State PCS - Jharkhand (JPSC)

• 10 Jun 2025

Birsa Munda Martyr’s Day

Why in News? 

On 9th June 2025, the Prime Minister paid tribute to Bhagwan Birsa Munda on the occasion of his Martyr's Day.

Key Points 

• About Birsa Munda:  
  • Birsa Munda was a tribal leader, religious reformer, and freedom fighter who led a strong resistance against British colonial policies in the Chotanagpur region. 
    • Also known as Dharti Abba (Father of the Earth), he is remembered for mobilising Adivasi communities around land rights, social reform, and spiritual unity. 
  • Early Life: Born on 15th November 1875 in Ulihatu (Khunti district, Jharkhand) to a poor Munda tribal sharecropper family, Birsa was initially named Daud Munda due to his father's temporary conversion to Christianity. 
  • Education: Educated at the German Mission School, Birsa was initially influenced by Christian teachings but rejected them due to cultural alienation.  
    • He was inspired by Vaishnavism, he founded the Birsait religion and was revered as Bhagwan by his followers.  
  • Beliefs and Teachings: He preached monotheism through the worship of Singhbonga (sun god), denounced alcoholism, black magic, superstitions, and forced labour (beth begari), and promoted hygiene, spiritual unity, pride in tribal identity, and community land ownership. 
  • Resistance Against British Rule: British land revenue policies dismantled the traditional Khunt Katti land system (collective land ownership within a clan), empowering zamindars and thikadars who exploited tribal peasants.  
    • Birsa mobilised tribal masses against these injustices and campaigned to reclaim their rights. 
  • The Ulgulan Movement (1895–1900): In 1895, Birsa Munda was arrested for rioting and jailed for 2 years; after his release in 1897, he resumed mobilising support across villages for a tribal-led self-rule movement. 
    • In 1899, he launched the Ulgulan (The Great Tumult) movement, which included guerrilla warfare tactics to resist British authority and promote the establishment of a self-governed tribal state known as "Birsa Raj"  
  • Aftermath and Legacy:  He was captured in February 1900 and died in British custody on 9th June 1900 at the young age of 25, under mysterious circumstances, officially attributed to cholera. 
    • His movement led to the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act (1908), which recognised tribal land rights (Khuntkatti), banned land transfer to non-tribals, and  abolished  beth begari (forced labour).  
    • Since 2021, 15th November is observed as Janjatiya Gaurav Divas (Tribal Pride Day).

Key Initiatives Related to Tribal Communities 

• Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan is an umbrella initiative that targets integrated development across 63,000 Scheduled Tribe-majority villages. 
• PM-JANMAN was initiated in 2023 to support Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) with targeted schemes, including healthcare, financial inclusion, and community support.  
• Pradhan Mantri Adi Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAAGY) aims to provide basic infrastructure in villages with a significant tribal population.