Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi visited Jamui, Bihar on 15th November 2024 on the occasion of ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Divas’ and paid tribute to tribal leader Dharti Aaba Bhagwan Birsa Munda.
- Janjatiya Gaurav Divas 2024 marks the commencement of 150th Birth Anniversary Year celebration of Bhagwan Birsa Munda.
- During the occasion, PM Modi launched a Rs.150 commemorative coin and postal stamp of Denomination Rs.5 to honour Birsa Munda’s legacy. The stamp was designed by Shri Sankha Samanta, features a powerful portrayal of Bhagwan Birsa Munda, set against a backdrop depicting him addressing his followers.
- Birsa Munda is known for his leadership in the tribal freedom movement and his endless fight for the rights and dignity of tribal communities in India.
Note: The first ever Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas was celebrated on 15th November, 2021.
Rs 6,640 Crore Development Initiatives Unveiled on Janjatiya Gaurav Divas
i.PM Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth over Rs 6,640 crore in Jamui, Bihar with an aim to boost tribal communities and improve infrastructure in rural and remote areas of the region.
ii.11,000 houses built under Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN) were also inaugurated by the PM.
- 23 Mobile Medical Units (MMUs) were launched under PM-JANMAN and an additional 30 MMUs under Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA) to promote easy access to healthcare in tribal areas.
iii.PM Modi launched 300 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs) to promote entrepreneurship amongst tribals and 10 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS), worth around Rs 450 crore, for educating tribal students.
- He also laid the foundation stone of 25 additional EMRS, worth over Rs 1,110 crore, providing a boost to the quality education for tribal children.
- Two Tribal Freedom Fighters’ Museums in Chhindwara and Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh) and two Tribal Research Institutes in Srinagar (Jammu & Kashmir) and Gangtok (Sikkim) to record and preserve the rich history and heritage of tribal communities.
iv.New Roads with length of 500 kilometers (km) were announced to be developed to improve connectivity in tribal regions and 100 Multi-Purpose Centres (MPCs) that will work as community hubs under PM JANMAN.
v.PM Modi also announced various development projects including,
- 25,000 new Awas under PM JANMAN worth around Rs 500 crore.
- 1.16 lakh Awas under Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA) worth over Rs 1960 crore.
- 66 Hostels under PM JANMAN and 304 Hostels under DAJGUA worth over Rs. 1100 crores.
- 50 new Multi-Purpose Centres.
- 55 MMUs and 65 Anganwadi Centres under PM JANMAN.
- 6 Centres of Competency for Sickle Cell Anaemia elimination along with 330 projects for development of Ashram Schools, hostels, Government Residential Schools among others under DAJGUA, worth around Rs 500 crore.
Union Minister Amit Shah unveiled a Grand Statue of Bhagwan Birsa Munda in New Delhi
i.Union Minister Amit Shah, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Cooperation, unveiled a grand statue of Bhagwan Birsa Munda at Baansera Park in New Delhi, Delhi on the occasion of his 150th birth anniversary year.
- The statue, weighing approximately 3,000 kilograms (kg), was crafted by 2 experienced sculptors from West Bengal.
ii.He also renamed the Sarai Kale Khan Chowk outside Sarai Kale Khan inter-state bus terminus (ISBT) in south-east Delhi as Birsa Munda Chowk.
iii.Amit Shah also declared that the 150th birth anniversary year of Birsa Munda will be observed as Adivasi Gaurav Varsh until 15th November, 2025.
Key People: The event was attended by Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal, Lieutenant Governor (Lt Gov) of Delhi Vinai Kumar Saxena, Union Minister of State (MoS) Harsh Malhotra, and several other dignitaries.
About Birsa Munda:
i.Birsa Munda was born in 1875 in the present-day Jharkhand, Munda and belonged to the Munda tribe in the Chhotanagpur Plateau area.
ii.He played an important role in inspiring the tribal community of the Chotanagpur region to fight for their freedom and headed the armed revolution known as Ulgulan (the rebellion) against British rule.
iii.He created a faith of Birsait, which believed in the worship of a single god. He became their leader and was given the nickname, ‘Dharti Aba’ or the father of the earth.
iv.The British caught him in 1900 from Jamkopai forest, Chakradharpur and He died on 9th June 1900 while in captivity in Ranchi Central Jail, Ranchi.
About Bihar:
Chief minister – Nitish Kumar
Governor – Rajendra Arlekar
Capital – Patna
