Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], November 17 : Madhya Pradesh Higher Education Minister Inder Singh Parmar on Monday expressed regret over his comments about social reformer Raja Ram Mohan Roy during a public programme held on the birth anniversary of tribal leader Birsa Munda in Agar Malwa district.
Parmar shared a video in this regard on his official 'X' handle, saying, "Renowned social reformer Raja Ram Mohan Roy did significant work for social reform in his time. I am saddened by the words that came out mistakenly in reference to him. I apologise."
"During a public programme in Agar on the occasion of Birsa Munda's birth anniversary on November 15, I was speaking about the conspiracies of the British while discussing the life of Birsa Munda. I was referring to the kind of conspiracies the British carried out in that period. By mistake, in the flow of the speech, an incorrect reference to the renowned social reformer Raja Ram Mohan Roy slipped out of my mouth. I am deeply pained by this and I apologise," Parmar said.
Parmar added in the video that he has always personally respected Raja Ram Mohan Roy, and the statement was made unintentionally. "I express my regret and apologise for the mistake," he said.
The controversy arose after Parmar, addressing the Tribal Pride Day event on November 15, said, "A vicious cycle of changing the faith of the people of the country was going on through English education, and the British had made several people of this country as fake social reformers, one of whom was Raja Ram Mohan Roy. He worked as an agent of the British, and the cycle of religious conversion that they promoted was stopped by Birsa Munda. It was Birsa Munda who protected society and safeguarded the tribal community."
The minister's remark sparked a controversy, following which, a day after the event, he issued a clarification and apologised for his remark.
The Tribal Pride Day programme was held to mark the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda, a revered tribal leader born on November 15, 1875. During the late 19th century, under British rule, Birsa Munda spearheaded a religious and social reform movement among tribal communities in the regions of present-day Bihar and Jharkhand, leading efforts to safeguard tribal rights, culture, and traditions.