Birsa Munda birth anniversary: History, significance and celebrations

There have been many great freedom fighters who made immense contributions towards fighting the oppressive British Raj and making India independent. One such name that comes to the mind when we think about India’s freedom struggle is Birsa Munda. Born on 15 November, 1875, Birsa Munda was a young tribal freedom fighter who is remembered for his activism against British India in the late 19th century. Birsa was a young tribal freedom fighter and the British arrested him on 3 March, 1900. Unfortunately, he died at a young age of 25 years in the jail of Ranchi on 9 June, 1900. Every year, 15 November is marked as the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda for remembering him. History: Birsa Munda took birth in the tribal areas of Bihar and Jharkhand, and most of his childhood was spent in traveling from one village to another with his parents. Birsa was from the Munda community in the region of Chotanagpur plateau. Under the guidance of his teacher Jaipal Nag, he got his education in Salga. For the land and rights of the tribals, Birsa joined the Sardar movement in 1894. The war between Mundas and British soldiers took place between 1897-1900. Birsa along with his 400 soldiers attacked the Khunti police station in 1897. On the banks of Tanga river, the Mundas clashed with the British forces in 1898. At first, the British army was defeated, but later they arrested many tribal leaders of that area. Significance: The movement died soon after the demise of Birsa Munda but it is a fact that he was the one who mobilised the tribal community against the British. Slogan threatening the British Raj by Birsa Munda is still remembered in Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh. Celebrations: Last year, the government had announced the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda, that is 15 November as ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Divas’ to remember and honour the brave tribal freedom fighters. University Grants Commission (UGC) has recently told the higher educational institutes that they are required to organise debate competitions, congratulate the students for their work and conduct activities to highlight the Birsa Munda’s legacy on 15 November. Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.