Jharkhand BJP in-charge Gajendra Singh Patel pledges stronger tribal outreach
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK Khunti, October 5: Newly appointed Jharkhand BJP in-charge and national general secretary Gajendra Singh Patel visited Ulihatu, the…
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Khunti, October 5: Newly appointed Jharkhand BJP in-charge and national general secretary Gajendra Singh Patel visited Ulihatu, the birthplace of tribal icon and freedom fighter Birsa Munda, during his Khunti tour and paid floral tribute at his statue.
Patel also met Birsa Munda’s descendants, Sukhram Munda and Budhram Munda, enquired about their well-being and sought their blessings. He said visiting the birthplace of Birsa Munda was a matter of pride and inspiration for him.
During his visit, Patel was accompanied by Jharkhand BJP co-in-charges Saurabh Singh and Nivedita Singh, along with state BJP president Aditya Sahu.
Patel said the tribal community remains a priority for the BJP and asserted that the party would further strengthen its organisational engagement with tribal society in Jharkhand.
“Tribal society is the priority of the BJP. The welfare of tribal society can be ensured only by the BJP,” Patel said.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiatives for tribal communities, Patel said the contribution of Birsa Munda to India’s freedom struggle needed to be recognised across the country.
He noted that the Centre decided to observe Birsa Munda’s birth anniversary as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas so that his contribution to the freedom struggle could be remembered nationwide. He also referred to the election of a tribal woman as the President of India.
Patel said the Jharkhand BJP would work to deepen its dialogue and connect with tribal communities and expand the organisation’s reach to villages across the state.
“Jharkhand BJP will connect with the tribal society more strongly in the coming period, and the country will soon see this change,” he said.
He said issues concerning the respect, rights, development and welfare of tribal communities would receive priority, with the organisation seeking to reach every section of society.
Meets veteran leader Karia Munda
During his Khunti visit, Patel also met senior BJP leader and former Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Karia Munda and sought his blessings and organisational guidance.
The leaders discussed the political and social situation in Jharkhand, organisational activities and ways to further strengthen the BJP’s organisation in the state.
Karia Munda shared his views on the state’s political and social circumstances and offered suggestions for strengthening the party organisation.
Patel said the experience and guidance of senior leaders remained one of the BJP’s biggest strengths and would provide new direction and energy to the organisation.
Lunch at party worker’s home
In a gesture highlighting his emphasis on grassroots connect, Patel and other senior leaders visited the home of veteran party worker and mukhiya Fagu Munda, where they had a traditional meal and interacted with his family.
The meal included madua roti, barra, dhuska, gul-gula, country rice, dal and red leafy vegetables.
Patel’s visit to a party worker’s home was presented by the BJP as a reflection of his simplicity and his emphasis on maintaining a close organisational relationship with grassroots workers.
Aditya Sahu targets state government
BJP state president Aditya Sahu said visiting Ulihatu before taking charge of organisational responsibilities was in keeping with the tradition of beginning an important task after offering prayers and paying homage.
He alleged that the present state government had remained indifferent towards the development of Birsa Munda’s birthplace.
Sahu said development work, including roads and a library, had been undertaken in the village during the Raghubar Das government but alleged that the Hemant Soren government had not paid adequate attention to the area despite being in power for more than six years.
BJP leaders visit memorials in Khunti
Before and after the Ulihatu visit, Patel and the two co-in-charges also paid tribute at several memorials in Khunti.
They garlanded the statues of Subhas Chandra Bose at Subhash Chowk, Bhagat Singh and Jaipal Singh Munda at Khunti Neeche Chowk, and paid floral tribute at Gaya Singh Munda Chowk in Saiko, named after one of Birsa Munda’s commanders.
The BJP leaders received a traditional welcome from party workers in Khunti, with tribal cultural performances, drums, flowers and traditional rituals.
Senior BJP leaders, including former Chief Minister Arjun Munda, state vice-president Nilkanth Singh Munda, former Rajya Sabha MP Sameer Oraon, Biranchi Narayan, state general secretary Amar Kumar Bauri, Sunita Singh, Shalini Baisikhiyar, Yogendra Pratap Singh, Sandeep Verma, Suraj Shahdeo, Tariq Imran, Satish Sinha, Koche Munda, Rahul Shahdeo, Anand Kumar, Chandrashekhar Gupta and Priyank Bhagat, among others, were present.
