PM Modi honours Birsa Munda in his I-Day speech: Who was the tribal leader?

From the ramparts of the Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the national flag on the 78th Independence Day and addressed the nation amid light rain and a cloudy sky. However, the weather couldn’t put a dampener on the PM’s spirit as he delivered his address to the nation in which he paid tribute to the countless people who made sacrifices and struggled for the country’s freedom. “The country is indebted to them,” Modi said.

He also reiterated his ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ goal through his address. PM Modi noted that his government was committed to reforms and the blueprint for growth is not borne of any political compulsion but the dedication to the nation first.

In his over 60-minute long speech, he also mentioned tribal leader, Birsa Munda, also known as Bhagwan Birsa. Modi said of Birsa, “Even before the freedom struggle, there was one young adivasi man who became a headache for the British forces. Just at the age of 20-22, this young man became a huge problem for the British. Today we know him as Bhagwan Birsa Munda and we worship him.

“His 150th birth anniversary is approaching. And he is an inspiration to all in our society. Birsa Munda shows how even the smallest man in society can bring about big change. Let us all come together and celebrate his 150th birth anniversary by increasing our love and compassion.”

But who is Birsa Munda and why did PM Modi mention him in his speech.

1) Birsa Munda was a freedom fighter and a revered tribal leader who challenged British rule and is credited with mobilising tribals against the empire.

2) Munda forced the colonial rulers to introduce laws protecting the land rights of the tribals. He spearheaded the tribal Millenarian movement that arose in the erstwhile Bengal Presidency comprising western districts of Bengal, Bihar and Odisha.

3) Munda was born on November 15, 1875, in Chhotanagpur plateau of present-day Jharkhand. He had organised his first protest march for remission of forest dues during the great famine of 1895.

4) He also coined the slogan, ‘Abua raj seter jana, maharani raj tundu jana’ which means ‘End the kingdom of the queen, create our kingdom’.

5) In 1899, Birsa launched the Ulgulan movement, using weapons and guerrilla warfare to drive out foreigners. He encouraged tribals to follow the Birsa Raj and to not comply with colonial laws and rent payments.

6) However, the British put an end to the movement. On March 3, 1900, Munda was arrested by the British police while he was sleeping along with his tribal guerilla army at the Jamkopai forest in Chakradharpur. He then died in Ranchi Jail due to an illness on June 9, 1900, at the young age of 25.

7) Munda in his very short life, mobilised the tribal community, rebelled against forced conversions, envisioned a fairer, more just society and died fighting for it.

8) Other than his fight for freedom and rights of the tribals, Birsa also founded a new religion called Birsait. The founding of the new religion was in response to the large-scale conversion by the missionaries.