The 28th state of the country, Jharkhand comprises the Santhal Pargana and the Chhotanagpur plateau
File image of Birsa Munda. Wikimedia Commons
Every year, the Jharkhand Foundation Day is marked on 15 November. The state was formed on 15 November, 2000, after the Chhotanagpur area was segregated from the southern half of the state of Bihar.
The date of 15 November is also significant since it coincides with the birth anniversary of the tribal leader, Birsa Munda, also known as Bhagwan Birsa.
Who was Birsa Munda?
Born on 15 November, 1875, Munda was a young freedom fighter and tribal leader, who led a rebellion against the British Raj in the late 19th century. A part of the Munda tribe, the freedom fighter spent most of his childhood in the Chhotanagpur Plateau.
The rebellion led by him came to be called the Munda rebellion or the Ulgulan (revolt). The young freedom fighter started the Birsait faith as a challenge to the conversion activities of the British Raj and their oppression of the tribal communities.
Munda was captured by the British forces in the year 1900. He died in Ranchi jail at the age of 25 years on 9 June, 1990. Munda’s rebellion mobilised the tribal community against colonial rule. It also forced the officials to introduce laws regarding the land rights of the tribal communities such as the Chhotanagpur Tenancy Act in 1908.
The birth anniversary of the tribal leader is also being marked as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating a museum in Munda’s memory today.
Some facts about Jharkhand:
The 28th state of the country, Jharkhand comprises of the Santhal Pargana and the Chhotanagpur plateau.
The demand for the state was raised by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) soon after the country’s independence in 1947 and the agitation continued till the state was formed in the year 2000.
The state is rich in mineral resources such as iron ore, copper ore, coal, uranium, mica, silver, granite, bauxite, limestone and dolomite.
The name Jharkhand derives from the words “jhar” meaning forest, and “khand”, meaning land. Thus the word Jharkhand means the land of forest or bush.
The state is the 15th largest state in the country with an area of approximately 79,716 sq. km. Jharkhand is famous for its scenic hills, waterfalls and wildlife sanctuaries.
The cattle festival Sohrai, post-harvest festival Mage Parab and flower festival of Sarhul are marked with great pomp and ceremony in the state.
Keywords: Birsa Munda, Birsa Munda birth anniversary, Jharkhand, Jharkhand Foundation Day, Jharkhand Foundation Day 2021,