BIRSA MUNDA - HISTORY
News: Birth anniversary of Birsa Munda: The leader, his contributions
What's in the news?
● On
the occasion of the birth anniversary of tribal leader Birsa Munda, the Centre
marked the second Janjatiya Gaurav Divas
on November 15 to celebrate the contributions of tribal communities to Indian
culture.
● President Droupadi Murmu, who was appointed India’s first tribal woman president this year, visited Ulihatu village in the Khunti district of Jharkhand – the birthplace of ‘Bhagwan’ Birsa Munda – and paid floral tributes.
Key takeaways:
● As
Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda announced recently, national and
state-level programmes are being organised to celebrate Janjatiya Gaurav Divas from November 15 to 22.
● The government has also paid tributes to other pre-independence era tribal leaders recently, with the statue of Alluri Sitharama Raju inaugurated by the Prime Minister this year and new ‘tribal museums’ announced.
Birsa Munda:
● Birsa
Munda (also known as Dharti Aaba (Father
of Earth)) was an Indian tribal freedom
fighter, religious leader, and folk hero who belonged to the Munda tribe.
● Born
on November 15, 1875, Birsa spent much of his childhood moving from one village
to another with his parents.
● He
belonged to the Munda tribe in the Chota
Nagpur Plateau area.
● He
received his early education at Salga under the guidance of his teacher Jaipal
Nag.
● On
the recommendation of Jaipal Nag, Birsa
converted to Christianity in order to join the German Mission school.
● He,
however, opted out of the school after a few years.
● With
the impact of British rule in the region, as well as the activities of
Christian missionaries, many tribes became critical of the British and
missionaries presence.
● From
1886 to 1890, Birsa Munda spent a large amount of time in Chaibasa, which was close to the center of the Sardari agitation.
● The
Sardar's activities had a strong impact on him and he became a part of the anti-missionary and anti-government
programmes.
● By
the time he left Chaibasa in 1890, Birsa was strongly entrenched in the
movement against the British oppression of the tribal communities.
● Birsa
soon emerged as a tribal leader who brought people together on fighting for
these issues.
● He
became a God-like figure, with him
leading the faith of ‘Birsait’.
● Soon, members of the Munda and Oraon communities started joining the Birsait sect and it turned into a challenge to British conversion activities.
Khuntkatti system:
● The
Munda tribe inhabited the Chota Nagpur region of today’s Jharkhand. When Birsa
Munda was born in 1875, the British were
attempting to establish control over and exploit forest lands, disrupting the
tribal way of life.
● This
was done in part by allying with local zamindars, who helped force the tribals
into bonded labor.
● A
feudal zamindari system was
introduced, destroying the tribal
“Khuntkatti” agrarian and land ownership system that was more community-based.
● The Raj brought in outsiders such as moneylenders and contractors, as well as feudal landlords to aid them.
What was the Ulgulan movement?
● The
Ulgulan movement of 1899 also involved
the use of weapons and guerrilla warfare to drive out foreigners.
● Munda
encouraged the tribals to refuse following colonial laws and paying rent.
● He
encouraged changes in the social sphere
too, challenging religious practices to fight against superstition, and became
known as ‘Bhagwan’ (God) and ‘Dharati Aba’ (Father of the earth) by his
followers.
● But
the British were soon able to halt the movement.
● On
March 3, 1900, Munda was arrested by the British police while he was sleeping
with his tribal guerilla army at Jamkopai forest in Chakradharpur.
● It
is believed he died in Ranchi jail due to an illness on June 9, 1900, at the
young age of 25.
● Though
he lived a short life and the movement died out soon after his death, Birsa
Munda is known to have paid a significant role in mobilizing the tribal community
against the British and forcing the colonial officials to introduce laws
protecting the land rights of the tribals.