HOW MODI'S TRIBAL VISION BECAME A NATIONAL MOVEMENT

FROM GUJARAT TO THE NATION

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When Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Jual Oram recalls his early association with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his memories go beyond politics they're about people.

"When he became Chief Minister, he used to call me often to work in tribal areas - particularly in South Gujarat: Banaskantha, Surat, Dang," Oram says. "We worked closely with the tribal communities for their welfare and empowerment."

Those efforts in Gujarat became the foundation for what is now India's national framework of tribal inclusion. Under Modi's leadership, Gujarat launched the Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana (VKY) a path-breaking model of integrated tribal development that combined livelihoods, education, housing and health into a single, community-driven mission. "He would pick one area and do all-round development from roads to schools to welfare," recalls Oram.