Namaskar!
Greetings! A festive atmosphere currently pervades the entire country with celebrations such as Uttarayan, Makar Sankranti, Pongal, and Bihu in full swing. The fervour of numerous festivals envelops us. Today’s event has added an extra layer of magnificence and liveliness to this enthusiasm. Interacting with you on this occasion feels akin to a celebration for me. Presently, festivities are unfolding in Ayodhya, while simultaneously, one lakh extremely backward tribal brothers and sisters, considered part of my family, are joyously celebrating in their homes. This brings me immense joy. Today marks the transfer of funds to their bank accounts for the construction of their pucca houses. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all these families and wish them a joyous Makar Sankranti! The opportunity to play an instrumental role in this noble endeavour brings great joy to my life.
Friends,
Commencing today, the construction work on your homes is set to begin. I am confident that you will celebrate this year’s Diwali in your new homes. Therefore, expedite the construction process and make necessary preparations for the upcoming monsoons. Make sure that this time you celebrate Diwali in your new pucca houses. Notably, a few days from now, on January 22, we will have the privilege of getting a darshan of Lord Rama in his grand and divine temple. I consider myself fortunate to have received an invitation to the consecration (pran-pratishtha) ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. This good fortune is bestowed upon me due to the blessings of all of you. Given the significance of this momentous task and the major responsibility entrusted upon me, I have resolved to observe a fast and initiated a special 11-day ‘anushthan’ ahead of the ceremony. Remembering Lord Rama naturally brings to mind Mata Shabari.
Friends,
The narrative of Shri Rama remains incomplete without the inclusion of Mata Shabari. As Rama departed from Ayodhya, he was initially known as Prince Ram, but it was the guidance of Mata Shabari, along with the support and cooperation from Kevat, Nishadraj, and numerous others, that transformed him into Maryada Purushottam Ram. It was in the company of these individuals that Prince Ram evolved into Lord Rama. The transformation from Dashrath’s son Rama to Deenbandhu Ram (a compassionate friend of the deprived), occurred when he consumed the berries offered by the tribal mother, Shabari. It is said in Ramcharitmanas – कह रघुपति सुनु भामिनि बाता। मानउँ एक भगति कर नाता॥ That is, Lord Shri Rama has deemed the bond of devotion with his devotees as paramount. Whether recounting the tale of Rajaram in the ‘Treta’ era or the contemporary ‘Raj Katha,’ it remains inseparable from the well-being of the impoverished, the deprived, and our brothers and sisters dwelling in the forests. Our efforts persistently align with this ethos. We have devoted ten years to the welfare of the poor. Over this decade, we have constructed pucca houses worth Rs 4 crore for the impoverished. Today, Modi honours those who were long neglected.
Friends,
The primary goal of PM JANMAN Maha-Abhiyan is to ensure government accessibility to you, and the effective implementation of government schemes for my extremely backward tribal brothers and sisters. In just two months, PM JANMAN Maha-Abhiyan has made substantial progress, achieving feats not accomplished previously. I vividly recall the commencement of this campaign exactly two months ago, on the birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda, as there was a huge challenge before all of us. Our government has initiated this extensive campaign to reach individuals like my extremely backward tribal friends, residing in remote forests, challenging mountainous conditions, border areas, and areas awaiting development for decades and places where it was difficult even for the government machinery to reach. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all government officials in districts and states, as their determination and support for this vision have enabled the realization of unprecedented work for the welfare of the poor that was elusive for 75 years. Many in the country might not fathom the challenging conditions in which these brothers and sisters live. A lack of clean water has led to various diseases, particularly affecting children. The absence of electricity poses dangers from snakes and other wildlife, while a lack of gas connection exposes people to health hazards from smoke emanating from fuelwood in kitchens. Insufficient road infrastructure has compounded commuting challenges in villages. It is my duty to rescue my impoverished tribal brothers and sisters from this crisis. Although your parents and ancestors endured such difficult conditions, I am committed to preventing you and future generations from enduring the same. And do you know why this campaign has been named JANMAN? The campaign is named JANMAN, where ‘Jan’ signifies all of you, the people, as a form of God, and ‘Mann’ denotes your thoughts. Now you no longer have to live in despair; now your wish will be fulfilled and for this the government too is determined and ready. So, the government is allocating more than Rs 23 thousand crores for PM-JANMAN Maha-Abhiyan.
Friends,
Our nation can only progress when no one in society is left behind, and government benefits reach everyone. Approximately 190 districts in the country are home to our brothers and sisters from extremely backward tribal communities. Within just two months, the government identified over 80,000 extremely backward tribal individuals, providing them with Ayushman cards. Additionally, about 30,000 farmers from this community were linked to the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi. During this campaign, 40,000 such friends were also identified who did not have a bank account till now. Now the government has also opened their bank accounts. Furthermore, over 30,000 people were granted Kisan Credit Cards, and around 11,000 received land leases under the Forest Rights Act. These figures only represent the past two months, with the numbers increasing daily. The government is committed to ensuring that every government scheme reaches our extremely backward tribal brothers and sisters at the earliest, leaving none behind. I assure you of this commitment, and it is Modi’s guarantee. And you know that Modi’s guarantee means a guarantee that will be fulfilled.
Friends,
In this context, today marks the commencement of providing pucca houses to all extremely backward tribal brothers and sisters. The government has directly transferred funds to the bank accounts of one lakh tribal beneficiaries for constructing pucca houses, providing approximately Rs 2.5 lakhs for each house. Not only will you receive a house, but also an electricity connection, ensuring your children can study and fulfil their dreams. There will be a provision of clean water in your new house so that no disease can affect you, and that connection will also be given free of cost. Mothers and sisters have to go out in the open to defecate. It is so painful for them as they have to wait for it to get dark to relieve themselves. This hurts their self-respect. Every house will have a toilet so that the honour of all my mothers and sisters is protected. There will also be LPG connection for cooking. So, you will not only get this house, but will also get these arrangements along with it. And my mothers and sisters, just listen, this is just the beginning. Today 1 lakh beneficiaries have received the funds for their houses. Our government will certainly reach every beneficiary one by one, no matter how far away they are. And when I am saying this, I tell you once again that this is Modi’s guarantee. And today through this programme, I want to give another assurance to all of you, to every extremely backward tribal beneficiary. You are not required to pay a single rupee to anyone to access the funds for building your house. The central government is providing the funds, and if anyone demands a share, do not give them a single penny.
My brothers and sisters,
You have the complete right over this money; and no middleman has a claim to it. Having spent a significant part of my life among you, my tribal brothers and sisters, I understand the challenges you face living away from mainstream society. These experiences helped me a lot in starting the PM JANMAN Maha Abhiyan. Moreover, I have received great guidance in initiating this campaign from the President of our country, respected Droupadi Murmu ji. Our President, respected Droupadi Murmu ji belongs to the tribal community. She has also spent her entire life amidst you. During my meetings with her, she often used to tell me in detail about all of you. And that is why we have resolved to free you from every problem by starting the PM JANMAN Maha Abhiyan.
My family members,
Today, there is a government in the country which prioritizes you, my poor brothers and sisters, and those living in remote forests. Today there is a government in the country which works to free the poor of their problems. First of all we are concerned about the deprived; Modi stands for the deprived. Earlier, the rules related to government schemes were so complex that the money and benefits of the schemes could not reach you. Another problem was that the scheme continued to run on papers and the real beneficiary was not even aware of the existence of such a scheme. Even if someone was aware of the scheme, he would have to face so many difficulties to avail the benefits. It involved a lot of paperwork, formalities and red-tapism. Now under the PM JANMAN Maha Abhiyan, our government has reformed all such rules which used to cause problems to you. Efforts are being made to make roads easily accessible in tribal villages through changes in the rules of PM Gram Sadak Yojana. If you have to reach the hospital due to an illness, proper roads can save your lives. The government also revised the rules related to mobile medical units. To ensure that electricity reaches every family of backward tribes, they are being given solar power connections. Hundreds of new mobile towers are being installed in your area to ensure that youth and other people get fast internet connection.
Friends,
Our government is dedicated to addressing all your concerns, extending the free ration scheme for five years to prevent food-related issues. Continuous efforts are made to ensure quality education for your children, so that they can learn some skills and make their lives better with a job. In tribal areas, it is equally important to provide government facilities in a single building. Therefore, the government is striving to create a thousand such centres where you can get the benefits of several schemes at one place. Be it vaccination, or obtaining medicines, consulting a doctor, or receiving training related to employment or self-employment, or an Anganwadi, you will not have to wander here and there to avail the benefits of the government schemes. The government is building new hostels so that the youth of backward tribes can get quality education. The work of building hundreds of new Van-Dhan Vikas Kendras for backward tribes is also being started.
My family members,
Presently, you are witnessing the widespread reach of Modi’s vehicle of guarantee, reaching every village. This initiative is exclusively designed to connect individuals like yourselves across the country with diverse schemes. The Aspirational District Programme, led by the Central Government, has particularly benefitted our tribal brothers and sisters. In these tribal regions, we have extended electricity access and improved the road network. Measures have been put in place to enable the use of ration cards from one state to others. Additionally, the Ayushman Bharat Yojana ensures free medical treatment anywhere in the country.
Friends,
You are undoubtedly familiar with the risks associated with sickle cell anemia, affecting generations of tribal society. The government is actively working to eradicate this hereditary disease, launching a nationwide campaign. As part of the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra, over 40 lakh people have undergone testing for sickle cell in the past two months.
My family members,
Our government is leaving no stone unturned to fulfil the dreams of our tribal brothers and sisters. Our government has increased the budget of schemes related to Scheduled Tribes by 5 times. The total budget of the scholarship which was earlier available for your children has now been increased by more than 2.5 times. A decade ago, there were only 90 Eklavya Model Schools for tribal children, but in the past decade, we have initiated the construction of over 500 new Eklavya Model Schools. It is our collective joy to witness children from extremely backward tribal communities not only completing their school studies but also pursuing higher education, including MA and BA, essential for employment in prominent companies. To facilitate this, classes in tribal areas are being modernized, and centres of higher education are being expanded.
Friends,
Efforts are being made at every level to enhance the income of the entire tribal society. Forest produce serves as a significant financial resource for our tribal friends. Before 2014, the Minimum Support Price (MSP) was established for only about 10 forest produce items. We have now included approximately 90 forest produce items under the MSP umbrella. The Van Dhan Yojana has been introduced to secure higher prices for forest produce, with a substantial number of beneficiaries being women. Over the last decade, 23 lakh land titles (pattas) have been issued to tribal families. We are also actively promoting Haat Bazaar of the tribal community. Numerous campaigns are being run so that our tribal brothers can sell the same goods in other markets of the country.
Friends,
Our tribal brothers and sisters, despite residing in remote areas, exhibit remarkable foresight, as evident in our recent interactions. The tribal society is now witnessing and understanding how our government is dedicated to preserving tribal culture and honouring their traditions. The birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda has been declared as Tribal Pride Day, and our government is initiating the establishment of 10 significant museums dedicated to tribal freedom fighters nationwide. I assure you that we will continue working with unwavering dedication to uphold your honour and comfort. Your overwhelming presence, akin to receiving the blessings of Mata Shabari, is deeply appreciated. I extend my sincere salute to all of you and wish you the very best.
Thank you!
DISCLAIMER: This is the approximate translation of PM’s speech. Original speech was delivered in Hindi.
