New Delhi 12 June : Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla addressed the members of the particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) organised by Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracy (PRIDE) in Central Hall, Parliament House today. Present on the occasion were the Minister of Tribal Affairs Shri Arjun Munda and Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Smt. Renuka Singh Saruta.
Welcoming the participants to the historic Central Hall of Parliament House, Shri Birla lauded this unique initiative of inviting one of the most marginalized groups of the country to the Parliament House. He invoked the contributions made by Bhagwan Birsa Munda and other Tribal Leaders in the struggle for India’s Independence .
He brought into focus the supreme importance of the Central Hall in the history of modern India and felt that the Central Hall was an embodiment of the democratic values that the Constitution imparts to all Indians . Shri Birla observed that Central Hall was a witness to India’s Independence and it was at this very place where the Framers of the Constitution guaranteed equality, justice and freedom to all Indians. They felt an acute requirement for backwardness to be removed and ensured this constitutionally. In this context , Shri Birla also reminded that with a view to ensure that all strata of the population should be endowed with equal rights and freedoms as well as economic and social equality. Shri Birla hailed the Constituent Assembly for granting special protection to the Tribal people who had faced historical discrimination.
In the context of the tribal heritage of knowledge of nature, tradition and culture, Shri Birla was happy to note that since the earliest times the forest dwellers have exhibited exemplary symbiotic relation with nature. He felt that the way of life of the tribal and especially of the PVTGs have always been in harmony with nature and the modern world has much to learn from them . The Speaker also lauded the Pradhan Mantri PVTG Mission-a fund of Rs 15,000 crore allocated for the socio-economic development of the group over the next three years. He was highly appreciative of the art and craft of the Tribal people as well as forest produce which had gained a huge market all over the world and was in great demand for their uniqueness. Shri Birla also felt that this would keep these traditions alive and help disseminate knowledge about these groups. Through this, Shri Birla felt, the PVTGs could preserve their traditional values and crafts also.
Shri Birla was of the opinion that while there were many struggles ahead, yet with the wisdom of several centuries behind them, the PVTGs would be ready to face any challenges and march shoulder to shoulder with the best of India . He expressed his full confidence that India would soon see more representation from this group not only in all walks of life but in Parliament as well .
Reiterating that diversity was at the very core of Indian values , Shri Birla stated that there was a need to preserve our heritage but at the same time there was a requirement to create new dimensions of development. In this context, he stated that participation of tribal communities should be streamlined in various institutions, governance and bodies of the country. With increased participation, the tribal society can also ensure their contribution in strengthening and strengthening these institutions. This ,he felt, would greatly contribute to the vibrancy and multi-dimension nature of the Indian Democracy.
Shri Birla also interacted with the various tribal groups. PVTG groups came from Andaman & Nikobar, Chattisgarh, Tripura, Assam, Telengana, Manipur, Jharkhand etc.
