In an effort to honour the contributions of lesser-known personalities hailing from marginalised social and caste groups, Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav will participate as the chief guest in an event in Madhya Pradesh celebrating Rani Durgavati, a much-respected tribal icon on June 24, which happens to be her martyrdom day.
The programme will be held at Baraundha in Satna district of Madhya Pradesh.
Recognising the lesser-known figures is a strategy the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has used continuously in Uttar Pradesh and adjoining States for gaining acceptance among various caste groups.
On Wednesday, a delegation of the tribal Gond community invited Mr. Yadav in the presence of the State president of the SP tribal cell president Vyas Ji Gond in Lucknow. Mr. Yadav had assured that a statue of Rani Durgavati would be installed on the Gomti riverfront in Lucknow.
Rani Durgavati, born on October 9, 1524, in Kalinjar Fort (Banda) district in Uttar Pradesh to Rajput Chandel King Keerat Rai, was herself not a Gond, but married to Gond King Dalpat Shah at the age of 18. She is considered a revered hero in Central India by both Rajputs and Gonds alike. The BJP in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh highlighted Rani Durgavati’s adivasi antecedents to make inroads among the tribals.
The U.P. government, had in the recent past, argued that focus on such icons was in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to highlight the contributions and sacrifices of India’s unsung heroes in the freedom movement, which was one of the key elements of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations.
The U.P. government held many events recently to celebrate the contributions of unsung heroes like Lakhan Pasi, Raja Bijli Pasi, Chitu Pandey, Rani Jhalkari Bai, Dhan Singh Gurjar, Vijay Singh Pathik, Uda Devi and Avanti Bai.
