Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State president K. Annamalai underlined the BJP’s commitment to the development of Scheduled Tribes in India. He also drew attention to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dedication to this cause. During his address, Annamalai referenced President Droupadi Murmu as an example of a leader from a Scheduled Tribe background who has excelled in her role.
Annamalai contrasted the BJP’s approach to tribal development with that of the ruling party in Tamil Nadu, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). According to him, the DMK, which currently holds power in Tamil Nadu, is not as supportive of tribal communities. He expressed concern that the state is under the rule of a single family.
In the context of the central government, Annamalai highlighted that out of the 78 Union Ministers, 11 come from tribal communities. This representation underscores the BJP’s commitment to inclusive governance at the national level. However, he noted that Tamil Nadu lags behind in this regard, as there is no Minister from the Scheduled Tribe community in the state government.
Annamalai also pointed out the efforts of the Union Government in supporting tribal students’ education. He revealed that over the past eight years, the central government has allocated Rs 226 cr for post-matric scholarships for tribal students. In a significant achievement, 15 tribal students from Tamil Nadu who attended Eklavya schools secured admissions to prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) last year.