New Delhi, Nov 15 (IANS): President Droupadi Murmu on Friday paid floral tributes to Bhagwan Birsa Munda at Parliament House in New Delhi on his birth anniversary, observed nationwide as 'Janjatiya Gaurav Divas.'
Congratulating the state of Jharkhand on its foundation day and marking its silver jubilee year, President Murmu highlighted the legacy of Bhagwan Birsa Munda and other tribal heroes from the region.
"Heroes like Bhagwan Birsa Munda, Veer Sido and Kanhu Murmu, Chand-Bhairav, Tilka Manjhi, and Nilambar-Pitambar have made the land of Jharkhand proud," she shared in a post on X.
She further praised Jharkhand's society, particularly its tribal communities, for their rich cultural heritage and invaluable contributions to India's progress.
Earlier on Friday, expressing her appreciation for the love she receives from citizens and tribal communities, President Murmu remarked, "The immense love that I get from all the fellow citizens, including the people of the tribal communities, makes me emotional at times. Behind this feeling of mine is also the pleasant truth that today, sky is the limit for the development of the people belonging to the tribal communities."
In a separate post on X, the President also pointed to a substantial increase in funding for the Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribes,
It is noteworthy that the allocation of funds for the Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribes has increased manifold during the last decade. The budget of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs for the year 2024-25 is Rs13,000 crore. This is 74 per cent more than last year’s budget.
Earlier in the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid tributes to Bhagwan Birsa Munda, a towering figure in the freedom struggle, on the commencement of the 150th birth anniversary year celebrations of the iconic leader for tribal empowerment.
In a post on social media platform X on Friday, the Prime Minister said, “Bhagwan Birsa Munda sacrificed everything to protect the dignity, freedom and glory of the motherland. I pay heartfelt tributes to him on Janjatiya Gaurav Divas that is celebrated to mark his birth anniversary.”