New Delhi, August 26 (IANS) Mannalal Rawat, Member of Parliament from Udaipur, formally assumed office as the National President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s Scheduled Tribe Morcha at a swearing-in ceremony held in a dignified atmosphere on Wednesday.
Addressing the gathering, Rawat said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi the country is changing rapidly and tribal communities are moving strongly into the mainstream of development.
He noted that alongside development, special attention is being paid to the preservation of heritage and culture.
The Union government, he said, is working with an approach to ensure that tribal communities receive 100 per cent benefits from welfare schemes.
Initiatives such as “Tribal Pride Day”, programmes related to tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda and focused development of tribal areas form part of this effort.
The goal, Rawat added, is to ensure the full participation of tribal communities in building a developed India by 2047.
Minister of State Durgadas Uikey said Prime Minister Modi has played a key role in ensuring that Central schemes reach the last person in queue.
He congratulated former National President Sameer Oraon for strengthening the Scheduled Tribe Morcha and said the BJP government has prioritised expansion of housing, electricity, water and other basic amenities in tribal areas.
Union Minister Jual Oram highlighted the significant representation of tribal communities in the Central government.
He said that the President of India, five Union Ministers, and Governors and Chief Ministers in several states belong to the tribal community, and are contributing to the national vision of a developed India.
Unprecedented work is being done for the development and empowerment of tribal communities, Rawat added, and called upon BJP workers to ensure their active participation in this journey.
BJP National Organiser V. Satish described the Scheduled Tribe Morcha as one of the party’s important fronts, responsible for conveying the organisation’s and government’s policies to the tribal community.
He stressed the need to strengthen the organisation’s reach at every tribal booth, especially those with a high number of Scheduled Tribe voters.
He also identified sickle cell anaemia as a serious health challenge facing the community and underlined the need for extensive action to identify, track and prevent it.
Speakers reiterated that continuous work is underway for the all-round development of the tribal community under the mantra of “Development, Heritage and Service”.
Both the organisation and the Union government remain committed to connecting tribal communities with the mainstream and ensuring that the benefits of Central schemes reach the last person.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, Rawat expressed gratitude to the party’s top leadership and senior leaders, pledging to fulfil the responsibility with complete loyalty and dedication.
He said he would further strengthen the Scheduled Tribe Morcha across the country and expand the organisation’s reach among the tribal community.
Former President Sameer Oraon honoured former office-bearers by presenting them with shawls.
The programme was conducted by the BJP Tribal Morcha’s General Secretary Kali Ram Manjhi.
–IANS
sktr/khz