English rendering of PM’s address at foundation stone laying ceremony of various development works in Jambughoda, Gujarat
Bharat Mata Ki Jai!
Bharat Mata Ki Jai!
Bharat Mata Ki Jai!
Today is a very crucial day for the tribal society of Gujarat and the entire country. Just a short while back I was in Mangarh Dham. And in 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav', I got the opportunity to salute the great sacrifices of tribals by paying homage to thousands of martyr tribal brothers and sisters including Govind Guru in Mangarh Dham. Now I am at Jambughoda with you and Jambughoda has been a witness to the great sacrifices of our tribal society. Today we got an opportunity to pay homage to the immortal martyrs like Shaheed Joria Parameshwar, Roop Singh Nayak, Galaliya Nayak, Ravjida Nayak and Babariya Galma Nayak. Today we are expanding basic facilities with schemes pertaining to health, education and skill development, the foundation stone of which is being laid and these schemes are associated with the pride of tribal society. The administrative campus of Govind Guru University has become very beautiful. And with the establishment of Kendriya Vidyalaya or central school in this area, my future generations will hold the country’s flag high with great pride. My heartiest congratulations to all the brothers and sisters who have come in such huge numbers for all these schemes!
Brothers & Sisters,
Jambughoda is not new to me. I have come here countless times. Whenever I come to this land, it feels as if I have come to a sacred place. In Jambughoda and the entire region, the Naikda movement which had infused a new energy in the revolution of 1857, had manifested a new consciousness. Parameshwar Joria ji had expanded this movement, and Roop Singh Nayak had also joined him. Tatya Tope was one of the important personalities during the revolution of 1857. But many people may not know that those who fought alongside Tatya Tope belonged to Veerbanka here.
They had an amazing courage and love for the motherland. Despite having limited resources, they shook the British rule and never hesitated in making sacrifices. I am fortunate to have got the opportunity to bow down before the sacred place i.e. the tree under which the heroes were hanged to death. In 2012, I also released a book there.
Friends,
We started an important work in Gujarat long back. The tradition of naming schools after the martyrs was started so that the children studying in that school and the coming generations would know the acts of bravery of their forefathers. And as a result, we are making the schools of Vadek and Dandiyapura eternal by adding the names of Sant Joria Parameshwara and Roop Singh Nayak. Today these schools are ready with a new look, furnishings and modern facilities. And today I had the privilege of unveiling the grand statues of these two tribal heroes in these schools. These schools will now become a part of the education and contribution made by the tribal society in the fight for freedom.
Brothers & Sisters,
You might remember the condition of the tribal areas about 20-22 years ago, before you gave me a chance to serve Gujarat. 20-22 year old young men and women of today would not even know about the challenges under which you had to live back then. And previously those who were in power for decades, had created a huge development gap between the tribal and the non-tribal areas. Discrimination was rampant. The lack of basic facilities in the tribal areas and the conditions were such that even if the children in our tribal areas had to go to school, it was a problem. A few vehicles used to reach schools from Thakkar Bapa's ashram. There was the problem of malnutrition and access to food. The physical development of girls aged 13-14 years could not take place in the right way. But now, with the spirit of 'Sabka Prayas', we have proceeded with the work to get rid of this situation. And to bring about the change, my tribal brothers and sisters took the initiative and walked with me shoulder to shoulder. And today, thousands of tribal brothers and sisters, lakhs of people are taking advantage of the myriad changes. But one thing should not be forgotten; these changes did not occur overnight or in one day. This required a lot of hard work. Schemes had to be formulated and even the tribal families have worked for hours and supported me. That is how this change was implemented. Speaking of tribal areas, about ten thousand new schools were built, ranging from primary to secondary schools. Just imagine! We have dozens of Eklavya Model Schools, special residential schools for girls and modernized ashram schools. Moreover, we also provided free bus facility for our girls to go to schools and also nutritious food in schools.
Brothers and Sisters,
You might remember that in the month of June, under the scorching sun, me and my colleagues used to wander from village to village with the Kanya Kelavani Rath. We would go to every village and encourage the people to educate the girls. Our tribal brothers and sisters had to face a lot of challenges in their area for education. Just imagine! Our tribal belt from Umargaon to Ambaji is so vast. Even if the young tribal boys and girls desired to become doctors and engineers, there was no science school. Then how would they have fulfilled their dreams? We solved that problem too and started science schools till class XII. And today, within two decades, 11 science colleges, 11 commerce colleges, 23 arts colleges and hundreds of hostels have been opened. We took this initiative to help our tribal youth progress in life. About 20-25 years ago there was a severe shortage of schools in the tribal areas of Gujarat. And today there are two tribal universities. Govind Guru University in Godhra and Birsa Munda University in Narmada are excellent institutions of higher learning. Here arrangements are made for the best higher education, and the coming generations of my tribal society are going to benefit the most out of it. With the new upcoming campus, the facilities of studying in Govind Guru University will increase further. In a way, the campus of Skill University of Ahmedabad, will also be beneficial to both Panchmahal and other tribal areas. This is the first university in the country, which will grant drone pilot licenses on successful completion of the course so that our tribal boys and girls can operate drones and enter the modern world. The 'Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana' has made an all-round development of the tribal districts in the last decades. The specialty of 'Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana' is - what, how much and where a thing is required - is decided by my tribal brothers and sisters sitting in the village and not from Gandhinagar.
In the last 14-15 years, more than one lakh crore rupees have been spent under this scheme in our tribal areas. There are many states in the country, which do not have enough budget allocated for tribal expansion. But this is a reflection of our love, feelings and devotion towards the tribal society. The Gujarat government has made sure that in the coming years, a fresh one lakh crore rupees of investment will be made in its expansion. Today, we are trying to ensure that piped water reaches every household in the tribal areas and micro-irrigation facilities are provided to the entire tribal belt. Otherwise, when I had become the new Chief Minister, the MLAs at that time would demand only a hand pump for their areas. And when the hand pump was approved, they would celebrate. Such were the days in the villages. But now Modi sahib and Bhupendrabhai have started piped water supply to every household. Moreover, there was a total lack of development in terms of the dairy sector in the tribal areas like Panchmahal. We have Jethabhai with us today. Now the Panchmahal Dairy is competing with Amul. Such is the level of development here. We have formed 'Sakhi Mandals' to empower our tribal sisters and increase their income. We have also ensured that these Sakhi Mandals get more and more money from banks. We have also made arrangements to help them sell their produce. And the way industrialization is growing in Gujarat at a fast pace, my young tribal brothers and sisters should also get the benefit of it. Today if you go to Halol or Kalol, tribal youth of my Panchmahal form more than 50% of the workforce in almost every factory. We have done this work. Otherwise, earlier most of our tribal brothers and sisters used to be engaged in road construction work around Kutch-Kathiawar. And today they are becoming partners in the progress of Gujarat by working in factories. We are opening modern training centres, vocational centres, ITIs, Kisan Vikas Kendras, through which 18 lakh tribal youth are being given training and placement. My tribal brothers and sisters, 20-25 years ago, the previous governments were not concerned about all these things. And you might or might not be aware but the belt from Umargaon to Ambaji and Dang was plagued with sickle cell disease for generations together! But we have taken the initiative to get rid of the disease. We have taken every possible step to eliminate this sickle cell disease. We have encouraged research work all over the country, met various scientists and invested a lot of money in this. I believe we will definitely come up with solutions with your blessings. We have opened small dispensaries and now wellness centres in our tribal areas. We have medical colleges. Now our girls are pursuing courses in nursing. Recently I met some tribal girls in Dahod. They had gone for higher studies. They informed me that they got jobs abroad. Now they go to other countries for nursing jobs.
My tribal youngsters are carving out a niche for themselves in the world. Brothers and sisters, this double engine government of Narendra-Bhupendra has set up more than 1400 health-wellness centers in tribal areas. Earlier, one had to visit cities even for minor ailments. One had to spend the night on footpaths. If he got the required medicine, then well and good; otherwise he had to return empty handed. We are changing this old condition, brothers. Now Godhra-Panchmahal has its own medical college. Our children will become doctors here. Secondly, they will be able to study in their mother tongue. Now the children of poor parents will also be able to become doctors and engineers by studying in their mother tongue. Even if he does not know English, his future will not be ruined. The work on the new building of Godhra Medical College is underway at a brisk pace. With this, Dahod, the entire Sabarkantha, Banaskantha and Valsad belt - from Umargaon to Ambaji - will have a Medical College.
Brothers & Sisters,
With all of our efforts, today we have ensured that in the tribal districts roads are constructed by following the forest rules and also ensured 24 hours electricity in their huts till the remotest corner. And we are getting to see its results today.
Brothers and Sisters,
You probably know that Dang district of Gujarat was the first to get 24 hours electricity in the state. If my only concern was getting votes, I would have brought this 24 hour electricity facility to big cities like Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot or Vadodara. But I chose a tribal district because my heart lies with my tribal brothers. With the blessings of my tribal brothers and sisters, we went ahead with the work and very soon this was completed in the whole of Gujarat. Consequently, industries started coming up in the tribal areas and children started receiving modern education. And along with the Golden Corridor, the Twin Cities started to develop. Now Panchmahal and Dahod are not left behind. Vadodara, Halol and Kalol too have become similarly developed. Now Panchmahal appears to have been urbanized.
Friends,
An extensive tribal society existed in our country for centuries. Or did the tribal society emerge only after the governments of Bhupendrabhai and Narendra Bhai were formed? Of course not! Didn't the tribal society exist during Lord Ram's period? We can never forget Shabri Mata. So, this tribal society has been here since time immemorial. But you will be surprised to know that even after so many years since independence, no ministry dedicated to the tribals was formed until the formation of BJP government in Delhi under Atal ji as the Prime Minister. Till then there was no ministry, no minister and no budget for tribals. Due to BJP's love for tribals, a separate tribal ministry was formed in the country and ministers were appointed. That is when the budget was allocated and spent for the welfare of the tribals. The BJP government formulated schemes like 'Vandhan'. Every type of forest produce is India's wealth and the property of our tribals. So, we worked in that direction. Just imagine! During the British era, there was such a black law, which used to suffocate the tribals. As per that law, one could not cut bamboo as bamboo was categorized as a tree. And if a tree was cut, the person would be jailed. So now, I have changed the law. I categorized bamboo as a type of grass and not a tree. Now my tribal brothers and sisters can grow bamboo, cut it and sell it. They skillfully make beautiful things out of bamboo and can earn by selling the bamboo products. We are purchasing more than 80 forest produce from tribals at MSP. The BJP government has increased the pride of the tribals, by giving importance to them and making their lives easy. Several initiatives have been taken to ensure that they can live with prestige and honour.
Brothers and Sisters,
For the first time, the tribal society has been made a partner in policy-making for their development. Consequently, the tribal society today is standing on its feet and is running the whole of Gujarat with full force. Our government has decided that every year on the birthday of our God, the great tribal leader, Bhagwan Birsa Munda, we will celebrate Tribal Pride Day. His birthday is on 15th November. So, the birthday of Birsa Munda will be celebrated as Tribal Pride Day in the whole country. Let the whole country know that our tribal society is full of self-respect, courage and bravery. They are sacrificial in nature and are the protector of the environment. We have taken this decision to spread awareness among Indians. The government of double engine is relentlessly making efforts to ensure that income of the poor, the dalits, the deprived and the backward classes as well as my tribal brothers and sisters increases. Therefore we are focussing on 'education and income for the youth, irrigation for the farmers and medicines for the elderly'. There should be no shortage. And that's why we have paid attention to education, earning, irrigation and medicine. Corona was the worst pandemic in 100 years. And it was difficult for the people with superstition to survive the pandemic. We helped the tribal brothers, provided free vaccines to them and conducted door-to-door vaccination drives. We saved the lives of my tribal brothers and sisters, and also ensured food and ration in their homes so that no child was forced to go to bed hungry. We have been giving free food grains to 80 crore brothers and sisters for the last two and a half years. To ensure that the poor families can get the best treatment in case of illnesses, we are providing free treatment of up to five lakh rupees to every beneficiary family every year. That means, if you live for 40 more years, you get the money 40 times. But I don't want you to fall sick. But in case you do, we are there for you, brothers. During pregnancy, my mothers and sisters get direct money into their bank accounts so that they can get nutritious food during pregnancy. This will also ensure the physical development of the unborn child. And the child born will be free from any disability. This will be good both for the family and the society.
We also have taken initiatives to ensure fertilizer, electricity and also exemption in their bills for the small farmers. Under 'Kisan Samman Nidhi' Rs 2000 are transferred to the accounts of my tribals thrice every year. Because of rocky land, the poor farmer was forced to cultivate corn or bajra. But we have ensured that he can cultivate his field in a better way. Fertilizer has become expensive all over the world. One bag of fertilizer in the world market is priced at Rs 2000. But the Indian government is bearing most of the cost and providing the fertilizer at only Rs 260 so that my tribal, poor farmers do not have to suffer. Today we are working to build pucca houses and toilets for the poor; we are working to provide other facilities like gas and water connection to improve the lives of this neglected section of the society. This will help the society to progress. We have several examples like the development of Champaner, Pavagadh, Somnath, Haldighati, and so on and so forth. We are working to respect the religious faiths of the tribal people as also to pay obeisance to tribal heroes. Speaking of Goddess Kali of Pavagadh, a lot of devotees visit Pavagadh to seek blessings. But they come back with a complaint that there is no flag on its top. For 500 years no one cared about my Goddess Kali. But after you blessed us, we can see the flag of Goddess Mahakali waving gracefully. If you go to Shamlaji, you would have seen how neglected the temple of God Kalia was. Kalia Dev is known as the deity of my tribals. But today it has been completely revamped. All these places of devotion like the Unnai Mata temple and Shri Ambe Dham in the tribal areas have been renovated. I realized that with my development projects , lakhs of people visit these places and climb up to the temple. Similarly, development of Saputara, Statue of Unity, and this overall expansion is going to give a boost to the tribals.
Brothers and Sisters,
I am working to empower the people by providing employment opportunities. Panchmahal is anyway the land of tourism. Champaner and Pavagadh are famous for their ancient architectural heritage. And the government is trying to ensure that people come to see this world heritage as well as the forest life of Jambughoda. Our Hathni Mata Waterfall and Kada dam should become tourist attraction places. And eco-tourism can be developed in Dhanpuri. We also have Dhaneshwari Mata, Jand Hanuman ji and what not. And I know you very well. So, I know how to develop all these things.
Brothers and Sisters,
We must think about how to develop tourism, increase employment opportunities, develop the places of our tribal pride and expand the income sources. And this double engine government of Narendra-Bhupendra is working shoulder to shoulder for a bright future because our intentions and policies are very clear. We are the people who make sincere efforts. Therefore brothers and sisters, we should not let the pace at which the work has progressed to slow down. We have to move forward cautiously. Since mothers and sisters have come to bless us in such large numbers, there is no need to worry about anything. Be it the tribal belt from Umargaon to Ambaji or my fishermen's belt from Valsad to Mundra or the urban belt, we must strive to develop the whole of Gujarat! We must develop Gujarat for the development of India. And saluting such brave martyrs and seeking inspiration from them, I extend my best wishes to you all.
Bharat Mata Ki Jai!
Bharat Mata Ki Jai!
Bharat Mata Ki Jai!
Disclaimer: The original speech of the Prime Minister is in Gujarati language, which has been translated here.
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DS/VJ/IG/AK