PM’s speech at inauguration of “Aadi Mahotsav” at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi
Speaker: Narendra Modi
Date: 16 Feb, 2023

My Cabinet colleagues Shri Arjun Munda ji, Shri Faggan Singh Kulaste ji, Smt. Renuka Singh ji, Dr. Bharti Pawar ji, Shri Bisheswar Tudu ji, other dignitaries, and all my tribal brothers and sisters from different states of the country! My heartiest wishes to all of you on Aadi Mahotsav. Aadi Mahotsav is a reflection of the country’s ancient heritage during the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’. I got the opportunity now to view these gorgeous glimpses of India’s tribal tradition – myriad flavours, various colors; such beautiful clothes, such glorious traditions; myriad arts and artifacts; distinct tastes, different types of music! It looks like the diversity of India as well as its magnificence, are standing shoulder to shoulder. It is like the infinite sky of India, in which its diversity emerges like the colours of a rainbow. And there is another feature of the rainbow. When these different colours come together, a beam of light is formed which gives vision as well as direction to the world. When these infinite diversities are woven into the thread of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’, the grand form of India emerges before the world. That is when India guides the world with its cultural radiance. This Aadi Mahotsav is giving a new height to our ‘Unity in Diversity’. It is making the idea of ‘Development and Heritage’ more lively. I congratulate my tribal brothers and sisters and the organizations working for tribal interests for this event. Friends, India of the 21st century is walking with the mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’. The segment of the society which was considered as far and distant, is now reached directly by the Central Government. The segment of the society which considered itself cut-off, is now being absorbed into the mainstream by the government. In the last 8-9 years, programmes like Aadi Mahotsav related to the tribal society have become a campaign for the country. I myself have become a part of many such programmes. This is because the interest of tribal society is also a matter of personal relationships and feelings for me. When I was not into politics, working as a social worker, I used to get the opportunity to visit many states as well as tribal groups there. I have spent several weeks with tribal families, with tribal societies in every corner of the country. I have observed your traditions closely, lived them and learned a lot from them. Even in Gujarat, I was fortunate enough to spend the most important years of my life in the service of my tribal brothers and sisters in the entire eastern belt of Gujarat from Umargam to Ambaji. The lifestyle of tribals has taught me a lot about the country, about our traditions and heritage. Therefore, when I am amidst you, I feel a different kind of affection. There is a feeling of this special bond with your loved ones. Friends, The pride with which the country is moving ahead with the tribal society is unprecedented. When I meet foreign heads of state, and present gifts to them, I try to make sure that the gift is made by my tribal brothers and sisters. Today, when India goes to major forums all over the world, it presents tribal tradition as its heritage and pride. Today, India tells the world that the solution to global challenges like climate change, global warming lies in the lifestyle of my tribal traditions. Observing their lifestyle will help us find a way. Today, when it comes to sustainable development, we can proudly say that the world needs to learn a lot from our tribal society. Our tribal brothers and sisters continue to inspire us on how we can establish a relationship between our present generations and trees, forests, rivers and mountains; how can we conserve and enrich resources despite using the resources from nature? And, today India is telling the same thing to the whole world. Friends, Today, the demand for India’s traditional products, and especially the products made by tribal society, is constantly rising. Today the products of the North East are being exported to foreign countries. Today the popularity of bamboo products is increasing rapidly. You might remember that during the regime of the previous government, there were legal restrictions on cutting and using bamboo. We brought bamboo under the grass category and removed all the restrictions imposed on it. Due to this, bamboo products are now becoming a part of a huge industry. The government is continuously working in this direction to ensure that tribal products reach the maximum number of markets, their recognition as well as demand increase. We have the example of the Van Dhan Mission in front of us. More than 3000 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras have been established in different states of the country. Before 2014, there used to be very few minor forest produce that came under the purview of MSP. Now this number has increased by 7 times. Now there are about 90 minor forest produce items on which the government is providing Minimum Support Price or MSP. Lakhs of tribal people are getting benefitted through more than 50,000 Van Dhan Self-Help Groups. The tribal society has also benefitted from the large network of Self-Help Groups that is being formed in the country. More than 80 lakh Self-Help Groups are currently operating in different states. There are more than 1.25 crore tribal members in these groups. Our mothers and sisters are also present in these groups. So, Tribal women are also getting a huge advantage. Brothers & Sisters, Today the emphasis of the government is also upon promoting tribal arts and enhancing the skills of tribal youth. In this budget, the PM-Vishwakarma scheme has been announced for traditional artisans. Under PM-Vishwakarma you will be given financial assistance, skill training, and support for marketing your product. It is going to greatly benefit our young generation. And friends, these efforts are not limited to just a few areas. There are hundreds of tribal communities in our country. They have different traditions and skills which hold limitless possibilities. Therefore, new Tribal Research Institutes are also being opened in the country. With these efforts, new opportunities are being created for the tribal youth in their own areas. Friends, When I became the Chief Minister of Gujarat 20 years ago, I had noted one thing there. There was such a huge tribal community, but the previous governments did not give priority to science streams for the schools in tribal areas. Now just imagine! If a tribal child does not study science at all, how can he become a doctor or an engineer? We addressed this challenge by making arrangements for science education in schools in tribal areas in that entire belt. The education and future of the tribal children in every corner of the country is my priority. Today, the number of Eklavya Model Residential Schools in the country has increased by five times. During the 10 years between 2004 and 2014, only 90 Eklavya residential schools were opened. But, in the last 8 years from 2014 to 2022, more than 500 Eklavya schools have been approved. At present, more than 400 of these schools have been operationalized. More than 1 lakh tribal students have started studying in these new schools. In this year’s budget, the recruitment of more than 40,000 teachers and employees in such schools has also been announced. The scholarship given to Scheduled Tribe youth has also been increased more than two times. Thirty lakh students are getting its benefit. Friends, The tribal youth had to face a lot of difficulties due to the language barrier. But in the new National Education Policy, the options of studying in mother tongue have also been opened. Now our tribal children, tribal youth will be able to study in their own language and move forward. Friends, When the country gives its priority to the person at the lowest stratum of the society, then the path of progress automatically opens up. Our government is touching new dimensions for the development of the country with the mantra of ‘giving priority to the underprivileged’. The government is campaigning to develop the aspirational districts and aspirational blocks, most of which are tribal dominated areas. In this year’s budget, the budget allocated for Scheduled Tribes has also been increased by 5 times as compared to 2014. Better and modern infrastructure is being built in tribal areas. With modern connectivity, both tourism and income opportunities are also going to increase. Thousands of villages in the country, which were once affected by left wing extremism, are now being connected with 4G. That is, the youth who used to get trapped in the bait of separatism due to isolation are now connecting with the mainstream through internet and infra. This ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas’ is its main stream which is reaching every citizen even in the remotest corner of the country. This is the confluence of antiquity and modernity, on which the lofty edifice of New India will stand. Friends, The journey of tribal society in the last 8-9 years has been witness to the change in how the country is giving priority to equality and harmony. For the first time in 75 years since independence, the leadership of the country is in the hands of a tribal. For the first time, a tribal woman is making India proud by assuming the highest office in the form of President of India. For the first time today, tribal history is getting so much recognition in the country. We all are aware of the huge contribution that our tribal society has made in the country’s freedom struggle. They played such a crucial role! But, for decades, efforts were being made to cover up those golden chapters of history, those sacrifices of the heroes and heroines. Now, during Amrit Mahotsav, the country has taken the initiative to revive those forgotten chapters of the history in front of the country. For the first time, the country has started celebrating Tribal Pride Day on the birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda. For the first time, tribal freedom fighter museums are being opened in different states. Last year itself, I had the opportunity to inaugurate the museum dedicated to Bhagwan Birsa Munda in Ranchi, Jharkhand. This is happening for the first time in the country, but it’s impression will be visible in many generations to come. This inspiration will give direction to the country for several centuries. Friends, We must preserve our past, take the spirit of duty to the peak in the present, and strive to fulfil the dreams of the future. Events like Aadi Mahotsav are a strong medium to take this resolution forward. We have to take it forward as a campaign and make it a mass movement. More and more such events should be held in different states. Friends, This year, the whole world is also celebrating the International Year of Millets on the initiative of India. Millets, which are commonly known as ‘coarse grains’ , were at the core of our health for centuries. And it has been a major part of the diet of our tribal brothers and sisters. Now India has given this coarse grain, which is a kind of superfood, the identity of ‘Shri Anna’. For example, Shri Anna Bajra, Shri Anna Jowar, Shri Anna Ragi, and so on and so forth. We are also getting to know the taste and aroma of Shri Anna at the food stalls of the festival here. We also need to promote the food of tribal areas as much as possible. With this, not only will people get health benefits, the income of tribal farmers will also increase. I am sure, with these concerted efforts we will make the dream of a developed India come true. And today the ministry has organized such a major event in Delhi which has been thronged by our tribal brothers and sisters from all over the country who have made diverse things and brought them here, especially the farm fresh products. I would like to make a public request to the people of Delhi, and nearby places like Gurgaon in Haryana, and Noida and Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh to come and visit the fair in large numbers. This fair is going to continue for the next few days. Just see how these different kinds of powerful products from the remote forests of this country are building the future of the country. People who are health conscious, who are very cautious about everything on the dining table, especially mothers and sisters, I request you to come and see how rich the produce of our forests is for health and nutrition. I am sure you will be impressed and you will keep on ordering from there in the future too. For example, we have turmeric from the North-East, especially from Meghalaya. The nutritional values that are inside this turmeric probably cannot be found elsewhere in the world. Now when we use it, we would realise it and would want to use this turmeric in our kitchens. And that’s why I specially request the people from Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh who are close to this place to come here. And make sure that every single product that my tribal brothers and sisters have brought here is sold. They shouldn’t be taking their products back. Everything should be sold here. This will infuse a new enthusiasm in them and we will get a sense of satisfaction. Come, let us together make this Aadi Mahotsav memorable and extremely successful. My best wishes to all of you! Thank you very much!