Manik Saha Inaugurates Eklavya School on Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas 2026

Tripura CM Manik Saha marked Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas 2026 by inaugurating a new 480-seater Eklavya Model Residential School in Dhalai district, honoring the legacy of tribal icon Bhagwan Birsa Munda and boosting tribal education.

Manik Saha Inaugurates Eklavya School on Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas 2026

Dhalai (Tripura) [India], November 15 (ANI): Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Sunday attended the Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas 2026 celebrations and inaugurated a 480-seater Eklavya Model Residential School at Chawmanu in Dhalai district. The programme was organised at the school campus in Manikpur, Chawmanu, with the participation of the Chief Minister and other dignitaries.

Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas, also known as Tribal Pride Day, is observed across the country on November 15 to commemorate the birth anniversary of tribal freedom fighter Bhagwan Birsa Munda. The day honours the courage, sacrifices and contributions of tribal communities to India’s freedom struggle. The occasion also highlights India’s indigenous heritage, traditional knowledge, cultural diversity and the role played by tribal leaders in the fight against British colonial rule.

The inauguration of the 480-seater Eklavya Model Residential School marked a step towards strengthening educational infrastructure and expanding access to quality residential education for tribal students in Tripura. The observance also underscored the importance of the overall development and empowerment of tribal communities through education, healthcare, livelihood opportunities and improved access to government welfare schemes.

Earlier, on the occasion of Jharkhand’s State Foundation Day and the 151st birth anniversary of tribal leader Birsa Munda, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid floral tributes to tribal icon 'Dharti Aaba' Birsa Munda at the Parliament complex in New Delhi. Joining the Prime Minister were President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President CP Radhakrishnan, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. The event featured traditional tribal dance performances, highlighting the region's deep-rooted tribal and folk culture.

Popularly revered as ‘Dharti Aaba’, Birsa Munda became a symbol of tribal resistance and pride. Despite his young age, he led a powerful movement against British oppression and gave the slogan ‘Abua Dishum, Abua Raj’, meaning ‘Our land, our rule’. Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar on November 15, 2000, which coincides with the birth anniversary of tribal icon Birsa Munda. Birsa Munda, who belonged to the Munda tribe, was born on November 15 in 1875. During British rule in the late 19th century, he spearheaded an Indian tribal religious millenarian movement across the tribal belt of modern-day Bihar and Jharkhand. (ANI)