madhubala, Indrani’s daughter, while pleading for government employment assistance.
Virudhunagar Collector N O Sukhaputra confirmed that the unit was operating without permission on a rest day.
Preliminary findings suggest the blast originated in a chemical mixing shed, where nearly 40 workers were busy making crackers, a violation of safety norms that typically limit occupancy to four workers per shed.
"Had these workers followed primary safety norms, the casualties could have been minimal," a senior official stated.
Chief Minister M K Stalin has ordered a high-level probe and directed ministers to oversee relief efforts.
The tragedy follows a similar accident in Vembakottai just days earlier, which claimed four lives, intensifying calls for stricter enforcement of safety regulations in the district’s firecracker hub.
The explosion occurred at approximately 3.15 pm on Sunday. Although the fireworks industry is officially shut on Sundays, over 100 workers were reportedly engaged in production.
Later in the day, Sukhaputra said Rs 5.5 lakh ex gratia each has been finalised for the families of 25 persons killed in the explosion.
Speaking to PTI Videos, he said the ex gratia cheques are ready for immediate distribution to the legal heirs.
"Out of 25 deaths, we have finished conducting post-mortems on 22 bodies. Already we have cheques (that) are ready,” Sukhaputra said.
The announcement followed intense demands from grieving relatives for financial security and government employment.
