Madhya Pradesh is leaving no stone unturned in the welfare of the tribals. Over the years, the incumbent Shivraj Singh Chouhan Government has closely worked with the tribal leaders to create inclusive tribal welfare policies, while improving its on-ground implementation.

The issue of tribal development has taken a front seat in the current government’s agenda. Besides triggering grassroots welfare, these decisions have helped highlight scores of tribal heroes like Birsa Munda, Tantya Mama, Rani Durgavati, Badal Bhol, Khajya Nayak, Shankar Shah, Raghunath Shah, Bhima Nayak, Ganjan Singh Korku, and many others.

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Recently, the Modi government made a welcome decision to celebrate November 15 as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas. This is to celebrate the birth of Bhagwan Birsa Munda, and acknowledge the contribution of tribals.

On a similar note, the Madhya Pradesh government is gearing up to celebrate Balidan Diwas on December 4 to honour the sacrifice of Tantya Mama. He was the embodiment of people’s struggle against exploitation. He was known as the Indian Robinhood, who looted grains from the exploitative British and gave it to the poor people.

To promote Tantya Mama’s ideal of tribal welfare, the Madhya Pradesh government also launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Ration Aapke Gram Yojana’ in October 2021, to provide free ration to tribal families.

Overall, the scheme will benefit more than 23 lakh tribal families living in 7,511 villages of 89 tribal development blocks in 16 tribal dominated districts of Madhya Pradesh.

Even after so many decades of independence, the road to tribal welfare has taken so long to build because no previous government could hit the trifecta of a strong political will, efficient implementation, and engaging Jan Bhagidaari. But with the new dispensation, this journey of mainstreaming the tribal community does not seem like a pipedream but a reality within our reach.

The Madhya Pradesh government has been sensitive towards the needs of the tribals and seems to have cracked the code for tribal development through education.

 Having increased its state budget for tribal welfare to 28085.99 crore for FY 2020-2021, it has launched a bevy of schemes like the Kanya Saksharta Protsaahan Yojana, CM Awas Sahayata Yojana, Vimukt Jati Hostel Yojana. This has provided tribal students with facilities like housing, food, and scholarships, and most importantly, a chance to create a future of their choice and become self-reliant.

Besides education, health has also been a critical factor in ensuring the upliftment of the tribal community. There are a host of diseases, which can be easily prevented to ensure good health among tribals.

Madhya Pradesh has set a radical example in combating the threat of anaemia by launching the Sickle Cell Anemia Mission from November 15, 2021, under which, the beneficiaries from the tribal communities will receive free treatment for the disease.