News Highlights:
- Recently, The Prime Minister inaugurated Aadi Mahotsav 2023, the mega National Tribal Festival at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in Delhi.
- On the occasion, the Prime Minister paid floral tributes to Bhagwan Birsa Munda.
Aadi Mahotsav 2023:
- About:
- Aadi Mahotsav is an attempt to showcase tribal culture on the national stage and it celebrates the spirit of tribal culture, crafts, cuisine, commerce and traditional art.
- It is an annual initiative of the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation Limited (TRIFED) under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
- TRIFED came into existence in 1987. It is a national-level apex organization functioning under the administrative control of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Govt. of India.
- TRIFED has its registered Head Office located in New Delhi and has a network of 13 Regional Offices located at various places in the country.
- The ultimate objective of TRIFED is the socio-economic development of tribal people in the country by way of marketing development of the tribal products.
- Theme:
- This year’s Aadi Mahotsav event has been arranged around the theme of “A Celebration of Crafts, Culture, Cuisine and Commerce”
- Events:
- 1,000 tribal artisans and artists from 28 States and Union Territories would be participating in the festival.
- An exclusive pavilion for the sale and display of Van Dhan products is also proposed to be put up with about 39 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras from 17 States and UTs expected to take part in this Mahotsav
- The event will showcase a Tribal Freedom Fighters’ Gallery, arranged by the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes; cultural (song and dance) performances by over 500 tribal artists.
- It will showcase the rich and diverse heritage of tribes from across the country in over 200 stalls at the venue
Tribal leader Birsa Munda:
- About:
- Birsa Munda was also known as Dharti Aaba (Father of Earth) known to have mobilised the tribal community against the British and had also forced the colonial officials to introduce laws protecting the land rights of the tribals.
- Early Life:
- He was born at Ulihatu in the Bengal Presidency (presently in Jharkhand) on 15th November 1875 into a Munda family. His parents were Sugana Munda and Karmi Hatu.
- His childhood was spent in a typical Munda fashion amidst poverty.
- He converted to Christianity and became Birsa David/Daud in order to receive an education from a missionary school.
- He spent a great part of his childhood in Chaibasa. He was influenced by the national movement there. His father withdrew him from the missionary school. Birsa developed a strong anti-government and anti-missionary stamp on his mind from there.
- Munda Rebellion:
- It is one of the most important tribal movements.
- It was led by Birsa Munda in the south of Ranchi in 1899-1900.
- The movement identified following forces as the cause of the misery the Mundas were suffering:
- The land policies of the British were destroying their traditional land system.
- Hindu landlords and moneylenders were taking over their land
- Missionaries were criticising their traditional culture.
- The ‘Ulgulan’ or the ‘Great Tumult’ as the movement came to be called, aimed at establishing Munda Raj by driving out the British.
- Munda used traditional symbols and language to rouse people, urging them to destroy “Ravana” (dikus/outsiders and the Europeans) and establish a kingdom under his leadership.
- Birsa’s followers began targeting the symbols of diku and European power. They attacked police stations and churches, and raided the property of moneylenders and zamindars. They raised the white flag as a symbol of Birsa Raj.
- On 3rd March, 1900, Birsa Munda was arrested by the British police while he was sleeping with his tribal guerilla army at Jamkopai forest in Chakradharpur (Jharkhand).
- Birsa died of cholera in the jail and the movement faded out.
- Significance of Rebellion:
- It forced the colonial government to introduce laws so that the land of the tribals could not be easily taken over by dikus (Chotanagpur Tenancy Act, 1908).
- It showed that the tribal people had the capacity to protest against injustice and express their anger against colonial rule.
Pic Courtesy: Freepik
Content Source: PIB