In a tribal heartland classroom named after a 19th-century revolutionary, Chhattisgarh's top elected official sat down to listen to the nation's most-listened-to radio programme. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai attended the 138th episode of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat at the Birsa Munda Auditorium of the Eklavya Vidyalaya in Lamkanhar, Kanker district, on Sunday, 27 September 2026.

A tribal school as the stage

The choice of venue was deliberate. Eklavya Model Residential Schools, run by the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs, were established to bring quality residential education to Scheduled Tribe children in remote, forested regions — exactly the demographic that Mann Ki Baat has consistently sought to amplify. Kanker, a district in northern Chhattisgarh with a predominantly tribal population, sits squarely within that mission. Naming the auditorium after Birsa Munda — the 19th-century Jharkhand-born tribal leader who led an armed resistance against colonial land seizures — layers historical symbolism onto what might otherwise be a routine government event.

Episode 138 and the Jan Bhagidari message

The Chief Minister's Office described Mann Ki Baat as a 'powerful medium' (sashakt madhyam) that carries 'inspiring initiatives, the strength of public participation, and positive stories of change from every corner of the country to crores of citizens.' The CMO's post added that these stories 'are giving new energy to the resolve of nation-building.' Prime Minister Modi launched the All India Radio programme in October 2014; by its 138th episode it has become a fixture in BJP-governed states' outreach calendar, with state governments regularly organising public listening sessions to underscore alignment with central governance themes and to spotlight local Jan Bhagidari examples.

Chhattisgarh's tribal education footprint

CM Sai, who took office in December 2023 as the BJP's first tribal chief minister of Chhattisgarh, has positioned tribal welfare and education access as signature priorities. Holding the listening session inside an Eklavya school — rather than a government secretariat or party office — sends a visual signal about where that commitment is rooted. The Eklavya school network was significantly expanded nationally after 2014, with Chhattisgarh, one of the states with the highest Scheduled Tribe populations, receiving several new campuses in scheduled areas.

Whether specific Chhattisgarh initiatives featured in episode 138's content, or whether the state government announces follow-up actions tied to the programme's themes, will shape the practical impact of Sunday's gathering. For now, the image of a chief minister listening alongside tribal schoolchildren in a district auditorium bearing Birsa Munda's name carries its own message — one the CMO clearly intended for a national audience.