Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 3 (ANI): Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat has stressed that, amidst the current turmoil and global upheaval, only a strong and resilient India can become the foundation of the world, for which the country must take all communities along and bring tribal communities into the mainstream of development.

Speaking at the Karmayogi Ekal Shikshak Mela held at the Gateway of India in Mumbai on Saturday, Bhagwat honoured teachers who are spreading education in tribal areas.

Apart from the RSS chief, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, Maharashtra Tribal Development Minister Ashok Uikey, and Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar were also present at the event. All the Ekal Vidyalayas are operated under the guidance of Nitin Gadkari.

'For years, the tribal community has preserved our culture and has given us so much. This nature is the hallmark of India's eternal culture, and the tribal people have preserved this tendency to work for the welfare of all. He said that service is not a favour; it is our duty; it is a work of self-development. This is what makes us human,' Bhagwat said.

He said that spreading education in the tribal community is a work done with compassion, and is possible not through kindness but through hard work. It is the nature of our Indian land to suffer for the sake of others. This nature has existed in Hindu society since ancient times.

The RSS chief stressed that the tribal people do not have the facilities that are generally available to the people of the country. Without bringing them into the mainstream of the country, society cannot develop, and for that, we must learn from them. Our culture is rooted in the forests. The Vedas were composed there. Identity lies there, and without it, the country cannot exist.

Meanwhile, speaking at the event, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said that there is a need to change the definition of politics. Politics is no longer about power politics or gaining power. Politics now means development and social service. He emphasised that to change the country, there is a need to increase the number of Karmayogis, i.e., people who work for the development of the backward and exploited sections of society. Thirty years ago, Baba Amte initiated the promotion of education among tribals in Gadchiroli district, at a time when the Naxalite movement was influential in these areas. The late Laxman Mankar left politics and prioritised this education movement, starting this work to address the lack of education among the socio-economically exploited.

The Union Minister explained that today, without any government funding, 1,400 teachers educate 32,000 students. Tribal boys and girls possess potential, but they were denied opportunities. Therefore, to address the economic and social disparities within this community, the Mankar Trust initiated this work. This work is now expanding from a few areas to the entire state, where 5,000 teachers will teach 100,000 students.

It is worth noting that the Ekal Vidyalayas run by the Nagpur-based L Laxmanrao Mankar Smriti Sanstha in Vidarbha are now expanding to the entire state of Maharashtra. This organisation operates under the guidance of Nitin Gadkari and the chairmanship of Atul Shirodkar, a well-known businessman from Mumbai.

According to Shirodkar, 'Education is an effective tool for social and economic change. The Mankar Trust is continuously working to bring people living in tribal areas into the mainstream, promote their skills, and improve their quality of life.'

On this occasion, Prof Ashok Uikey stated that the Mankar Trust's education movement, which began with 10 students from the tribal community, has now grown to 33,000 students.

At the event held in Mumbai, teachers from various parts of the state, individuals, and organisations making a difference in society were honoured with the Karmayogi Award. Newly elected Rajya Sabha member, Mayatai Ivnate, was also honoured during the event.

This initiative, started three decades ago, has spread the light of education to the tribal areas of Vidarbha. Today, 30,000 tribal students are receiving education through nearly 1,300 schools in remote areas of Vidarbha, including Gadchiroli and Melghat, and are taught by over 1,800 teachers. (ANI)