Bhopal: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually inaugurate two ‘tribal freedom fighters’ museums in Madhya Pradesh on Friday, Birsa Munda’s birth anniversary.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav shared this information on Thursday, saying that PM Modi will dedicate tribal museums established in Chhindwara and Jabalpur districts to the country.
The museum in Chhindwara has been named after local tribal hero (freedom fighter) Badal Bhoi, while that in Jabalpur has been christened after Raja Shankar Shah and Raghunath Shah.
The state’s Tribal Affairs Department has curated both museums, which will describe the lives of 25 tribal freedom fighters, including Birsa Munda, Raja Shankar Shah, and Raghunath Shah.
There are many scenic and important places related to the tribal freedom struggle around the museum.
Jabalpur’s tribal museum has six galleries, one of which is dedicated to Rani Durgavati. It displays her life, rule, and struggle with external invaders.
The Madhya Pradesh government has organised state-level programmes in the Dhar and Shahdol districts to commemorate Birsa Munda’s birth anniversary.
On this occasion, artists from tribal communities will perform their traditional arts to celebrate the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda, whom they worship as God.
In addition to celebrating Birsa Munda’s birth anniversary, the state government will pay homage to local freedom fighters and their families and celebrate the rich heritage and contributions of the tribal communities.
The hero of the Indian tribal freedom struggle, Birsa Munda, played a pivotal role in inspiring the tribal community of the Chotanagpur region to fight for their independence. He led the armed revolution known as “Ulgulan” (the rebellion) against British rule. He belonged to the Munda tribe in the Chhotanagpur Plateau area. He spearheaded an Indian tribal mass movement that arose in the Bihar and Jharkhand belts in the early 19th century under British colonisation.
Munda rallied the tribals to fight against the forceful land grabbing carried out by the British government, which would turn the tribals into bonded labourers and force them to abject poverty.
He influenced his people to realise the importance of owning their land and asserting their rights over it.
He founded the Birsait faith, a blend of animism and Indigenous beliefs that emphasised the worship of a single god. He became their leader and was given the nickname ‘Dharti Aba’, or the father of the earth. He died on June 9, 1900, at the age of 25.
November 15, Birsa Munda’s birth anniversary, was declared ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Divas’ by the PM Modi-led government in 2021.
–IANS
