NE NEWS SERVICE
SHAHDOL, NOV 15
President Droupadi Murmu arrived in Ranchi on Tuesday morning and directly went to Ulihatu, the birthplace of Birsa Munda where she paid floral tributes at a bust of the tribal icon on his birth anniversary. Birsa Munda’s birth anniversary is celebrated as ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Divas’.
LIVE: President Droupadi Murmu addresses the Janjatiya Samagam on the occasion of Janjatiya Gaurav Divas at Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh https://t.co/5b1V0mqGwu
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) November 15, 2022
Murmu arrived at the Birsa Munda Airport at about 9 am and was welcomed by Jharkhand Governor Ramesh Bais, Chief Minister Hemant Soren, and Union ministers Arjun Munda and Annapurna Devi. From there, she flew in an Indian Air Force chopper to Ulihatu, Birsa Munda’s village, about 70 km from the state capital.
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Janjatiya Gaurav Divas: Tribute to Tribal Icon and Freedom Fighter Birsa Munda
This was Murmu’s first visit to Jharkhand, where she was earlier the governor, after assuming the office of the country’s first citizen.
She was accorded a warm welcome at Ulihatu, where the villagers danced to the tune of traditional instruments like the dhol, nagara and mandar (all percussion instruments).
The President said that the spirit of sacrificing everything in the interest of justice has been the speciality of the tribal society. In our freedom struggle, different ideologies and activities have played important role. The history of freedom struggle also includes several streams of struggles by the tribal communities. Many great personalities like Bhagwan Birsa Munda and Sidhu-Kanhu of Jharkhand, Tantia Bhil and Bhima Nayak of Madhya Pradesh, Alluri Sitarama Raju of Andhra Pradesh, Rani Gaidinliu of Manipur and Saheed Laxman Nayak of Odisha have enhanced tribal pride and also amplified the pride of the country. Many revolutionary warriors of Madhya Pradesh include Kishore Singh, Khajya Nayak, Rani Phool Kunwar, Sitaram Kanwar, Mahua Kol, Shankar Shah and Raghunath Shah. Revered as the ‘Gandhi of Chhindwara’, Shri Badal Bhoi had chosen the path of non-violence for the freedom struggle. The President paid her tributes to all such freedom fighters.
The President said that tribal communities have been instrumental in enriching the cultural heritage of Chambal, Malwa, Bundelkhand, Baghelkhand and Mahakoshal regions of Madhya Pradesh. She expressed confidence that this region, once full of prosperity during the reign of the tribal kings, will once again write impressive tales of modern development.
Even though common people were not allowed at the main venue due to security reasons, many of them dressed in traditional attires stood on both sides of the road to greet the president.
भगवान बिरसा मुंडा के गांव उलिहातू में जाकर उनकी प्रतिमा पर पुष्पांजलि अर्पित करने का आज मुझे सौभाग्य मिला।
भगवान बिरसा की जयंती के दिन, उनकी प्रतिमा का दर्शन करके, मैं स्वयं को धन्य महसूस कर रही हूं।
उनके जन्म और कर्म से जुड़े स्थानों पर जाना मेरे लिए तीर्थ-यात्रा के समान है। pic.twitter.com/eSyGGnqDMh
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) November 15, 2022
Murmu paid floral tributes at a bust marking the birthplace of the legendary tribal freedom fighter. She also spoke to Birsa Munda’s descendants before visiting the nearby complex named after him and paid her respects at the full-size statue of the tribal icon there.
Jungle Singh Munda, a descendent of Birsa Munda, said, “The president asked about our well being and gifted us shawls and saris as a mark of respect. She had visited the village in 2015 when she was Jharkhand governor.”
Murmu tweeted, “Today, I had the good fortune to pay floral tributes at the statue of Bhagwan Birsa Munda in Ulihatu village. Visiting the places associated with his birth and work is like a pilgrimage for me.” After spending about 30 minutes at Ulihatu, she returned to Ranchi Airport in the special chopper and flew to Madhya Pradesh, where she will address a Janjatiya Samagam at Shahdol. Bais, Soren and the two union ministers saw her off at the airport.
Earlier in the day, the president extended her greetings to the people on the occasion of the second Janjatiya Gaurav Divas.
पिछले कुछ वर्षों से,जनजातीय समुदाय के प्रतिभाशाली लोगों द्वारा पर्यावरण-संरक्षण, समाज-सुधार, लोक-कला, लोक-संस्कृति, लोक-साहित्य, खेल-कूद, तथा अन्य क्षेत्रों में प्रभावशाली योगदान के लिए उन्हें देश के सर्वोच्च नागरिक पुरस्कारों, यानि पद्म पुरस्कारों से सम्मानित किया जा रहा है।
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) November 15, 2022
In a Twitter post, she said, “On Janjatiya Gaurav Divas, my greetings to fellow citizens, especially brothers and sisters of the tribal society! Tribal communities have enriched the life of the nation with their arts, crafts and hard work. Their lifestyle offers the world lessons in nurturing nature.” She said, “Tribal communities made great contributions to the freedom struggle. I bow down to all tribal freedom fighters and unsung heroes. Tribal people’s contribution to the nation’s journey since Independence is no less significant. My best wishes for their development and prosperity.” Murmu also extended her wishes to the people of Jharkhand on the state foundation day.
“I want the people of Jharkhand to cherish their culture, traditions and customs and establish new dimensions of eco-friendly development,” she said in another Twitter post.
