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Role of tribal heroes in India’s freedom struggle equally significant: Rijiju
Union minister for law and justice Kiren Rijiju was speaking at an event at Banaras Hindu University
Union minister for law and justice Kiren Rijiju on Thursday expressed his views on the contribution of tribal heroes to the country’s freedom struggle saying “freedom is achieved with struggles and sacrifices of everyone and not by the efforts of a few”.
Speaking at a daylong seminar at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) jointly organised by National Commission for Scheduled Tribes and the central university, he said for long only a select few were highlighted and glorified for being part of the freedom struggle while many great leaders and heroes who had played significant role were ignored and forgotten.
There was hardly any mention of tribal leaders and icons who fought long battles to get the country freed from the clutches of foreign rule, he added. Rijiju called for narrating these tales of real Indian heroes to the present and upcoming generations.
“The freedom we enjoy today isn’t because only a handful of people worked for it, which was being repeated over and over again, but also because numerous tribals were fighting the oppressors in villages, forests and remote areas,” the minister said.
He said a series of programmes were being organised in universities all over the country to shed light on the contribution of tribal heroes. “There couldn’t be a better place than the BHU to host this event as the central university in itself is a city and has students from all parts of the country. We keep hearing that tribals must be brought to the mainstream,” Rijiju further said.
In his presidential address, BHU vice chancellor Prof Sudhir K Jain said, “BHU is a very unique institution. This university was established by Mahamana (Madan Mohan Malaviya) with philanthropic contributions and without taking any financial help from government or industrialists. The sole aim was to produce citizens who contribute to nation building by providing modern education to students and making them aware of Indian knowledge and value system.”
“There is no other university that offers such diversity of disciplines. Diversity encourages creativity and BHU offers such an atmosphere where students from diverse backgrounds get education in diverse disciplines,” Prof Jain added.
On the occasion, an exhibition on tribal heroes of country’s freedom struggle was also organised at Swatantrata Bhavan. Union minister Kiren Rijiju, BHU VC Prof Sudhir Kumar Jain and others visited the exhibition.
