Modi becomes first PM to visit folk hero Birsa Munda's native village Ulihatu

KHUNTI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday paid floral tributes to Indian tribal activist and folk hero Birsa Munda on his birth anniversary at his native village Ulihatu in Khunti district of Jharkhand.

The Prime Minister garlanded the statue of Birsa Munda and paid obeisance to the late tribal hero.

PM Modi, the first prime minister to visit Ulihatu, was accorded a warm welcome with locals dancing to the tunes of traditional instruments such as dhol and mandar.

After offering his tributes to the tribal activist, the prime minister set out to inspect an exhibition in Khunti.

The Prime Minister earlier today visited the Bhagwan Birsa Munda Memorial Park and Freedom Fighter Museum in Ranchi and paid tributes to the late tribal leader.

He was accompanied by Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda and Governor of Jharkhand CP Radhakrishnan. In his message on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda the Prime Minister said in his post on X "Respectful tribute to Lord Birsa Munda ji on his birth anniversary.

Many best wishes to my family members across the country on this special occasion of Tribal Pride Day." Recognizing the immense contributions of Birsa Munda, the Union Cabinet declared November 15 as 'Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas' on November 10, 2021.

Thereupon, the annual celebration pays homage to the visionary leader's role in India's freedom movement.

PM Modi will also participate in a programme marking the celebration of the third Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas, 2023 in Khunti, according to the release.

In his message on the occasion of the state formation day, the Prime Minister in his post on X said "Jharkhand has been famous for its mineral resources as well as the courage, bravery and self-respect of the tribal society. My family members here have made an important contribution to the progress of the country. I convey my best wishes to him on the foundation day of the state and also wish for the bright future of the state."

During the programme, the Prime Minister will launch the 'Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra' and Pradhan Mantri Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) Mission. As per the official release, the Prime Minister will also release the 15th instalment of PM-KISAN and inaugurate, dedicate to the nation and lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects in Jharkhand.

It has been the constant endeavour of PM Modi to attain saturation of flagship schemes of the government by ensuring that the benefits of these schemes reach all targeted beneficiaries in a time-bound manner, according to the press release.

In a major step towards the attainment of this aim of saturation of schemes, the Prime Minister will launch the 'Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra' on the occasion of Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas.