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.
ALSO READ: PM Modi pays tributes to Birsa Munda on 150th birth anniversary
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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Junior Hockey World Cup: IndiGo crisis disrupts travel plans of players' families, fans
Chennai (PTI): For Kate, the dream was simple -- to watch her son Fahy Noah play for the Australian team in the Junior Hockey World Cup here and visit the Taj Mahal.
But her plans, like those of many others, have been upended by the operational crisis that has hit IndiGo, India's largest domestic airline.
"I am here for the first time and India is so kind and welcoming. We were hoping to see the Taj Mahal, but with the IndiGo problems, we are a bit scared now," Kate, who has come from Brisbane, told PTI outside the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium here.
"One family went on a rest day and got stuck overnight. I think we will have to cancel all our travel plans now, though seeing the Taj Mahal was on my bucket list for long," she said.
ALSO READ: IndiGo fight disruptions: Opposition demands statement from government
This is the first time that 24 teams are participating in the Junior Hockey World Cup, being held in Chennai and Madurai from November 28 to December 10. For most players and their families, it is their maiden trip to India. Many NRIs have also flown in to support the Indian team.
However, the widespread flight delays and cancellations have thrown schedules into chaos. IndiGo cancelled thousands of flights last week, citing regulatory changes in the pilots' flight duty and regulations norms. This resulted in lakhs of passengers getting stuck at airports across the country.
Laura, who has come from Belgium with her entire family to support her son, said they are now travelling by road.
"We are happy to be here in this beautiful country. We went to Munnar and Madurai, and now we are planning to go to Puducherry and Mahabalipuram by road," she said.
"We had taken IndiGo flights earlier, but some other families who travelled on different days got stuck and somehow managed to come back by train. So we are not flying anywhere in India now. Road travel only and then back to Brussels next week," she said.
For 87-year-old Kenyan hockey legend Avtar Singh Sohal, a four-time Olympian and a lifelong supporter of Indian hockey, the crisis was particularly distressing. He spent 12 gruelling hours at the Chandigarh airport on December 4 before finally reaching Chennai just in time for the quarterfinals.
"Our IndiGo flight was delayed by 12 hours. We were at the airport from 7 am to 7 pm. They kept giving excuses -- the aircraft has not arrived, the pilot is not available. We had no idea what was actually happening," he said.
Accompanying Sohal was 85-year-old Tarlok Singh Mandair, a former treasurer of the English Hockey Association, who had flown in from London.
"It was a horrible experience. They kept changing the timings from 12 noon to 4 pm and we finally took off at 7:20 pm. They gave us sandwiches which were not even good," Mandair recalled.
"Our return flight is also on IndiGo, but now we are exploring other options," he said.
Jujhar Singh Plaha, 86, from London, who was on the same flight, said his excitement has turned into anxiety.
"We were so excited about this trip; hockey is our first love. But this (IndiGo crisis) spoiled our mood. Now we are worried about returning because at our age, we cannot travel long distances by train or road," he said.
Jason, the father of Australian player Roger Lachlan, has had an eventful trip to India so far -- beginning with the rain in Chennai triggered by Cyclone Ditwah.
"We are from Hobart -- home of Ricky Ponting and David Boon. We arrived after a cyclone, which caused heavy rain. Now the sun is out and we are enjoying ourselves," he said with a smile.
Jason, too, has shelved all further travel plans.
"No sightseeing now. We will just eat, swim and head back. I am loving masala dosa, masala tea and curries," he said.
Some fans from Bengaluru, who had booked their flight tickets months in advance, decided not to take a risk. They opted for refunds and drove down to Chennai on Sunday to catch the semifinal.
"With flight uncertainty and trains full, we drove down. We did not want to miss India in the semis," said Vinod Chinnappa, who drove for six hours to come here.
Even officials have not been spared by the flight disruptions.
Digvijay Singh, an official of the Hockey India League franchise, waited eight hours at the Patna airport to catch a flight to Chennai.
"I did not want to miss the India-Belgium quarterfinal, so I waited. I finished all episodes of (web series) Family Man at the lounge," he said.
"I had gone to Patna from Delhi for a meeting earlier in the day and then needed to connect to Chennai," Singh said.
With the World Cup set to wrap up in two days, uncertainty about people's plans to return home looms large.
With prices of alternative flights rising and train seats nearly impossible to find, fans, officials, families and journalists are monitoring travel apps as closely as match updates.
If the situation does not improve soon, returning home could be as challenging as winning matches on the field.
