SUMAN K SHRIVASTAVA
Ranchi, Nov. 8: Narendra Modi will be the first prime minister when he visits Ulihatu, the birthplace of tribal icon Birsa Munda on November 15.
Modi is scheduled to pay homage to the celebrated tribal freedom fighter on his birth anniversary, declared by the Central government as ‘Jan Jatiya Gaurav Diwas’.
Before Modi, no prime minister ever visited the place, which shot into prominence after Jharkhand was created on his birth anniversary in 2000.
Earlier, President Droupadi Murmu visited Ulihatu in Khunti district, around 65 km from here. Home Minister Amit Shah had also visited Ulihatu in 2020.
Birsa Munda was a young freedom fighter and a tribal leader, whose spirit of activism in the late nineteenth century, is remembered to be a strong mark of protest against British rule in India.
Incidentally, there was some controversy over Birsa Munda’s birthplace as some said that the real birthplace was Kundi, and not Ulihatu.
The Bihar tribal research institute, in undivided Bihar, declared that Ulihatu happened to be Birsa Munda’s real birthplace as his descendants are settled there.
Late Purshottam Kumar, a history teacher, contested the decision and filed a PIL in the Jharkhand High Court in 2002, seeking it to direct the state government to declare Kundi as Birsa’s birthplace. The high court had then directed the Jharkhand government to conduct an inquiry and make a decision regarding the real birthplace of the legendary tribal hero. One does not know what happened to the Jharkhand government’s action on the high court order.
Though political watchers say that Modi’s visit is aimed at wooing the tribal voters in poll-bound neighbouring states of Chhattisgarh and MP, it is not the first time that Modi is reviving the unsung tribal heroes of the country, generally neglected by academics and writers.
On November 1, 2022, Modi visited Mangarh Dham in Rajasthan and declared it as a national monument. He paid tribute to Bhil freedom fighter Govind Guru.
Located in the Banswara district on the Gujarat-Rajasthan border, Mangarh Hill holds special importance for the Bhil community and other tribes of Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh.
During the freedom struggle when Bhils and other tribes were engaged in a long stand-off with the British, more than 1.5 lakh Bhils rallied at Mangarh Hill on November 17 1913 under the leadership of Govind Guru. Britishers opened fire at this gathering, leading to the Mangarh Massacre where approximately 1500 tribals were martyred.
Jharkhand govt yet to get PM’s itinerary
Ironically, the Jharkhand government is yet to get Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s itinerary on November 15 in the State. However, according to reports, Modi will launch the ‘Vikas Bharat Sankalp Yatra’ on November 15. This yatra will cover 2.5 lakh gram panchayats and 3700 urban local bodies at more than 14,000 locations with more than 2500 IEC vans. The yatra will start from tribal areas and will last for two months.
He will also address a rally in Khunti and interact with the descendants of Birsa Munda.
The objective of ‘Vikas Bharat Sankalp Yatra’ is to reach the last person. Its objective is to tell about the Central Government schemes and their benefits through personal stories, experiences, and street plays. During the yatra, a quiz will also be organized to tell people about the benefits of the schemes run by the Central Government.
Modi’s planned gift to Jharkhand
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the new campus of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ranchi during his visit to Jharkhand. Besides, the newly constructed buildings of IIT-ISM Dhanbad are also to be inaugurated by the Prime Minister. Both these institutions have been contacted by the PMO in this regard.
