The legend of Birsa Munda

Context: Birsa Munda was one of the tallest icons of India’s freedom movement and his contributions, along with others who were part of the struggles organised by tribal communities, must be acknowledged.

Background

• Birsa Munda: Born on November 15, 1875, in Jharkhand, spent his childhood in abject poverty in a tribal Munda family
• Emergence of exploitative British Raj in Tribal Area of Central and Eastern India: 
  • Feudal zamindari system in the Chhota Nagpur region introduced that destroyed the tribal “Khuntkatti” agrarian system. It reduced the tribal from status of landowners to that of labourers.
  • Outsiders as moneylenders and contractor and feudal landlords had brought in the tribal land.
  • Unrelenting missionary activity with British interference in religious-cultural ethos of Adivasis.
  • Feudal setup intensified the forced labour (veth bigari) in the forested tribal areas.
• Sardari Larai movement during 1880s: Birsa witnessed the movement, demanded to restore tribal rights through non-violent methods like sending petitions to the Raj. Oppressive colonial regime paid no heed to these demands. 

Birsa Munda and his contributions to Indian Freedom Struggle

• Steps taken by Birsa Munda against British exploitations: 
• Stood against missionaries who were belittling tribal life and culture.
• Worked to refine and reform religious practices, discouraged many superstitious rites.
• Brought in new tenets, prayers and worked to restore tribal pride. 
• Birsa impressed upon Adivasis the importance of “sirmare firun raja jai” or “victory to the ancestral king”: Invoked sovereignty of the tribals’ ancestral autonomous control over the land. 
• Became a mass leader: Began to be considered as “Bhagwan” and “Dharti Aba” by his followers.
• Revolt against colonial power: Birsa identified the enemy i.e., ‘oppressive Raj’ as dikus.
• Avoided to pay any rent and attacked the outposts of feudal, missionary and colonial authorities. 
• Revolted against the colonial power with traditional bows and arrows: In doing so, Birsa was careful that only the real exploiters were attacked. Birsa became an image of vitality and divinity.
• Effect – Chhota Nagpur Tenancy Act of 1908: Restricted the transfer of tribal land to non-tribals. 
• British regime also took steps to abolish Veth Bigari or forced labour.
• Icon of valour, courage and leadership to millions: Great pride in his rich culture and great traditions, and didn’t shy away from reforming his own faith wherever necessary.