CM Bhajan Lal pays tribute to Birsa Munda on Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas
Synopsis
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma honoured tribal icon Birsa Munda on his birth anniversary and Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas on 15 November 2026, calling his courage and leadership a lasting inspiration for an empowered and harmonious society.
Key Takeaways
Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Sharma offered tribute to Birsa Munda on 15 November 2026 , his birth anniversary.
The day is observed nationally as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas , declared by the Government of India in 2021 .
Birsa Munda (1875–1900) led the Ulgulan rebellion against British land policies on the Chotanagpur plateau .
CM Sharma invoked the values of an 'empowered, aware, and harmonious society' as Munda's enduring message.
The tribute reflects a broader national pattern of Adivasi figures being acknowledged across the political spectrum on key anniversaries.
On the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda — the tribal icon who defied British colonial power with nothing but courage and conviction — Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma offered his reverence on Sunday, 15 November 2026, marking the occasion of Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas.
Posting on X, CM Sharma wrote: 'Dharti Aaba Bhagwan Birsa Munda ji ki jayanti par unhe kotishaha naman!' — 'Countless salutations to Dharti Aaba Bhagwan Birsa Munda on his birth anniversary!' He added that Munda gave the tribal community a new direction and a new identity through his ideas and struggle, and that his courage, leadership, and dedication to society will continue to inspire the building of an empowered, aware, and harmonious nation.
Who was Dharti Aaba — the 'Father of the Earth'
Birsa Munda, born on 15 November 1875 in the Chotanagpur plateau region, rose to become one of the most consequential Adivasi leaders in India's colonial history. Revered as Dharti Aaba — 'Father of the Earth' — he led the Ulgulan ('The Great Tumult'), a mass rebellion against British land-grab policies that had displaced Munda communities from their ancestral forests and fields. Beyond armed resistance, he championed religious and social reform, urging tribal communities to reclaim their cultural identity and reject exploitative practices. He died in British custody in 1900, aged just 25. His short life left an outsized imprint — a name that endures in classrooms, courtrooms, and constitutions.Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas and its national resonance
In 2021, the Government of India formally declared 15 November as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas to honour Birsa Munda's legacy and to spotlight the contributions of tribal communities to India's freedom movement and cultural heritage. The day has since become an annual focal point for political leaders across the spectrum to reaffirm commitments to Scheduled Tribe welfare. CM Sharma's tribute follows a well-established national practice — but the vocabulary he chose is deliberate: sashakt, jagruk evam samras samaj — 'an empowered, aware, and harmonious society' — frames Munda's legacy as a living call to action, not a historical footnote.Point of View
15 November has become a structured occasion for the BJP — and its state governments — to reinforce its outreach to Scheduled Tribe voters, a constituency whose electoral weight is significant in states like Rajasthan. The language of 'sashakt, jagruk evam samras samaj' mirrors the party's broader social-harmony framing. At the same time, Birsa Munda's legacy — rooted in resistance to dispossession and demands for cultural dignity — carries a universal resonance that transcends any single party's claim on it, and opposition leaders routinely issue parallel tributes. What the annual observance has achieved is undeniable: a 19th-century tribal martyr is now a fixture of prime-time political discourse every November.
NationPress
15 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is 15 November celebrated as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas?
15 November is celebrated as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas because it is the birth anniversary of tribal leader Birsa Munda . The Government of India declared the day in 2021 to honour the contributions of tribal communities to India's freedom movement and heritage.
Who was Birsa Munda and why is he called Dharti Aaba?
Birsa Munda (1875–1900) was an Adivasi leader from the Chotanagpur plateau who led the Ulgulan rebellion against British land policies. He is called Dharti Aaba , meaning 'Father of the Earth', in recognition of his deep connection to tribal land rights and his revered status among Munda communities.
What did Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Sharma say about Birsa Munda?
CM Bhajan Lal Sharma said Birsa Munda gave the tribal community a new direction and identity through his ideas and struggle, and that his courage, leadership, and dedication would continue to inspire the building of an empowered, aware, and harmonious society.
When was Birsa Munda born and when did he die?
Birsa Munda was born on 15 November 1875 and died on 9 June 1900 in British custody, aged just 25 .
What was the Ulgulan rebellion led by Birsa Munda?
The Ulgulan — meaning 'The Great Tumult' — was a mass uprising led by Birsa Munda in the late 1890s against British colonial land-grab policies that had displaced Munda tribal communities from their ancestral forests and agricultural lands in the Chotanagpur plateau region.
