Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Gujarat to mark Tribal Pride Day, known locally as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas, receiving a warm welcome from communities across the state.
The celebrations highlighted his decades-long engagement with Janjatiya families, built on compassion, dignity, and the pursuit of self-reliance.
PM Modi’s connection with tribal households predates his political rise. As a young pracharak, he spent years living among communities in Sabarkantha, Baroda, and Dang, supporting families during severe droughts in the 1980s and prioritising education and welfare.
These early experiences shaped his lifelong focus on dignity and empowerment for indigenous communities.
As Chief Minister of Gujarat, PM Modi implemented pioneering schemes such as the Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana and the Chief Minister’s 10-Point Programme, extending education, healthcare, irrigation, and electricity to remote tribal areas.
He established hostels, vocational training programmes, and science schools, ensuring children had access to higher education opportunities.
Economic empowerment featured prominently in his initiatives. Bamboo-based livelihoods, integrated dairy expansion, and mechanised farming reduced the burden on tribal families, while land rights under the Forest Rights Act of 2006 were enforced, with tens of thousands of rejected applications reassessed and approved.
Celebrating representation and cultural pride
PM Modi also emphasised political and cultural representation, supporting tribal leaders and memorialising historical figures such as the 1922 forest dwellers at Sabarkantha.
He played a role in elevating Droupadi Murmu as India’s first tribal President, a milestone in national representation.
From nutritional programmes and water initiatives to microcredit schemes and Van Dhan projects, PM Modi’s work in Gujarat created a model later expanded nationally.
Today, flagship programmes like PM-JANMAN, Eklavya schools, and the National Sickle Cell Mission follow the same approach of targeted, dignity-driven governance.
His visit on Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas not only commemorates the courage and resilience of tribal communities but also showcases a governance model rooted in respect, opportunity, and empowerment.
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