Birsa Munda, the celebrated tribal leader and freedom fighter, spearheaded a major 19th-century uprising against British colonial rule. He mobilised indigenous communities to fight for their land rights, culture and self-determination, leaving behind a lasting legacy in Indian history.
The Narendra Modi government has designated November 15, Birsa Munda’s birth anniversary, as ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Divas’ to honour the contributions of India’s tribal communities to the freedom struggle and cultural heritage.
Miles away, in Jharkhand’s Khunti district, lives the tribal icon’s great-great-grandson Kanhu Munda. A postgraduate working at the local sub-divisional magistrate’s office, he says few care about how the family of the tribal icon makes ends meet.
“Political leaders cutting across party lines have capitalised on the name of Birsa Munda without doing anything concrete about his family. Our ancestors fought for the freedom of this beautiful land, but most of us are landless. Our children do not go to good schools. We do not have pucca houses,” he told The Tribune in an exclusive interaction.
Kanhu lost his elder brother Mangal Munda in a car accident in 2024. “We had to rush him to Ranchi because our village did not have better medical facilities. We lost him during treatment,” he said.
He said President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Modi and several central and state leaders had visited his house in Ulihatu village.
“For long, we have been requesting both central and state dispensations for better school and medical facilities in the village. Even in this 21st century, we are centuries behind the mainstream society. At least, our next generation should move forward with better education, health and opportunities,” he argued.
Kanhu said several stadiums, universities, schools and colleges had been named after Birsa Munda, but the icon’s own descendants remained out of these institutions.
“The government should at least give us some kind of royalty, or financial aid to our children to study. We are the last surviving family belonging to Bhagwan Birsa Munda, and expect little more consideration from the authorities,” he said.
Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the Bhagwan Birsa Munda Museum and Memorial Park in Ranchi district in 2021. The Rs 35-crore project features a 25-foot statue and details the struggles of several tribal leaders against British rule.
The tribal icon’s great-great-grandson, however, said the government should instead work on creating supporting infrastructure around the museum, including hotels, food joints, better roads and connectivity, to attract tourists.
Diwan Sonakhan, a descendant of Chhattisgarh’s first tribal freedom fighter Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh, echoed similar sentiments of neglect, apathy and penury.
“Look at the present condition of tribals in the country. They are losing their lands, forests, customs and above all self-respect. The government only remembers us during birth and death anniversaries of tribal icons. They forget about us once these programmes end,” he said.
Sonakhan alleged that deforestation was taking place at a high rate in Chhattisgarh, causing tribals to lose their homes and rights.
“Recently, a multinational company started its gold mining project in Sonakhan village. Neither the gram sabhas or the additional district magistrate (ADM) knew about the development as they were not consulted upon,” he said.
He said tribals were being given specific grazing spots by the administration for their cattle and penalised if the animals strayed.
“Tribals have the first right over the forests. Why are we being told to toe the line in our own region? We have been given land ‘pattas’ (title deeds) but our access to forests have been heavily curtailed,” he claimed.
He also claimed that tribals were usually rounded up before visits by high functionaries or central leaders to prevent them from speaking the truth.