Kumar Bahukhandi
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai addresses the state-level Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas ceremony at the Dussehra Ground in Dharamjaigarh, Raigarh district, on 15 November 2026.Photo:channel24india.com via CG/CMO
At Chhattisgarh’s state-level Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas ceremony, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai felicitates tribal cultural figures, while Rajya Sabha MP Nitin Nabin highlights the role of education and sport in Bastar.
Key Highlights
- Eligible farmers who sell less than 21 quintals of paddy per acre will receive the full input assistance of ₹13,839 per acre under the Krishak Unnati Yojana.
- Paddy procurement for the 2026–27 kharif marketing season began on 15 November. With 360 new procurement centres, the statewide total rises to 3,100.
- Sai felicitated Padma Shri awardees Budhri Tati, Jageshwar Yadav and Pandi Ram Mandavi and presented prizes to the winning tribal dance groups.
- Nabin, who addressed the ceremony virtually, cited the participation of more than 1.5 lakh people in the 2024 Bastar Olympics.
Dharamjaigarh: Thousands gathered at the Dussehra Ground in Raigarh district on 15 November 2026 for Chhattisgarh’s state-level Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas ceremony, marking the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai honoured tribal cultural figures and announced that eligible farmers would receive the full ₹13,839-per-acre input assistance even if they sell less than the procurement ceiling of 21 quintals of paddy per acre.
Rajya Sabha MP Nitin Nabin, the chief guest, addressed the gathering virtually after adverse weather prevented him from attending in person. He paid tribute to tribal freedom fighters, including Veer Narayan Singh, Gundadhur, Gend Singh, Tilka Manjhi, Budhu Bhagat, Tantya Bhil and Lakshman Nayak. He also spoke about the folk arts, dances and festivals of Chhattisgarh’s Gond, Oraon, Kanwar, Baiga, Kamar, Halba, Muria and Maria communities, citing Bastar Pandum as a platform for their cultural traditions.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, dressed in traditional tribal attire, draws a bow as Agriculture Minister Ramvichar Netam smiles beside him during the state-level Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas celebrations in Dharamjaigarh, Raigarh district, on 15 November 2026..Photo: channel24india.com via CG/CMO
Sai opened the ceremony by garlanding portraits of Birsa Munda, Bharat Mata and Chhattisgarh Mahatari and lighting the ceremonial lamp. Wearing traditional tribal attire, he held a bow and arrow on stage, where traditional instruments were also on display. The gathering also heard Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s virtual address.
Remembering Birsa Munda and Chhattisgarh’s tribal leaders
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai performs the ceremonial puja at the paddy procurement stall during the state-level Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas celebrations in Dharamjaigarh, Raigarh district, on 15 November 2026.Photo:channel24india.com via CG/DPR
Sai recalled how Birsa Munda mobilised tribal communities against exploitation under British rule. He also spoke of Veer Narayan Singh of Sonakhan, who challenged the colonial administration to get grain to people facing famine, and recalled the resistance led by Gundadhur and Gend Singh. He urged families to visit the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Tribal Museum in Nava Raipur to learn about the state’s tribal freedom fighters.
“Protecting the culture and traditions of tribal communities and ensuring that development reaches every tribal family is our government’s commitment,” Sai said.
A mound of paddy, a woven winnowing tray and a metal scoop form part of a stall display at the Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas venue in Dharamjaigarh, Raigarh district, on 15 November 2026.Photo:channel24india.com via CG/CMO
Dharamjaigarh followed Jashpur, which hosted the state-level ceremony in 2024, and Surguja, where President Droupadi Murmu attended the 2025 event. This year, Sai felicitated Padma Shri awardees Budhri Tati, Jageshwar Yadav and Pandi Ram Mandavi and presented prizes to the winning tribal dance groups. He visited stalls showcasing tribal art and traditional products. The ceremony also included the distribution of honoraria to office-bearers of the traditional Manjhi–Chalki system and bonuses to tendu leaf collectors.
Full input assistance for eligible paddy farmers
Sai said the ₹13,839-per-acre payment under the Krishak Unnati Yojana would particularly help small, marginal and tribal farmers in areas with lower yields. Eligible farmers will receive the full amount even if the quantity they sell falls below the state’s ceiling of 21 quintals per acre.
Procurement for the 2026–27 kharif marketing season began on 15 November. Sai said the addition of 360 procurement centres brought the statewide total to 3,100. He said the new centres were intended to shorten journeys for farmers and ease queues at existing centres.
Education, sport and public services in Bastar
Nabin paid tribute to security personnel killed in Maoist violence and spoke of meeting families affected by the conflict. He pointed to the 2024 Bastar Olympics, which he said drew more than 1.5 lakh participants, as an example of the opportunities opening up for young people. He said 408 students from the state’s Eklavya Model Residential Schools cleared NEET and about 346 cleared JEE Main in the 2025–26 academic session. Chhattisgarh runs 75 of these schools, he said.
Sai said the state was using the Niyad Nellanar and Bastar Munne programmes to extend services in remote areas. He said security camps were being developed as Seva Deras, where residents could access government schemes and women and young people could find training and self-employment support. He also cited plans for medical colleges in Manendragarh and Geedam, education hubs in Jagargunda and Orchha, and a rural bus service. Around 35 lakh people had undergone health screening under the Mukhyamantri Swasth Bastar campaign, he said.
Services in tribal villages
Sai said the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan was extending education, healthcare, roads, electricity, drinking water and livelihood support across 6,691 villages in Chhattisgarh. He also cited PM-JANMAN, which focuses on Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups.
The Chief Minister said the state had raised the collection rate for tendu leaves to ₹5,500 per standard bag and restarted the Charan Paduka scheme. He said ₹25 lakh had been earmarked for each approved project to improve an akhra, a traditional community gathering and performance space. The government is also supporting work on devgudis, traditional places of worship, he said.
Union Minister of State Tokhan Sahu, Deputy Chief Ministers Arun Sao and Vijay Sharma, Agriculture Minister and Raigarh district in-charge Ramvichar Netam, other ministers, MPs and tribal community leaders attended the ceremony.
