Today, the Chief Minister of Jharkhand will welcome the President of India Ramnath Kovind to the state, and the latter will celebrate the formation of Jharkhand when it was carved out of Bihar 17 years ago. Early in the morning, Ramnath Kovind already hailed the state on Twitter.
Tributes to freedom fighter and national hero ‘Dharti Aba’ Birsa Munda on his birth anniversary. I am happy to be visiting Jharkhand on this day #PresidentKovind
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) November 15, 2017
This celebration is a call out to the one of the first freedom fighters in India. Jharkhand celebrates its birthday on the birth anniversary of their hero Birsa Munda. His story is not less than any other modern legend.
Born in Bihar on 15th November 1785, Birsa belonged to the Munda tribe of Chotanagpur. In school, he was converted to Christianity, but growing up he realised the impact of missionary activities and its support to colonialism. He became aware that nationalism lay in uniting his own people for freedom.
He started the sect ‘Birsait’, which attracted many tribals from Munda and Oraon communities. He became heavily involved in the anti-conversion and anti-national activities against the British.
He was soon arrested in 1900 when he was camping with a guerrilla army in a forest. He died in Ranchi jail.
His philosophy and contribution are more inspiring because he sacrificed his life at the young age of 25 for a higher cause. The nation was still young in the clutches of imperialism. There was hardly any intellectual leadership which emerged with the Congress. And yet, one simple boy from the jungle rose to the occasion.
Today, folklore and history celebrate Birsa. In an age when that region is ravaged by corrupt politicians, patriarchy, Naxalites and other modern evils, it remembers its first hero, and hopes that another Birsa will rise to save the day.
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