Dehradun: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami participated in the fourth National Cultural Festival 2023 of Eklavya Model Residential School organized at Maharana Pratap Sports College, Raipur on Tuesday and said that the festival had become a platform to celebrate the cultural unity in diversity of India.
Chief Minister Dhami said, "This four-day event is in line with the spirit of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat while giving impetus to the all-round development of the students pursuing education at EMRS, which will promote continuous cultural engagement, and promote rich India's cultural traditions and heritage. An example of unity in diversity will be created through national integration."
He said that this occasion will indeed strengthen the spirit of enthusiasm among the students, cultural connect and also strengthen the sense of national unity among the students coming from different states.
The Chief Minister further said, "Mainly five types of tribes reside in Devbhoomi Uttarakhand. Their geographical, economic and historical conditions are almost similar. He himself has spent a significant period of his life among the Tharu tribe."
He said that the life of Pandit Nain Singh Rawat of the tribal community also started from this Devbhoomi as a great surveyor, who during his trip to Tibet told the world about the height of Lhasa above sea level by measuring his steps. He also introduced the world to many unseen and unsolved mysteries of Tibet and presented the map of Tibet before the world.
The Chief Minister said, "During the last nine years of the tenure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, there has been integrated socio-economic development of Scheduled Tribes in the country. In this golden period of independence, Prime Minister Modi has given grand recognition to India's tribal traditions and bravery stories. The dream of survival, identity and self-reliance of the tribal society has been realized."
The Chief Minister requested Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda for the establishment of an additional Eklavya School in the frontier district Pithoragarh.
"The state government is giving high priority to the welfare of Scheduled Tribes and improvement in their standard of living. They are being connected to the mainstream of society by their economic, social and educational upliftment and all-round development," he added.
The Chief Minister said that four Eklavya Model Residential Schools are running in the state, in Kalsi, Mehravana, Bajpur and Khatima.
"Along with the provision of free coaching before competitive exams, monthly scholarships are also being provided to young men and women. A grant of Rs 50 thousand is being provided for the marriage of Scheduled Tribe daughters. The state government has decided to organize the State Tribal Festival and Sports Festival every year for the preservation and promotion of tribal culture. A corpus fund of Rs 1 crore has also been arranged by the state government for the Tribal Research Institute," he added.
Students and teachers of Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS) from 22 states of the country are participating in this program organized by the National Education Society for Tribal Students and the State Eklavya Vidyalaya Organization Committee, Uttarakhand. —ANI
