Read about Dharti Abba Birsa Munda, why he got name of Bhagwan
India is a land of Freedom fighters, and when we say freedom fighters, several names come to our mind, such as Mahatma Gandhi, Lokmanya Tilak, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Bhagat Singh.
Along with them are several other fighters whose names were never mentioned in the books of History.
So let us introduce you to one of the greatest freedom fighters Birsa Munda. His name was not mentioned in the books, nor was his Jayanti celebrated by the Indian Govt.
Why Birsa Munda was one of the greatest:
Birsa Munda opposed the British, battled for tribal rights, and contributed to abolishing the feudal system that plagued Adivasi areas in Jharkhand and Bihar.
Let’s dig into his past:
Birsa Munda was born on 15 November 1875 in Ulihatu, Jharkhand (then part of the Bengal Presidency).
Munda belongs to the Chhotanagpur Plateau’s Munda tribe. He grew up surrounded by Christian missionaries who aimed to convert as many indigenous people as possible to Christianity.
Munda joined a missionary school, where the teacher, Jaipal Nag, urged his bright young pupil to continue his studies and enter the German Mission School. He was pushed to convert to Christianity as a result of this.
Creation of the new Religion Bisrat:
Munda spent much time at Chaibasa, Jharkhand, between 1886 and 1890, near the Sardars’ agitation against British rule.
Munda decided to give up Christianity and leave the German Mission School after being deeply amazed and disillusioned by what he witnessed the British and Christian missionaries do to the Indians there.
Birsa Munda became Dharti Abba:
He established Birsait, a new religion that worshipped just one god. Birsait quickly became the most popular religion among the Mundas and Oraons due to his rising influence in the tribal community.
Munda, also known as ‘Dharti Abba’ or “Father of the Earth,” drove his followers to return to their tribal roots and traditions.
Munda also preached a strong anti-British mindset through his religion, mobilizing thousands of tribal people to organize guerrilla armies to oppose the Raj. Birsa set out in the late 1890s to remove the British-imposed feudal system in the Adivasi forest territory.
In this scheme, the British enticed migrants from other states to come and work on tribal territory while pocketing all of the revenues.
As a result, the original owners of the land, the numerous tribes, were left without land and any means of survival.
It’s been more than a century, and Munda’s impact remains, especially in Bihar, Jharkhand (founded on his birth anniversary in 2000), and regions of Karnataka and Odisha.
His revolutionary work not only caused a crack in British rule but also helped unite tribals. Because of him and other activists like him, tribals in India have a fighting opportunity to secure their rights.
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