jammu,01-Nov;Prime Minister Narendra Modi today paid homage to the unsung tribal heroes and martyrs of the freedom struggle at Mangarh Hill in Banswara district of Rajasthan. He also paid homage to Bhil freedom fighter Govind Guru. Later, he attended a public programme ‘Mangarh Dham ki Gaurav Gatha’ and addressed a gathering of Bhil Adivasis and other tribal people of the region.
In his address, Mr Modi said great freedom fighters like Govind Guru were the representatives of the traditions and ideals of India. He said, India’s past, present and future would not be complete without the tribal society. The Prime Minister said, the pages of Indian freedom struggle history are full of valour of tribal people. He said, the struggle and sacrifice of tribal community did not get their rightful place in history written after independence. Mr Modi said, today the country is rectifying the decades old mistake. The Prime Minister said, on 15th of this month the country will celebrate Janjatiya Gourav Diwas on the occasion of birth aniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda.
He also mentioned the initiatives his government has taken for the welfare of tribal communities. This programme was organised by the Culture Ministry. Chief Ministers of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat attended the programme. During the freedom struggle, Bhils and other tribes engaged in a long stand-off with the British. More than 1.5 lakh Bhils rallied against Britishers at Mangarh Hill on November 17th, 1913 under the leadership of Govind Guru.
Britishers opened fire at this gathering, leading to Mangarh Massacre where about one thousand 500 tribals were martyred. When Mr. Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat in 2012, development works were carried out at Mangarh Dham on the Gujarat border.
