Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik pays tribute to Birsa Munda

Bhubaneswar: Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday paid tribute to prominent tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda on the occasion of the legendary leader’s birthday.

Taking to twitter, Patnaik said: “My tribute to brave freedom fighter and tribal leader Saheed Birsa Munda on his birth anniversary. His bravery and courage was exemplary in the history of freedom struggle of India. His struggle for protection of tribal interest and rights will always remain as a source of inspiration.”

India’s largest hockey stadium which is coming up at Rourkela in Odisha’s Sundargarh district, has been named after the tribal leader.The stadium will host the 2023 Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup.

Birsa Munda had united the tribals against the British and forced the colonial rulers to introduce laws protecting the land rights of the tribals.

Munda was born on November 15, 1875, in Chhotanagpur plateau of present-day Jharkhand. He had organised his first protest march for remission of forest dues during the great famine of 1895.

The prominent tribal leader was arrested on March 3, 1900. He died in Ranchi jail on June 9 that year aged 25.