Who Was Birsa Munda, PM Modi Pays Tribute To Tribal Freedom Fighter On His Birth Anniversary

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda on his birth anniversary. Modi took to his Twitter and shared a video with a caption, "Like we mark 15th August, 26th January, Gandhi Jayanti, and Sardar Patel Jayanti, we shall mark 15th November, the Jayanti of Bhagwan Birsa Munda as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas. This will be a day to celebrate the glorious tribal culture and contribution to national development." Here is the tweet.

Narendra Modi also tweeted, "Respectful tributes to Lord Birsa Munda ji on his birth anniversary. Along with giving a sharp edge to the freedom movement, he always fought to protect the interests of the tribal society. His contribution to the country will always be remembered."

Who Was Birsa Munda?

Bhagwan Birsa Munda was an Indian tribal freedom fighter, a religious leader who belonged to Munda Tribe. Birsa Munda was born on November 15, 1987, in Ulihatu village which is currently in Jharkhand. He spent his childhood in poverty.  He lived for just 25 years but he fought against injustice and oppression, representing a strong voice of resistance against colonialism. Birsa Munda spearheaded a tribal religious millenarian movement that arose in the Bengal Presidency (now Jharkhand) in the late 19th century, during the British Raj.

He started a movement, 'The Great Tumult or Ulgulan'. The movement was failed but it resulted in Chotanagpur Tenancy Act which prohibited the tribal lands from passing to non-tribals, protecting their land rights for the foreseeable future.

He was arrested by the British Police on March 3, 1900. He died in Ranchi Jail on June 9, 1900.

In recognition of his impact on the national movement, the state of Jharkhand was created on his birth anniversary in 2000.