Paying homage to the sacrifices of unsung tribal heroes and martyrs of the freedom struggle, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today emphasised that India’s past, present, and future would never be complete without the tribal community.

”Every page of the story of our freedom struggle is filled with tribal valour,” he said while addressing a public programme ‘Mangarh Dham ki Gaurav Gatha’ at Mangarh in Rajasthan. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan were among those present.

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”It is always inspiring to be in the holy land of Mangarh which is a symbol of tapasya, bravery, and sacrifice of our tribal bravehearts. Mangarh is a shared heritage of the people of Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat,” he said.

The PM expressed the need to work with a dedicated spirit to extend the role of tribal society in the country. He highlighted that the country was working with clear policies to serve the diverse tribal society in all parts of the country ranging from Rajasthan and Gujarat to Northeast and Odisha.

He highlighted that the tribal population was being provided water and electricity connections, education and health services, and employment opportunities through the Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana. “Today, forest cover is also increasing in the country and resources are being protected,” he said, adding “at the same time, tribal areas are also being connected with Digital India.”

Remembering the massacre of 17 November 1913 at Mangarh, the PM remarked that it was an example of extreme cruelty by British rule in India. “On one hand, we had the innocent tribals who were seeking independence while on the other hand, it was the British colonial rulers who after surrounding the hills of Mangarh, massacred more than 1500 innocent men, women, elderly, and children in broad daylight,” he recalled. The PM regretted that due to unfortunate circumstances, such a significant and impactful event of the freedom struggle could not find its place in the history books. “In this Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, India is filling this void and correcting the mistakes that were made decades ago,” he added.

The PM noted that the entire Mangarh area was a barren land earlier and had been transformed with greenery after he urged everyone via the platform of Van Mahotsav. He thanked the tribal community for selflessly working for the campaign.

He said he had only last evening flagged off a train on the Ahmedabad-Udaipur broad gauge line and underlined the importance of the 300 km line for the people of Rajasthan as it would connect many tribal areas of Gujarat with the tribal areas of Rajasthan and give a push to the industrial development and employment in these regions.

The PM requested the four state governments of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra to work together and have a detailed discussion about preparing a roadmap so that this memorial site of Govind Guru Ji found a place on the world map. “I am sure that the development of Mangarh Dham will make this area a place of inspiration for the new generation,” he added.