In the dense forests of Ulihatu, a child was born who carried no sword, held no royal title and had no wealth to his name and yet, he would awaken the soul of an entire civilisation. His story is not written in the ink of power, but in the fire of resistance.

His legacy is not carved on monuments alone, but etched into the hearts of people who saw him not just as a leader, but as hope itself. There are freedom fighters, there are revolutionaries and then there are those rare souls whose courage feels divine.

To understand Birsa Munda is to understand pain and the fierce human desire to reclaim dignity. When the colonial machinery tried to crush tribal life, displace communities and poison the roots that tied people to their land, Birsa rose with purpose. He rose because his people had been silenced for too long.

He rose because their forests, fields, traditions and faith were slowly being taken away. He rose because oppression had pushed his people to the edge and someone had to say “enough.” Birsa did. And that single word shook an empire.

For the Munda community, Birsa was more than a leader, he was Bhagwan. A protector, a healer, a spiritual guide and a revolutionary soul who walked the earth like a blessing during the darkest times. His presence gave people courage. His words gave them strength. His sacrifices gave them identity. Birsa Munda was not only born into India, he was born for India.

In the late 19th century, the tribal belts of Chotanagpur were suffocating under the weight of British rule and exploitative zamindars who treated the tribal land as their personal wealth. Generations who worshipped nature and lived in harmony with the forest suddenly found themselves branded as trespassers on their own land. Their sacred groves became revenue plots. Their traditions became inconveniences. Their lives were squeezed by unfair laws, forced labour, and the slow destruction of everything they treasured.

His early life was marked by the same struggles that shaped every tribal family. Yet, Birsa was different. From childhood, he possessed a rare clarity, a spiritual intensity that made him stand out. He had questions that others feared to ask. His sharp mind, almost prophetic sensitivity and natural leadership drew people towards him.

People from villages far and wide began to walk for miles just to listen to him. They found in him not only a leader but a spiritual liberator. They called him “Dharti Aaba, meaning the Father of the Earth.

The British administration feared him because he commanded faith. Birsa Munda’s arrest and his passing at the young age of 25 lit a spark that the British empire could never extinguish. He may have lived briefly, but he lived intensely and his life forced the British to introduce landmark reforms in the Chotanagpur region.

His struggle led to the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act, a law that protected tribal land rights and prevented exploitative transfer of land to outsiders. This was not just a legal victory; it was a civilisational victory. It ensured that generations of tribal communities could remain rooted in the land their ancestors worshipped for centuries.

This is why Birsa is called “Bhagwan.” Not because he performed miracles, but because he embodied them. The miracle of courage. The miracle of unity. The miracle of waking up a people who had forgotten what power felt like. To this day, tribal communities speak of Birsa with a devotion that no force of time or politics can dilute. In their stories, he is a saviour. In their songs, he is a warrior. In their prayers, he is hope.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly emphasised this. In his speeches, he has called Birsa Munda “a symbol of India’s tribal pride and unwavering courage.” He has acknowledged that Birsa’s legacy is not limited to a region; it belongs to the entire nation. Under his leadership, the government declared Janjatiya Gaurav Divas on Birsa Munda’s birth anniversary.

As we come together, it becomes our responsibility to carry forward his values to honour tribal communities, to protect India’s forests, to preserve indigenous knowledge and to ensure that no voice is ever silenced in the name of power. Birsa Munda’s story is not something to be read and forgotten; it is something to be lived.

At Luv My India, we take immense pride in celebrating the heroes who shaped this nation. Birsa Munda stands tall among themWe pay tribute to his courage, to his sacrifices and to the divine fire that lived in him.

Because heroes like Birsa Munda do not belong to history. They belong to India. They belong to us.