NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday hailed tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda as a symbol of resistance and cultural identity, saying his Ulgulan movement had shaken the foundations of British rule and inspired tribal communities to protect their faith, forests, and heritage.
Addressing the ‘Janjati Sanskritik Samagam’ here, Shah said the country was observing the 150th birth anniversary year of Birsa Munda, whom he described as a unifying force for tribal communities during the colonial rule.
“The Ulgulan movement shook the foundations of British rule,” Shah said, adding that despite the absence of modern communication systems, Birsa Munda spread his message from Jharkhand to Gujarat and other parts of the country. He said the tribal icon urged communities to safeguard their land, religion and forests against outside control.
Shah said forests, rivers and hills remain central to the faith, livelihood and cultural identity of tribal communities. He described the tribal way of life as one of the world’s most sustainable social models and credited indigenous communities with preserving the spirit of “unity in diversity” without the need for written codes or laws.
“For tribal communities, forests and water bodies are not merely resources but centres of faith and pillars of cultural identity,” Shah said. He added that tribal traditions had long embodied harmony and coexistence while maintaining respect for nature.