A Correspondent
Numaligarh: The Assam Munda Mahasabha Golaghat district committee, in collaboration with Rangajan regional committee and local public, celebrated the 144th birth anniversary of Indian tribal freedom fighter and hero Birsa Munda on Friday at Rangajan Mohkhuti public field.
The two-day long programme concluded with a glittering cultural evening on Friday. On Thursday, which was the first day of the progamme, the celebration camp was inaugurated and a representative meeting of the Assam Munda Mahasabha was held. The next day the organizational flag hoisting ceremony was conducted which was followed by a mass cleanliness drive.
The flag was hoisted by Jirga Munda, the president of the Assam Munda Mahasabha Golaghat district committee. Swahird tarpan was also done by Suren Munda, the secretary of the celebration committee. A glittering multi-cultural procession was taken out in the Rangajan area on Friday morning. Later in the day, competitions like poetry, quiz and archery were also held where hundreds of participants took part in it.
A public meeting also held in the afternoon, which was moderated by assistant secretary of the celebration committee, Bitu Munda and presided over by Narmi Munda, the adviser of the Assam Munda Mahasabha central committee. Speaking on the occasion, actor Victor Baghe said that martyr Birsa Munda played an eminent role in the freedom movement of India. He was not only a freedom fighter but a God-like entity for the tribal people,” he added.
Birsa Munda died at the age of 24 but left a great impact by firing the imagination of the tribals and by mobilizing them against the tyrant British rulers. He was arrested on March 3, 1900 in Jamkopai forest in Jharkhand while he was sleeping along his tribal guerrilla army which was fighting against the British. Birsa Munda died in Ranchi Jail on June 9, 1900. Although the British claimed he died of cholera, he reportedly never showed symptoms. The jail in which he died is now named after him.