President Droupadi Murmu will garland a statue of freedom fighter Birsa Munda at his birthplace in Ulihatu village of Jharkhand to mark the tribal leader’s birth anniversary on November 15, Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda said on November 12. Last year, the government had decided to celebrate the day as Janjatiya Gaurav Divas, he said.
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The President would also attend a “mega event” planned in coordination with the Jharkhand government on November 15 at Khunti in Jharkhand, he said.
“It is known that 30% of the world’s tribal/indigenous population lives in India. No other country is home to such a high number of tribespeople. This is why we feel all the more pride as a nation that in front of the world, we are not only marking the empowerment of tribespeople in India through this event but also sending a message to the world – with the President of our country also from the tribal community,” Mr. Munda said.
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Announcing a slew of events scheduled across the country on November 15, Mr. Munda said Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankar was also scheduled to mark the event by paying floral tributes at the statue of Birsa Munda in the Parliament complex in New Delhi.
The Minister added that the States and Union Territories would commemorate this year’s Janjatiya Gaurav Divas as “Iconic Week” from November 15 to November 22. During this period, they will felicitate successors of tribal freedom fighters, tribal artists, and successful tribal students at various events.
The States are also scheduled to inaugurate statues and plaques of tribal freedom fighters and organise film festivals on tribal themes.
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In Jammu and Kashmir, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, Governors and Lieutenant-Governors are scheduled to attend the inaugural session of the Iconic Week, whereas in Maharashtra, Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, the Chief Ministers or their deputies are expected to attend. The Government of Goa is also expected to hold an event to distribute pattas to tribal land owners under the Forest Rights Act.
More programmes lined up
In addition, the Tribal Affairs Ministry announced that this year, the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation (TRIFED) will host an Aadi Mahotsav at the Gramin Haat in Indore (November 15-27), and parallel Aadi Bazaars in Bhubaneshwar, South Guwahati, Puducherry and Dehradun from November 15 to 21. Further, the TRIFED will hold an Aadi Chitra Programme in Kolkata’s Indian Museum from November 15 to November 24.
The Ministry will be holding essay-writing, poster-making, poem and song competitions across the 392 Eklavya Model Residential Schools for tribal students along the themes of tribal freedom fighters - starting November 15.
Some other contests are expected to be held online through MyGov, which include an online quiz contest on tribal freedom fighters, a jingle-writing contest on the philosophies of Birsa Munda, and another contest inviting citizens to “Dress up your child as Birsa Munda”, for which a “best costume” prize will be given out.