Nitin Nabin highlights Bastar’s young people as Dharamjaigarh honours Birsa Munda: Video

Rajya Sabha MP Nitin Nabin addresses the state-level Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas ceremony by video link in Dharamjaigarh, Raigarh district, on 15 November 2026.Photo:primelookindia.com via CG/DPR

Speaking virtually at Chhattisgarh’s Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas ceremony, the BJP national president points to gains in sport and education. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai announces full input assistance for eligible farmers who sell less than 21 quintals of paddy per acre.

Key Highlights

• Dharamjaigarh hosted Chhattisgarh’s state-level Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas ceremony on Birsa Munda’s 151st birth anniversary.
• Nabin cited the participation of more than 1.5 lakh people in the 2024 Bastar Olympics and highlighted the performance of Eklavya school students in national entrance examinations.
• Sai said eligible farmers would receive the full ₹13,839 per acre under the Krishak Unnati Yojana even if they sell less than the 21-quintal-per-acre procurement ceiling.
• Padma Shri awardees Budhri Tati, Jageshwar Yadav and Pandi Ram Mandavi were felicitated, and winning tribal dance groups received prizes.

Dharamjaigarh: BJP national president and Rajya Sabha MP Nitin Nabin used his Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas address on Sunday to highlight opportunities in sport and education for young people in Bastar. He joined Chhattisgarh’s state-level ceremony at the Dussehra Ground in Raigarh district by video link after adverse weather prevented him from attending in person. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai led the tributes to Birsa Munda at the venue and announced a change to paddy input assistance as procurement opened across the state.

Nabin highlights sport and education in Bastar

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai (centre), Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, Agriculture Minister Ramvichar Netam, Forest Minister Kedar Kashyap and Chhattisgarh BJP president and Jagdalpur MLA Kiran Singh Deo listen to Nitin Nabin’s virtual address at the state-level Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas ceremony in Dharamjaigarh, Raigarh district, on 15 November 2026.Photo:primelookindia.com via CG/DPR

Nabin paid tribute to security personnel killed in Maoist violence and recalled meeting families affected by the conflict. He said sports grounds were being developed in areas that had endured years of violence and cited the participation of more than 1.5 lakh people in the 2024 Bastar Olympics. He also pointed to Bastar Pandum as a platform for tribal art, dance and cultural traditions.

“Children and young people are pursuing their ambitions through education, sport and skills training,” Nabin said. He said 408 students from Chhattisgarh’s Eklavya Model Residential Schools cleared NEET and about 346 cleared JEE Main in the 2025–26 academic session.

From the ceremonial welcome to the paddy procurement launch

Agriculture Minister Ramvichar Netam, who is also in charge of Raigarh district, delivered the welcome address. Sai garlanded portraits of Birsa Munda, Bharat Mata and Chhattisgarh Mahatari and lit the ceremonial lamp. The gathering also heard a virtual address by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Sai visited stalls showcasing tribal art, crafts and traditional products. The programme also included a stall for the launch of the 2026–27 paddy procurement drive. On stage, the Chief Minister felicitated Padma Shri awardees Budhri Tati, Jageshwar Yadav and Pandi Ram Mandavi and presented prizes to the winning tribal dance groups. The ceremony also included honoraria for office-bearers of the traditional Manjhi–Chalki system and bonus payments to tendu leaf collectors.

Sai said eligible farmers would receive the full ₹13,839 per acre in input assistance under the Krishak Unnati Yojana even if they sold less than the procurement ceiling of 21 quintals per acre. He said the decision would particularly benefit small, marginal and tribal farmers in areas with lower yields. With the addition of 360 procurement centres, the statewide total rose to 3,100, he said.

Why Birsa Munda’s legacy matters in Chhattisgarh

The gathering marked the 151st birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda, remembered as Dharti Aaba, or Father of the Earth. The Union Cabinet designated 15 November as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas in 2021 to honour tribal freedom fighters and recognise the contributions of Adivasi communities to India’s history and cultural heritage.

In Chotanagpur, Birsa mobilised Adivasi communities as forced labour, rising rents and the erosion of customary land rights put pressure on farming families. His movement culminated in the Ulgulan, the uprising of 1899–1900. British authorities imprisoned him, and he died in custody in June 1900.

Sai drew attention to Chhattisgarh’s own histories of resistance. He recalled how Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh of Sonakhan challenged British rule while trying to get grain to people facing famine, and how Veer Gundadhur helped lead Bastar’s Bhumkal uprising of 1910. He urged families to visit the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Tribal Museum in Nava Raipur to learn about those struggles.

Rajya Sabha MP Nitin Nabin addresses Chhattisgarh’s state-level Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas ceremony by video link from outside the venue. Speaking on Bhagwan Birsa Munda’s 151st birth anniversary, he pays tribute to tribal freedom fighters and highlights opportunities in education and sport for young people in Bastar. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and other dignitaries attend the ceremony at the Dussehra Ground in Dharamjaigarh, Raigarh district, on 15 November 2026.Video:primelookindia.com via CG/DPR