BirsaMunda(1875–1900) was an Indian tribal freedom fighter, religious leader, and folk hero who belonged to the Munda tribe. He spearheaded an Indian indigenous tribal religious millenarian movement that arose in the tribal beltof modern-day Bihar and Jharkhand in the late 19th century, during the British Raj, thereby making him an important figure in the history of the Indian independence movement. His achievements are even more remarkable for having been accomplished before the age of 25.
His portrait hangs in the Central Hall of the Indian parliament, the only tribal leader to have been so honoured.
BirsaMunda and his movement:
His call against the British Raj,“Abua raj stejana, maharani raj tandujana”(Let the kingdom of queen be ended and our kingdom be established.)is remembered today in tribal areas of Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar.
The British colonial system intensified the transformation of the tribal agrarian system into feudal state. As the tribals with their primitive technology could not generate a surplus, non-tribal peasantry were invited by the chiefs in Chhotanagpur to settle on and cultivate the land. This led to the alienation of the lands held by the tribals. The new class of Thekadars was of a more rapacious kind and eager to make most of their possessions.
In 1856 Jagirdars stood at about 600, and they held from a village to 150 villages. By 1874, the authority of the old Munda or Oraon chiefs had been almost entirely effaced by that of the farmers, introduced by the superior landlord. In some villages the aborigines had completely lost their proprietary rights, and had been reduced to the position of farm labourers.
To the twin challenges of agrarian breakdown and culture change, BirsaMunda responded through a series of revolts and uprisings under his leadership. The movement sought to assert rights of the Mundas as the real proprietors of the soil, and the expulsion of middlemen and the British. Though he lived for a very short span of 25 years, he aroused the mind-set of the tribals and mobilized them in a small town of Chotanagpur and was a terror to the British rulers.
Arrest and death :
He was arrested on 3 March 1900 in Jamkopai forest, Chakradharpur while he was sleeping along his tribal guerrilla army which was fighting against British forces.About 460 tribal people were arrested of which one was given with capital punishment, 39 were awarded for transportation for life and 23 for 14 years jail. BirsaMunda died in Ranchi Jail on 9 June 1900.
His birth anniversary which falls on 15 November, is still celebrated by tribal people in as far as Mysore and Kodagu districts in Karnataka, and official function takes place at his Samadhi Sthal, at Kokar Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand.
The war cry of Bihar Regiment is BirsaMunda Ki Jai (Victory to BirsaMunda). In 2008, Hindi film based on the life of Birsa, Gandhi Se Pehle Gandhi was directed by IqbalDurran based on his own novel by the same name. Another Hindi film, “Ulgulan-EkKranti (The Revolution)” was made in 2004 by Ashok Saran, in which 500 Birsaits or followers of Birsa acted.
Commemoration:
He is commemorated in the names of the following institutions:
- Birsa Institute of Technology Sindri
- Birsa Agricultural University
- SidhoKanhoBirsha University
- BirsaMunda Athletics Stadium
- BirsaMunda Airport, Ranchi
- Birsa Institute of Technical Education
- BirsaMunda Central Jail
- BirsaSeva Dal a controversial defunct organization