Gandhinagar, Nov 5 — More than 32,000 tribal beneficiaries in Gujarat will receive development assistance worth approximately Rs 1,500 crore during a week-long celebration marking the 151st birth anniversary of tribal freedom fighter Bhagwan Birsa Munda from November 12 to 18.
The main state-level programme will be held in Chhota Udepur on November 15 in the presence of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. More than 17,000 tribal farmers will also receive benefits under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, as part of the celebrations.
The programme was finalised at a high-level meeting chaired by Patel in Gandhinagar on Thursday.
Tribal Development Minister Naresh Patel, former minister and senior tribal leader Ganpat Vasava, Chief Secretary M K Das and senior officials of various departments attended the meeting.
The celebrations will be organised across 55 Assembly constituencies in 14 tribal districts, as well as in 20 non-tribal districts and 17 municipal corporations.
Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi will participate in the celebrations in Valsad, while state BJP president Jagdish Vishwakarma will lead the programme in Dahod on November 15.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi initiated the observance of November 15 as 'Janjatiya Gaurav Divas' in 2021 to honour Birsa Munda's contribution to India's freedom struggle and his significance for tribal communities.
The Tribal Development Department will be the principal organiser, with other government departments participating as co-organisers.
The programmes will begin on November 13 with Yuva Samvad Sammelans across 55 Assembly constituencies in the 14 tribal districts.
On November 14, cleanliness drives and worship ceremonies will be held at statues of Birsa Munda and other tribal freedom fighters. Programmes honouring saints and spiritual leaders from tribal communities will also be organised.
On the evening of November 14, Deepotsav will be observed in every household in the Gram Panchayats of tribal talukas. Public programmes featuring prayers, aarti, bhajans and traditional tribal dances will also be held.
The life story of Birsa Munda will be read in Gujarati, Bhili and local tribal dialects, with the programmes also being streamed live on social media.
During the celebrations, tribal families will receive the first instalment of housing assistance, milch cattle, saplings and other support for self-employment.
Atal Booths will also be set up at weekly markets across the 14 tribal districts to display and sell products made by rural artisans and Self-Help Groups, with the aim of expanding livelihood opportunities.
A conference of distinguished members of tribal communities, including doctors, lawyers, chartered accountants, entrepreneurs and other prominent community leaders, will be organised on November 16.
Traditional rural sports festivals will be held across the 55 Assembly constituencies on the evening of November 17, featuring games such as Gilli Danda, archery, tug of war, sack race, three-legged race, spinning top competitions, Kabaddi and Kho-Kho.
Women's conferences will be organised across all 14 tribal districts on November 18. The celebrations aim to highlight the history, cultural heritage, traditional skills, art and contribution of tribal communities to India's freedom movement.
Patel reviewed the preparations and directed the secretaries of the concerned departments to ensure coordination for the smooth conduct of the programmes.
Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Sanjeev Kumar; Additional Principal Secretary Vikrant Pandey; Tribal Development Secretary Alok Kumar Pandey; Secretary Ajay Kumar; and other senior officials were present at the meeting.