150th anniversary year of Birsa Munda
Why in News?
1) PM Modi to visit Dediapada on Birsa Munda birth anniversary, unveil ₹9,700-crore projects for tribal areas
2) Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan wrote on Birsa Munda’s Birth Anniversary & Tribal Empowerment
UPSC CSE Relevance:
History
Question from UPSC Prelims 2020 GS Paper
With reference to the history of India, “Ulgulan” or the Great Trumult is the description of which of the following events?
(a) The Revolt of 1857
(b) The Mappila Rebellion of 1921
(c) The Indigo Revolt of 1859-60
(d) Birsa Munda’s Revolt of 1899-1900
Birsa Munda (1875 – 1900):
- Leader of the Ulgulan (Great Tumult) movement (1899 – 1900).
- Revered as Dharti Aaba (Father of the Earth).
- From Munda tribe, region: Chotanagpur, Jharkhand.
- Fought against British policies, moneylenders, dikus, zamindars disrupting tribal land systems.
- Aimed to restore Munda traditional land system (Khuntkatti): Eventually forced the British administration to enact the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act of 1908, which prohibited the transfer of tribal land to non-tribals and recognized their traditional communal land rights (Khuntkatti system).
- Religious Reformer: Birsa founded a new faith called ‘Birsait’, which encouraged tribals to return to their indigenous religious beliefs, shun superstitions and alcoholism, and resist Christian missionary conversion activities, thus promoting cultural pride and social reform.
- Guerrilla Warfare: He united thousands of Munda and Oraon tribals and employed guerrilla tactics to attack symbols of British authority, such as police stations and the houses of landlords and moneylenders.
Key Facts from the News:
- Occasion: PM visit on Birth anniversary of Birsa Munda (also celebrated nationally as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas) – 15th November. Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh (2024–2025) – 150th anniversary year.
- Location of event: Dediapada, Narmada district, Gujarat (tribal-dominated region).
Major Initiatives Announced:
- Grih Pravesh of 1 lakh houses under:
- PM-JANMAN (Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan): To improve the socio-economic development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in India.
- India’s first mission specifically for PVTGs.
- Multi-ministerial collaboration (MoTA + Rural Dev + Power + Jal Shakti etc.).
- PM-JANMAN (Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan): To improve the socio-economic development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in India.
- DA-JAGUA (Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan): to drive inclusive and sustainable development by addressing critical gaps in social infrastructure, healthcare, education, and livelihoods in tribal regions.
- Multi-Purpose Centres = community activity hubs
- Tribal Multi-Marketing Centres (TMMCs) = aggregation & marketing of tribal products
- Supports: Digitisation, Geotagging of tribal products, Tribal entrepreneurship (via Tribal Business Conclaves)
- 42 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) inaugurated -Ministry of Tribal Affairs
- Foundation stone for 50 new EMRS.
- Launch of 14 Tribal Multi-Marketing Centres (TMMCs).
- Inauguration of Centre of Competence (Assam Medical College)