PATNA/NEW DELHI: Modi government‘s effort to canonise Birsa Munda, who valiantly stood up to British might, as a national icon has gathered momentum, with PM Modi regretting the failure to acknowledge the heroic fight the legendary tribal warrior put up against the colonial rulers.
“As we celebrate Janjatiya Gaurav Divas, it is important to understand why this event is necessary. It is an honest effort to correct a great injustice in history. The contribution of the tribal community was not given the recognition in history it deserved after independence,” the PM said while addressing a function in Bihar’s Jamui which is close to the border of the Santhal Pargana region of Jharkhand to which Birsa Munda belonged.
Modi govt has decided to celebrate 150th birth anniversary of the tribal hero as Janjatiya Gaurav Divas and PM marked the day by inaugurating and laying foundation of projects worth Rs 6,000 crore.
The day also saw home minister Amit Shah unveiling a statue of Birsa Munda at the intersection at Sarai Kale Khan ISBT in Delhi which has been named after the leader of ‘Ulgulan’, the great tumult, that challenged the British.
Modi blamed neglect of Munda and other tribal leaders who were part of the anti-colonial struggle to the effort to glorify the first PM Jawaharlal Nehru and his descendants to exclusion of others. “The effort was that members of one party and one family got credit,” Modi said, without mentioning any names.
“The tribal community is the one that led centuries-long fight to protect Bharat’s culture and freedom. However, following Independence, attempts were made to erase this contribution from tribal history, driven by selfish politics to give credit for Bharat’s freedom solely to one party. But if only one family secured Independence, then why did the ‘Ulgulan’ movement led by Birsa Munda happen? What was Santhal Rebellion? What was Kol Rebellion?” he asked.
The speech reflected BJP’s concern to integrate tribals into larger nationalist stream as a counter to attempts to cast them as a separate entity whose interests were at odds with majority community.
In Delhi, Shah spoke along the same lines after unveiling Birsa Munda’s statue. “At a very young age, he raised his voice against religious conversion,” Shah said of Birsa Munda who died at the young age of 25. “When the whole of India and two-thirds of the world was ruled by British, Birsa Munda displayed the courage of standing firmly against religious conversion and later this determination and bravery transformed him into a leader of this country,” the home minister added.
Shah added that Munda was the first one to champion the primacy of tribals’ claims on resources – jal, jungle, jameen (water, forests, land) – in their traditional lands.
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