Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Ahmedabad, November 15 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Surat on Saturday, beginning his one-day visit to his home state Gujarat.
After landing from Delhi, he headed straight for the under-construction Surat bullet train station, where he reviewed the progress on one of India’s most ambitious infrastructure projects – the Ahmedabad-Mumbai high-speed rail corridor.
After the inspection, the Prime Minister visited the Devmogra temple in Narmada district, and offered prayers to the deities highly revered by the tribal communities of the area.
On Saturday afternoon, PM Modi attended a major public event to mark the 150th birth anniversary of ‘Dharti Aaba’ Birsa Munda.
At the event, the Prime Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of a series of infrastructure and welfare projects, and addressed a large gathering.
Prime Minister Modi said, “We are building several tribal museums across India, including Gujarat. Museums have also been built in Chhattisgarh and Ranchi. We are working to preserve tribal languages, songs and traditions. Their knowledge is vast – their stories reflect life, nature and co-existence. Our aim is to connect the new generation with this rich tribal heritage. For decades, Congress left tribal communities to fend for themselves. They suffer from poor education, limited health care and lack of connectivity. This neglect became the identity of the tribal areas, but for the BJP, we are committed to ending the injustice done to them and ensuring that they get the full benefits of development.
Further attacking the opposition, the Prime Minister said, “Congress never felt the need to work for tribals. A separate ministry for tribal affairs was created only after Atal Bihari Vajpayee became Prime Minister of the country. Even in Gujarat, there were no science-stream schools in tribal areas; students did not have access to science education. When I was chief minister, I met children who wanted to become scientists, doctors and engineers. I told them that education was their future. “And we will remove every hurdle. Today, there are more than that. We have also built 10,000 science-stream schools, colleges and universities in the tribal area.”
Prime Minister Modi said, “Children who once shared their dreams with me are now doctors and engineers. Hard work is the legacy of the tribal youth. Today, many sportspersons are emerging from tribal areas. We are also expanding sports infrastructure in these areas. I am the first Prime Minister to visit the home of Birsa Munda and connect with his descendants. We are working keeping in mind the needs of the tribal community. We are bringing reforms that will benefit tribal farmers.”
In Dediapada, the Prime Minister unveiled several initiatives focused on tribal empowerment and rural upliftment.
This includes the ‘Grih Pravesh’ of one lakh homes built under the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN) and the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DA-JAGUA).
–IANS
janvi/khz