Birsa Munda-The Forgotten Hero of India

at 02:24

Today is 15th november,the day when a Great Leader born in a Tribal Family of India,But rarely someone remembers him, and Really saying very few know about him.He is not an part of a Popular culture,he is not inspiration for the Indians like other Revolutionaries and leaders,I Have never heard about him by any Leader,He does not have any recognition on this Popular Internet.But still he is god for the Tribals!
He was Just 25 years old when he dies Fighting against the Britishers,he bacame the leader of tribals at the age of 20!
Birsa Munda

Birsa Munda was born on Thursday 15 November 1875 in ranchi,His Brother was converted to Christianity before his birth and later he was also converted to Christianity,But later he observed that instead of improving his life,it was going worst and worst day by day he realized that this have destroyed his culture,Until that thousands of Mundas were converted to Christianity then the Great Martyr Birsa munda at the age of 20 in 1895 rebelled to Christianity and became an Munda again and became an Vaishnav,During this period he revolted many times and asked his tribals o worship only one God and give up worshipping a number of bongas. He gave stress on purity, austerity and prohibited cow- slaughters.
He declared himself an Prophet who had came here to help the people to get back the Lost kingdom,and said that the reign of the Queen Victoria was over and the Munda Raj had begun. And ordered to the raiyats to pay no rents, as their lands were free.

Mundas used to call him "Dharati Aba" the Father of earth,later a rumor was spread that the Non-believers of Mundas will be massacred and he was arrested and imprisioned for 2 years.
After released from jail Birsa had no problems in reorganizing the movement. As a matter of strategy he went with his followers to Chutia on 28 January 1898 to collect the record or rights and re-establish racial links with the temple there. He said that the temple belonged to the Kols in ancient times. The Christian missionaries were unnerved as   Birsa had become the biggest stumbling block in their path of conversion. So they were all out to stop and punish him. His followers were arrested. Birsa went underground for two years.

During this period he visited Jagarnathpur temple. He attended a series of secret meetings and practiced the traditional ritual of throwing arrows. By the end of 1899 Birsa , the messiah reappeared with magical powers to invigorate his followers, the Birsaits. Birsa Munda’s longtime companion a Munda woman Sali was instrumental in organizing the women in this movement. It is said that 7000 men  and women assembled around Christmas of  1899 heralding the revolution which soon spread to Khunti, Tamar, Basia and Ranchi. The Anglican Mission at Murhu and the Roman Catholic Mission, Sarwada was the main target. The Birsaits openly declared that the real enemies were only the Saheb Log and the Christian Mundas would not be touched.  It was January 5, 1900. The entire Munda community was up in arms. Gaya Munda and his men cut two constables to pieces at Etkedih. On 7 January the Birsait crowed attacked Khunti Police station, killed a constable and razed the house of local shopkeepers.

The revolt rocked the British administration to the extent that the commissioner declared a reward of Rs 500 for the arrest of Birsa. Subsequently British forces attacked heavily on  Munda warriors congregated at  " Dumbari Hill " and made indiscriminate firing like that of  "Jaliyan Wala Bagh " and killed several hundred people. The whole hill was littered with dead human corpses. After Brutal slaughter the dead bodies were thrown into the deep gorges and ravines of the hill. Many of the wounded were buried alive. According to an editorial published on March 25, 1900, The Statesman, put the toll at 400. However, the then administration suppressed the fact and claimed that only eleven persons were killed and nine insured in two firings on January 7 and January 9, 1900. Fear and panic show spread over the area that "Dombari” was named by Mundas  as " Topped Buru "  - the mound of dead.
Birsa anyhow escaped to the hills of Singhbhum,He was arrested while he was sleeping at  Jamkopai  forest in Chakradharpur on March 3, 1900.
Birsa Munda died in the jail on 9th June 1900. His dead body is reported to have been criminated near the distillery bridge Kokar ( Ranchi ).  People say, actually Birsa was buried under the bridge (In 1900 there was no bridge). According to the Locals he was poisoned as the British Rule had no guts to execute him publicly.

This was the Last heroic act by the tribals in the 19th century,He is still an Inspiration for the thousands of tribals in Jharkhand,However for Indians he is...................??????
The Place where he died is in the same condition as the Death places of other Revolutionaries are-No Recognition,and might be there will be some Mall in the coming years as in the Jail he died is of no use now.

He Said “Our land is blowing away as the dust blows away in the storm"-Birsa Munda.

 India is an free Country,the Biggest Democracy of World However no one remembers him,Birsa Munda Fought for the Ashes of his Ancestors,For His Culture,To save his identity,to save his land.
Did the life of tribals have changed in India after 112 years of death of the the Great Martyr Birsa Munda?You should think about this,According to Indian Government more then 2 Lakhs Crore has been spend on the tribals of India since freedom but their life is going worst day by day in previous 30 years,Reality is that still they have no Representations in parliament,No one think about them,their land is captured in the name of development.