Though he lived a short span of life, ‘Birsa Munda’ is known to have mobilised the tribal community against the British. And he had also forced the colonial officials to introduce laws protecting the land rights of the tribals. His selfless service to motherland and tribal people, as a young tribal revolutionary has continued to be celebrated all over India.
Birsa Munda was tribal freedom fighter, religious leader and folk hero belonging to the Munda tribe of the Chhotanagpur Plateau area.
In the 19th century, Birsa Munda started a tribal religious ‘Millenarian Movement’ in the Bengal Presidency (Present-day Jharkhand). The religion believed in one God and encouraged tribal people to revert to original religious beliefs. People belonging to the tribe of Mundas, Oraons and Kharias moved together to visit the new prophet and to find a cure to their problems. People started referring him Dharti Abba.
Birsa Munda not only preached the new religion but also mobilized people and formed the Guerrilla Army to end British Raj. His slogan ’Abua raj seter Jana, maharani raj tundu Jana' is still remembered in Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh.
Birsa Munda was born on November 15, 1875, in Ulihatu, Bengal Presidency (Present-day Jharkhand). His family moved to Kurumbda and then to Bamba in search of the employment, either as labourers or crop-sharers.
Due to poverty, Birsa was sent to his maternal uncle's village-- Ayubhatu. There he was surrounded by Christian missionaries. These missionaries attacked the old Munda order and wanted to convert people into Christianity.
At Ayubhatu, Birsa went to a missionary school and his teacher encouraged him to study further. He was advised by his teacher to enrol in German Mission School,. But to get admission, Munda was forced to convert to Christianity. He was renamed as Birsa David and later to Birsa Daud after the conversion. Birsa left the German Mission School after studying for a few years.
But in the wake of freedom struggle, Birsa’s father withdrew him from school and left the place. The family also renounced Christianity and reverted to their original tribal religious customs. Soon he became a part of the anti-missionary and anti-government program. He formed the Guerrilla Army to end British Raj. His slogan and leadership, helped to mobilize the tribal people to unite against british raj.
On March 3, 1900, Birsa Munda was arrested by the British police while he was sleeping with his tribal guerilla army at Jamkopai forest in Chakradharpur. He died in Ranchi jail on June 9, 1900 at a young age of 25.
Remembering 'Birsa Munda' on his birth anniversary!