Birsa Munda belonged to the Munda tribe and was an Indian freedom fighter, religious leader and folk hero. What is remarkable is, he achieved this feat in a lifespan of only 25 years. He lived between1875–1900 and is remembered even to this day in tribal areas Bihar, West Bengal, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh.

During the British Raj, in the late 19th century, Birsa Munda led an indigenous tribal religious millenarian movement in tribal areas of today’s Bihar and Jharkhand. Thus, he became a prominent figure in the history of the Indian independence struggle.

He is the only tribal leader who is honoured in such a way that  his  portrait hangs in the Central Hall of the Indian parliament house.

Birsa Munda Biography:

Birsa Munda was born on 15 November 1875, at Ulihatu in colonial Bihar, now in the Khunti district of Jharkhand to Sugana Munda and Karmi Hatu. Some people believe that Birsa was born in Chalkad. His brother was Komta Munda.They were part of tribal agrarian system existing on those times.

The Freedom Movement:

The British Raj tried  transformation of the tribal agrarian system into a feudal type of state, which led to resentment among tribals. Due to this new system,  the tribals had lost their proprietary rights on lands, and were forced to be farm labourers.

To resist this, Birsa Munda led series of revolts and uprisings against British. His struggle wanted to assert rights of the Mundas as the original proprietors of the land. He also wanted ouster of middlemen and the British Raj. The movement caught the imagination of the tribals  as never before and they resisted British tooth and nail under leadership of Birsa Munda.

But Birsa was caught on 3 February 1900 due to treachery. Later, he died  mysteriously on 9 June 1900 in Ranchi Jail.

The martyredome of Birsa  did not go in vain. The British realized their folly and they introduced laws so that the land of the tribals could not be taken away by the outsiders.  Also, the revolt  showed that the tribal people were capable of protesting against injustice and express their anger against British.

Birsa Munda the Legend Today:

Birth anniversary of Birsa Munda falls on 15 November. The official function is held at his Samadhi Sthal, at Kokar, Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand. It is marked by celebrations by tribal people of not only Bihar and Jharkhand, but also far off places including Mysore and Kodagu districts in Karnataka.

Birsa Munda Legacy:

There are a innumerable organizations which are named after him today. Prominent among them being  Birsa Munda Airport Ranchi, Birsa Agricultural University, Birsa Munda Vanvasi Chattravas, Sidho Kanho Birsha University, Purulia, and Birsa Institute of Technology Sindri, Kanpur.

Keeping his brave spirit alive, Bihar Regiment of the Indian Army has adopted the war cry of ‘ Birsa Munda Ki Jai’ or Victory to Birsa Munda.

By 15 November 2018, a 150-foot-tall statue of Birsa Munda will be built in Jharkland by stones collected from households in the region.

Birsa Munda stands for modern values of freedom from oppression and rights of sons of soils. He not only  belongs to Jharkhand and Bihar but also to whole of India. He was a true son of India. Let all Indians know about him and be grateful to him for his sacrifice towards our motherland.