Former Rail Minister Suresh Prabhu sharply criticizes deliberate selective documentation of India's history at Birsa Munda book cover release

 

History has been unkind to our tribal heroes and Freedom Fighters, whose contribution to our struggle for independence is no less significant than the well known names we have been taught about. In sync with the thought of PM Modi while India celebrates 75 years of independence this year, BJP leader, author Tuhin A. Sinha has written a long-awaited and much needed book titled- 'THE LEGEND OF BIRSA MUNDA', the cover of which will be revealed on March 14, 2021 at 12 noon. The book glorifies the history of Birsa Munda and his contribution to India's freedom struggle.

 

 

Former Minister Suresh Prabhu who has held 10 cabinet positions and has been MP for 6 times (4 Lok Sabha, 2 Rajya Sabha), speaking ahead of the event said that the legacy of Birsa Munda ji is huge and that it needs to surface up. "What Birsa Munda believed was that there should be no compromise in our culture, identity, thought process and individualism", he noted.

 

 

 

Commenting on the selective documentation of history that fails to reflect the contribution of many significant people in India's freedom struggle, Suresh Prabhu said, "It is a fact that there have been deliberate attempts to distort history and this distortion has been happening over the last few centuries. In contemporary times, people have deliberately twisted history and presented it in a concocted manner for ideological reasons. And earlier, the Britishers did the same to suit their priorities and convenience. They wanted to portray themselves as saviours."

 

 

Meanwhile, Tuhin Sinha in his opinion said that Birsa Munda's contribution is special because in a short life span of merely 25 years, he had challenged the German Missionaries, which were aided by the British administration and had unleashed an unstoppable conversion mafia in the villages of present-day South Jharkhand. “History has been unkind to our tribal heroes. So from 1780 onwards, starting with Tilka Majhi in the Santhal region, to U Tirot Singh in the North East, to the Sido-Kanhu brothers in present-day Jharkhand to Birsa Munda, there have been numerous examples of valiant Adivasi freedom fighters who shook the might of the oppressive British empire in their own ways.”

 

 

 

"Young Birsa’s spiritual evolution into 'Bhagwan Birsa Munda' marked the resurgence of the tribal Munda clan which had been facing unspeakable atrocities for decades. His armed revolution of December 1899 brought the Britishers upon their knees, who were then forced to adopt a more conciliatory attitude towards tribals", he added.

 

 

Birsa Munda invariably used anecdotes from the Gita and Mahabharat in his preaching to his followers. Unfortunately, today some politicians are misusing the legacy of Birsa Munda to create a divide between our tribal and non tribal population. Therefore, it has become all the more important to revisit the life and inspiration of Birsa Munda. TV Presenter and commentator Shehzad Poonawalla also congratulated author Tuhin Sinha for coming up with the book on life of Birsa Munda ji. "It was not just about political freedom but even cultural freedom from the foreign oppressors that motivated somebody like Birsa Munda ji", he was quoted.

 

 

 

 

The book 'THE LEGEND OF BIRSA MUNDA' is congruent with PM Narendra Modi’s India @ 75 vision of acknowledging our unsung tribal revolutionaries. A massive year-long programme called Amrut Mahotsav was kicked off on 12 March 2021 to celebrate 75 years of India’s independence. Sinha’s book releases on 15 August, 2021, published in multiple languages (English, Hindi and Marathi) by Amaryllis and Manjul Publishing House.

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