- He was a tribal leader, religious preacher, and folk hero who fought against colonialism and the exploitation of labourers throughout his life.
- Birsa Munda (1875-1900) was born in Ulihatu, in the forests of Bohonda, in the Chotatanagpur region of Jharkhand. He came from the Munda tribe and was influenced by the Sardari Larai movement
- His followers included other tribals of the region as well, like the Santhals and Oraons. All of them had grievances against the exploitative colonial rule of the British.
- Birsa led the Munda rebellion, also known as ‘Ulgulan’ or ‘The Great Tumult’. The rebellion aimed to establish “Munda Raj” and restore the traditional tribal governance system.
- Birsa initiated a religious movement that encouraged tribals to return to their traditional animistic faith. He blended elements of Christianity and Hinduism into this movement, aiming to revive tribal cultural pride.
- Birsa’s efforts led to significant changes in the colonial policy towards tribal people. He died under mysterious circumstances in British custody at the age of 25, on June 9, 1900.
- The Union Cabinet of India approved the celebration of Janjatiya Gaurav Divas on November 15th, the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda, to honour the contributions of tribal freedom fighters.
- A tribal freedom fighter museum was also recently inaugurated in Ranchi and there has development of new infrastructure in Ulihatu,
Dig Deeper: Tribal movements in colonial India & changes after the Munda rebellion
