Birsa Munda’s b’day, 15 Nov, observed as Janjatiya Gaurav Divas

HISTORY

23 APRIL 2026

• Pradhan Mantri Janshakti Nyay Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN) is flagship central government initiative launched on 15 November 2023, aimed at socio-economic upliftment of 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) spread across 18 states and Andaman & Nicobar.
• 15 November is observed as Tribal Pride Day or Janjatiya Gaurav Divas.
• 15 November is the birthday of the great tribal warrior Birsa Munda
• Birsa Munda (15 November 1875 – 9 June 1900) was an Indian tribal independence activist who belonged to the Munda tribe.
• Ulgulan (or “Great Tumult”) was a major armed tribal uprising led by Birsa Munda in the late 19th century (1899–1900) against British colonial rule, the Zamindari system, and land exploitation in the Chotanagpur region (present-day Jharkhand).
• The cause of the Munda revolt was the ‘unfair land grabbing practices by colonial and local authorities that demolished the tribal conventional land system’
• It aimed to establish “Munda Raj” and protect tribal rights.

About Birsa Munda

• Birsa received his education in Salga under the guidance of his teacher Jaipal Nag.
• Later, Birsa converted to Christianity to join the German Mission School.
• After dropping out of school, Birsa Munda created a faith called Birsait.
• Members of the Munda community soon started joining the faith which in turn became a challenge for the British activities.
• The Birsaits openly declared that the real enemies were the British and Christian missionaries.
• Birsa died at the young age of 25 on June 9, 1900, while in British custody at the Ranchi jail. While colonial authorities officially attributed his death to cholera, it is widely believed he died under mysterious circumstances or from torture.
• Birsa Munda airport is the domestic airport serving Ranchi, the capital city of Jharkhand.
• Hon’ble Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah unveiled a grand statue of Bhagwan Birsa Munda at Baansera Park in New Delhi on the occasion of his 150th birth anniversary year.