President Droupadi Murmu’s speech on 78th Independence Day eve

August 15, 2024
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN Topics

President Droupadi Murmu’s speech on 78th Independence Day eve

Subject: History

Sec: Modern India

Context: Patriotic and brave souls took immense risks and made supreme sacrifices. We salute their memory.

It was a nationwide movement, in which all communities participated.

Tribal Leaders
Tilka Manjhi	He organized Adivasis into an army and led the famous Santhal Hool in 1784 against the exploitative British. In 1770, there was a severe famine in the Santhal region and people were dying of hunger. Tilka Manjhi looted the treasury of the East India Company and distributed it among the poor and needy. Inspired by this noble act of Tilka, many other tribals also joined the rebellion. With this began his Santhal Hool, the revolt of the Santhals. He continued to attack the British and their sycophantic allies.
Birsa Munda	He was a folk hero and a tribal freedom fighter who played a pivotal role in the Indian independence movement, particularly in the tribal regions of British India. He belonged to the Munda tribe in the Chhotanagpur Plateau area. He spearheaded an Indian tribal mass movement that arose in the Bihar and Jharkhand belts in the early 19th century under British colonisation. Munda rallied the tribals to fight against the forceful land grabbing carried out by the British government, which would turn the tribals into bonded labourers and force them to abject poverty.
Laxman Naik	He spearheaded the fight against oppression, sufferings and exploitation. During the Quit India Movement 1942, Laxman Naik was nominated to represent Matili. He used nonviolence as a main weapon against colonial power. The tribal people called him “Gandhi of Malkangiri.
Phulo Jhano	The Santhal women and men took up their traditional bow and arrows, spears and knowledge of the land against the British colonizers and the oppressive Zamindari system. This rebellion, or “Hool” (Santhal word for ‘liberation movement’) was led by Phulo and Jhano Murmu along with their brothers, Sido, Kanhu, Chand and Bhairav Murmu

We have started celebrating the birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda as Janjatiya Gaurav Divas. Celebrations of his 150th birth anniversary next year will be an opportunity to further honour his contribution to the national re-awakening.
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