Birsa Munda Jayanti 2023: Iconic Tribal Leader, Who Led An Uprising Against The British Empire

Context:

• Recently, on the occasion of the Birsa Munda Jayanti (birth anniversary of triabal icon Birsa Munda), the Indian Prime Minister paid tribute to him and launched the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra to ensure last-mile delivery of government welfare schemes and the PM Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan to empower particularly vulnerable tribal groups.

Who was Birsa Munda?

• Tribal Glory: Birsa Munda (1875-1900) was an Indian tribal freedom fighter and folk hero who belonged to the Munda tribe. 
• Target Reforms: He led a millenarian movement that sought to reform tribal society and fight against British colonial rule in the late 19th century.
• Reason for Unrest: The British colonial policies of restricting traditional tribal rights over forest lands were a major cause of tribal unrest. Birsa Munda’s movement exemplified the social and economic grievances behind tribal uprisings against the British.

His Early Life and Background

• 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’.
  • Dikhus: The term ‘dikus’ refers to the exploitative outsiders in tribal areas.
• 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.

His Significant Movements

• Mundaism: In the late 19th century, Birsa Munda founded a new religious movement known as “Mundaism” or “Kisangism”. 
  • 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 and Hindu landlords.
• 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.

Conclusion:

Birsa Munda is revered as God in the folk traditions of many central Indian tribal communities. Birsa Munda’s achievements are known to be even more remarkable by virtue of the fact that he came to acquire them before he was 25. His achievements as a young tribal revolutionary have continued to be celebrated over decades now and he has successfully carved out a space for himself in popular and folk literature, academia, and mass media.