Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister (CM) Dr Mohan Yadav on Friday paid tribute to tribal freedom fighters Raja Shankar Shah and Kunwar Raghunath Shah, urging filmmakers to bring the lives and sacrifices of tribal heroes to the screen. He said the state government would extend full support to such initiatives and other programmes aimed at highlighting the contributions of tribal icons.

Addressing a function in Jabalpur marking the martyrdom day of Raja Shankar Shah and Kunwar Raghunath Shah, CM Dr Yadav said preserving and showcasing Madhya Pradesh’s glorious past was the responsibility of the state government.

He said the government would support films based on the lives of tribal greats and martyrs, besides taking other measures to ensure that their stories reached future generations.

‘Tribal heroes must be part of our history’

CM Dr Yadav said his government had taken steps to recognise tribal leaders through institutions and educational initiatives. He referred to the proposed Rani Durgavati Lok, the university established in Khargone in the name of Nimad’s tribal hero Tantya Mama, and the university launched in Sagar in the name of Bundelkhand’s Rani Avantibai Lodhi.

He also contrasted these measures with what he described as the failure of previous governments to adequately recognise tribal heroes and provide representation to the tribal community.

CM Dr Yadav said Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi had appointed Droupadi Murmu, a tribal woman, as the President of India, describing it as an example of the government’s approach towards tribal representation.

Remembering Raja Shankar Shah and Raghunath Shah

The Chief Minister garlanded the statues of Raja Shankar Shah and Kunwar Raghunath Shah and paid tribute to the father-son duo, describing the occasion as a sacred day.

Recalling their role during the freedom struggle, CM Dr Yadav said Raja Shankar Shah had used songs and poetry to spread the message of freedom before the 1857 uprising. According to him, Shankar Shah combined patriotism and faith and demonstrated how the power of the pen could serve the cause of resistance.

He said Raghunath Shah subsequently continued his father’s campaign, which alarmed the British authorities. The two were eventually arrested and pressured to surrender their kingdom, accept a pension and abandon their faith.

CM Dr Yadav said the two refused to submit, choosing instead to embrace death with courage.

‘Their ideologies did not die’

The Chief Minister said the British executed the two tribal leaders by placing them before the mouths of cannons and allegedly used the incident to intimidate others.

He said their physical lives ended, but their ideas and legacy survived. Their sacrifice, he added, continued to inspire generations and remained an important part of the history of Gondwana and India’s freedom struggle.

Focus on Sickle Cell awareness

Continuing his statements, CM Dr Yadav also highlighted work undertaken under PM Narendra Modi’s leadership to address sickle cell disease among tribal communities. He said Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan have sizable tribal populations and that efforts had been undertaken to protect communities from the disease.

He added that the state government had incorporated figures such as Raja Bhabhut Singh, Raja Shankar Shah, Kunwar Raghunath Shah and Rani Durgavati into educational curricula so that future generations could learn about their lives, sacrifices and contributions.