P. A. Chacko
Birsa Munda is honoured as one of Jharkhand’s (India) greatest freedom fighters. He was born on 15 November 1875. On 9 June, 1900 he died in Ranchi jail, reportedly vomiting blood. Was he poisoned? May be! Was he tortured? Possibly!
Ulihat was a decrepit village in Lohardaga district of Bengal Presidency (now Jharkhand). That was Birsa’s birthplace. Birsa was a visionary. His revolt revolved around the Munda belt of Khunti, Tamar, Sarwada and Bandgaon.
Birsa revolted against the British tactics of exploiting the tribals and the agrarian community. Landlord and jagirdari systems introduced by the British were repugnant to Birsa. He coined the slogan ‘Abua Raj’ (Our Kingdom) as against the British Kingdom. He fought against land alienation and advocated tribal rights.
It is said that he claimed to be a new visionary of a new religion with belief in one God. He instructed his followers not to pay rent to the British. His followers called him Dharti Aba (Earthly Father)
Mahasweta Devi, famous Indian writer and activist, produced a novel called Aranyer Adhikar (Forest Rights) in 1977. It was based on Birsa Munda and his rebellion against the British Raj. For this she won the Sahitya Academy award for Bengali in 1979.