“Help our community people to grow by holding high positions,” President Droupadi Murmu advised students and tribal representatives while interacting with them at the Raj Bhavan here on Thursday. She appealed to the students to shed their inferiority complex and get schooling and higher education. “Tribals living near water, land and forest face various problems due to backwardness. They must get themselves educated to get rid of their inferiority complex, and move forward,” the President said while talking to the representatives of Madiya, Katkari and Kolam tribal groups at the Raj Bhavan. These groups come under Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs). The President told them that in their journey of growth, they must also develop a sense of social commitment while striving to achieve their personal economic, social, and educational development. “While growing ourselves, we must also help our community to grow along,” she said.

 

Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and Tribal Development Minister Dr Vijaykumar Gavit accompanied the President on this occasion. Everyone present was overwhelmed as the President reminisced her life’s journey on this occasion. “(In our times), there were no roads to go to school, there were no notebooks. We had to carry a cloth to cover our heads while going to the school during rainy season. There was a constant struggle and, along with that, growth too,” she told the students who came to meet her. “I started as a teacher, then became a Governor and now, the President. Struggle is there in everyone’s life. Only, it must take you forward.” “After taking charge, I visited almost all states of the country. There are a total of 700 tribal tribes in the country and 75 of them are extremely backward. More than 1,000 dialects are spoken by these 700 tribes. These languages need to be preserved. Central and state governments have implemented various schemes and activities for the welfare of tribals. With the help of the Government, the tribals should take the initiative and bring their community members into the mainstream of development,” suggested President.

 

Murmu also suggested that the Government should understand the social condition of tribals and make joint changes in plans and activities from time to time. “I am satisfied that the Maharashtra Government is implementing the tribal welfare schemes properly. Poverty is the biggest obstacle to the education of tribals. Local tribal educated children should be given primary education lessons,” stated Murmu. President narrated her experiences regarding the enjoyable educational activities she conducted as a teacher. Dr Kanna Madavi, the first tribal doctor of Gadchiroli district, expressed his views as a representative of the Madia tribe. He expressed his sentiments that tribals should get primary education in their dialect. He expressed hope that during development, the forests which are the life of tribals should be saved, there should be enough teachers in tribal schools.

 

Dr Gangadhar Atram, representative of Kolam tribe in Yavatmal district, raised the issue of employment of tribals. He said that tribals have to be deprived of education at a young age due to lack of employment. He hoped that if tribals get employment at the local level, their children will be able to get education and progress. Dr Kaushika Bhoye, a representative of the Katkari tribe of Dahanu in Palghar district, expressed her feelings that free, quality health services should be made available to the tribals. The President interacted with 10 tribal students who passed the NEET examination and congratulated them. Additional Chief Secretary of Tribal Development Department Dr. Pradeep Vyas gave an introduction.

 

The program was organized by the Tribal Development Department of the state while the Additional Commissioner’s Office Tribal Division Nagpur coordinated the event. Additional Tribal Commissioner of Nagpur division Ravindra Thakre, Commissioner of Tribal Research and Training Institute, Pune Dr Rajendra Bharud, Managing Director of Tribal Development Corporation Lina Bansod, Deputy Commissioner of Tribal Development, Nagpur Dashrath Kulmethe, Project Officer of Integrated Tribal Development Project Deepak Hedau and Accounting Officer Dr Yashpal Gudhe were present.