November 15 is celebrated as Janjatiya Gaurav Divas (Tribal Pride Day) to commemorate the birth anniversary of tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda.

• The Ministry of Tribal Affairs is establishing 11 museums to commemorate various tribal movements and uprisings against British rule and promote their cultures and histories.
• The year 2024-25 is being celebrated as Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh to commemorate 150 years of tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda’s birth.

About Bhagwan Birsa Munda 

• Birth: He was born in 1875 in the village of Ulihatu, in the Mundari princely state of Khunti, and grew up in a time when the Munda people were facing increasing exploitation and displacement by British colonial rule and Hindu landlords.
  • His birth anniversary falls on 15th November, which is celebrated as ‘Birsa Munda Jayanti’.
• A Munda Leader: Birsa Munda was a tribal leader and religious reformer who belonged to the Munda tribe of Chotanagpur, a region in present-day Jharkhand and Odisha.
• Founded the faith of Birsait:  Blend of animism and indigenous beliefs which emphasised the worship of a single god.
• Given the nickname ‘Dharti Aba’ or the father of the earth.
• Legacy:
  • State of Jharkhand was created on his birth anniversary in 2000
  • The birth anniversary of Birsa Munda was declared ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Divas’ by the Central Government in 2021.
• Significant Movements
  • Mundaism: In the late 19th century, Birsa Munda founded a new religious movement known as “Mundaism” or “Kisangism” or “Birsait faith”.
  • Aim: To revive traditional Munda customs and beliefs and unite the Munda people against their oppressors.
  • Emphasis On: Birsa’s teachings emphasized the importance of self-reliance, social justice, and resistance against oppression. 
  • Preachings: He preached that the Munda people should return to their traditional values and reject the influence of both British colonialism, missionaries.
  • The Great Tumult Movement: Birsa’s movement, the Ulgulan or Great Tumult, arose in the Chotanagpur region of the Bengal Presidency (now Jharkhand). 
    • It mobilized Munda and Oraon tribals against forced labor, missionary activities, and colonial land appropriation.
• Death: The British arrested Birsa in 1895 and he died in prison in 1900. 
  • His death sparked violent protests and he became a martyr for tribal activism against the British.
• The impact of the Munda revolt was the establishment of the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act in 1908. 
  • It restricted the transfer of tribal land to non-tribal owners, and recognized the tribal community’s customary rights to land, water, and forest. 
  • The act also introduced the “Mundari Khuntkattidar” tenure category, which recognized the original settlers of the land among the Mundas.

Government Initiatives Promoting Tribal Histories and Cultures

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