Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai addressed a press conference announcing Statewide celebrations for Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas on November 15, 2026, marking the 151st birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda. Under the guidance of the Prime Minister and National President Nitin Nabin, commemorative events will be held across tribal districts nationwide from November 11 to November 18. The State-level festival will take place in Dharamjaigarh, with Nitin Nabin attending as the chief guest. Recalling the legacy of Birsa Munda, born in 1875 in Jharkhand, CM Vishnu Deo Sai noted his resistance against British rule, protection of tribal land, promotion of cultural pride, and campaign against addiction. He highlighted that Birsa Munda coined the slogan Hamara Desh Hamara Raj and sacrificed his life in prison at age 25. Following the Gentral Government’s 2021 declaration of Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas, Vidhan Sabha-level Yuva Samvad sessions at tribal hostels and district programmes will honor freedom fighters such as Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh, Veer Gundadhur, and Shaheed Gaind Singh. Highlighting tribal development measures, the Chief Minister stated that the national tribal budget has increased by 231 percent since 2014, building on the establishment of the separate Ministry of Tribal Affairs under former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

 

He cited the elevation of a tribal woman to the highest constitutional office in the country alongside targeted schemes such as PM Janman Yojana for 12.37 lakh particularly vulnerable tribal group citizens and the Dharti Abha Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan covering 6,691 villages. In Chhattisgarh, 75 Eklavya Model Residential Schools are operational, while education cities and medical colleges are being established in Orchha and Geedam following the elimination of Naxalism in Bastar.

 

For economic empowerment in the Bastar and Surguja divisions, where 12.50 lakh tribal families rely on tendu leaves, the procurement rate has been raised from 4,000 rupees to 5,500 rupees per standard bag alongside active minor forest produce procurement. Furthermore, farmers unable to harvest 21 quintals will receive corresponding bonus benefits, while sugarcane farmers will receive 425 rupees per quintal for both current and previous seasons. Criticising the Congress party, CM Vishnu Deo Sai alleged that despite governing for 55 years, the opposition treated tribal populations merely as a vote bank without honoring their historical heroes. He stated that Congress is misleading communities regarding the Uniform Civil Code, from which tribal communities remain exempt, and accused opposition politics of encouraging religious conversions. Affirming commitment to protecting tribal rights over land, forest, and water, the Chief Minister emphasised that eradicating Naxalism has cleared the path for tribal participation in building a developed India by 2047.