Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday celebrated Diwali among the forest dwellers. He also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of a total of 52 development projects worth Rs 153 crore for different Gram Panchayats of Gorakhpur district on the occasion.

Sharing the joy of Diwali with members of Vantangiya community in Tikonia No. 3 village in Kusamhi forest, he also remembered the struggle for the rights of Vantangiyas, pointing out that any struggle done in a positive spirit never goes in vain.

He said that the struggle for the Vantangiya community was fought in this spirit and today its positive outcome is visible. He added that Diwali and Ram Rajya are all about “providing all the government facilities and civil rights to the underprivileged.”

Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister said that he was very happy to see the pucca houses of the poor as well as drinking water facilities, electricity, good schools and Anganwadi centres in Vantangiya village.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath conveyed his Diwali wishes to the people and said that the holy festival provides inspiration to move from darkness to light, from evil to good, from unrighteousness to religion, from negativity to positivity, from injustice to justice and from indolence to hard work.

The Chief Minister also discussed the changes brought about in Gorakhpur in the last six years due to development works and the situation before that. He said that since independence, Gorakhpur has been continuously and deliberately neglected from the point of view of development.

“Today Gorakhpur has everything that it needs. The medical college itself, which was ill earlier, has become healthy and the AIIMS is also providing services. The sparkling roads, the grand Ramgarhtal and the Gorakhpur Zoo are major attractions of the city,” he said.

The Chief Minister said that the people of Vantangiya community used to live in fear earlier. They were afraid of eviction, fake FIRs, and arrest from the Forest Department. “But, their fear ended in the double-engine government. Today Vantangiya people also have the facilities of a permanent house, toilet, LPG connection, electricity connection, Ayushman card,” he said.

Describing the importance of celebrating Diwali, the Chief Minister said that during his exile period, Lord Shri Ram provided fearlessness to the sages and made the forest dwellers stand against the negative forces. By uniting them, he freed Aryavarta and the world from the terror of Ravana, he pointed out.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath appealed to all the people to take along the deprived and the poor and contribute to connecting them with government schemes.

The Chief Minister also honoured the beneficiaries of Ayushman Yojana, Agriculture Department schemes, Chief Minister Housing Scheme, Chief Minister Youth Self-Employment Scheme, National Rural Livelihood Mission by presenting them with certificates and sweets.

After the stage programme in Jungle Tikonia number three, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited the exhibition organized by various departments where people were informed about the public welfare schemes of the government.

After inspecting the stalls, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath set out on a tour of the village. He first reached the house of Ram Ganesh, the head of Vantangiya community and inaugurated the festival of lights by lighting the lamp amid the rangoli decorated outside the house.

He also toured the village, met the people there and accepted their greetings. The Chief Minister met the children of Hindu Vidyapeeth located in the village and gave sweets and other gifts to them.