On 15 November, India celebrates Tribal Pride Day—but for Madhya Pradesh, which has the country’s largest tribal population, the day carries a profound historical and emotional significance. It is not just a commemoration, but a reminder of the countless tribal heroes whose courage and sacrifice against British oppression never received the recognition they deserved.
Birsa Munda: The visionary who lit the first flame of rebellion
Long before the rise of Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad or Mahatma Gandhi, Birsa Munda had already sparked a powerful freedom movement in the forests of Jharkhand. At a time when the national struggle lacked organisation, he united tribal communities scattered across remote hills and valleys and built a mass movement against colonial exploitation. Revered as Dharti Aaba, he inspired people with the call: “Abua raj ete jana, Maharani raj tundu jana.” His influence so alarmed the British that in 1900, police and military forces opened fire on a gathering at Dombivadi Hill, killing nearly 400 tribals—an incident that predated Jallianwala Bagh by 19 years yet remains absent from mainstream history. Birsa Munda was later arrested and paraded in chains, but thousands came out to honour him. Confined to solitary imprisonment and allegedly poisoned, he died at just 25, becoming an eternal symbol of resistance.
India’s forgotten tribal warriors
Long before the 1857 revolt, Budhu Bhagat led the Lakra Rebellion in Chotanagpur to defend tribal rights over forests, land and water. His movement shook the East India Company so much that it announced a Rs 1,000 reward for his capture.
In 1855–56, Sidu and Kanhu Murmu mobilised nearly 50,000 Santhals from 400 villages during the Santhal Rebellion, confronting British guns with bows and arrows and the cry, “Do or die… British, leave our land.” Karl Marx later called it India’s first organised people’s revolution. In Madhya Pradesh’s Nimar region, Tantia Bhil, popularly known as Tantia Mama, became legendary for his Robin Hood–like resistance—looting British establishments and redistributing wealth to the poor. His activities were so impactful that his arrest was reported in the NYT in 1889.
Other icons include Raja Shankar Shah and Kunwar Raghunath Shah, the first Indian royals executed by being tied to cannons; Bhima Nayak, the first tribal freedom fighter believed to be sent to Kala Pani; and Raja Bhabhut Singh of Pachmarhi, known as the Shivaji of Narmadanchal, who resisted the British for nearly three years using guerrilla tactics, innovative forest workshops, and even beehive attacks.
Restoring their legacy
For decades after Independence, these tribal contributions were relegated to footnotes. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the principle of “Development with Heritage” has brought long-overdue recognition—declaring Birsa Munda Jayanti as Tribal Pride Day, honouring tribal heroes nationwide, and electing Smt. Draupadi Murmu as India’s first tribal President. In MP, similar efforts include renaming universities, railway stations and sanctuaries after tribal leaders. (Author is a Cabinet minister in Madhya Pradesh)