Tribals most affected by Maoist violence; earlier govts remained mute spectators, says PM Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the previous dispensation and accused them of abandoning the tribal communities, while their rights were being snatched by the Maoists.

He also highlighted the strides the country has made in eliminating Maoism, and said that the mothers and sisters of the tribal communities are blessing the government for this achievement.

Virtually addressing the Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas programme, being organised in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli, he mentioned that the event coincided with two major achievements of the country -- "The first is that nearly 50 crore people in the country have overcome extreme poverty and come out of poverty. The second is the end of Naxalism and freedom from Maoist terrorism."

"Both these achievements are deeply connected to the lives of our tribal brothers and sisters," he said.

PM Modi said that people of tribal belts, including Gadchiroli, know that Maoist violence harmed the tribal community the most. In 2014, he stated that around 125 districts of the country were affected by Maoism.

"There used to be hundreds of violent incidents every year. Thousands of innocent people, a large number of them were tribals, lost their lives. However, people affected by Naxalism-Maoism were abandoned by the then governments, their rights were snatched away, and everybody remained silent," he said.

He asserted that the members of the tribal community were not even allowed to vote, while the then governments remained "mute spectators".

Contrasting the situation with this year, he said, "Children were taken away from their mothers by these Naxals; our daughters were taken away, and no one was able to do anything. However, today, when Naxalism-Maoism has been eliminated, mothers and sisters in the tribal community are giving us their blessings."

PM Modi said that today, the tribal communities are making significant contributions to the country's progress.

"The country is also being led by a daughter of the tribal community. We are all proud of President Droupadi Murmu," he said.

Just a few weeks ago, a World Bank report stated that nearly 50 crore people in India have come out of extreme poverty over the past 12-13 years. This is a huge number. I consider this one of the country's greatest achievements since Independence," he stated.

He said that the Centre government's scheme also plays an "important role" in making this happen.

Extending heartfelt congratulations, PM Modi said that the large number of people coming out of poverty is, in itself, a "major transformation".

"This transformation is part of a long journey towards fulfilling a major resolve. Today, India and every Indian have developed the confidence that such a resolve can be fulfilled," he said.

The Prime Minister said that the government also paid "special attention" to regions that had remained underdeveloped for a long time.

"A focused campaign for development, access to facilities and protection of citizens' rights was launched in more than 100 Aspirational Districts and over 500 Aspirational Blocks across the country. Many of these areas have a large tribal population," he said, adding that the PM-JANMAN scheme is now transforming their lives.

"This is the time to draw inspiration from Bhagwan Birsa Munda and dedicate all our energy to realising the dream of a Viksit Bharat. With this appeal, I pay my respects to Bhagwan Birsa Munda and once again extend my best wishes to all of you on Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas," he added.

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