Right Word | Remembering the great tribal warriors of Bharat who couldn’t make it to our history books

As Bharat celebrates ‘Amrit Mahotsav’, the 75^th anniversary of its Independence from British colonial rule, it is time to talk about the great tribal warriors who contributed significantly to this freedom struggle but not much has been written about them in either our history textbooks or in the popular public discourse. The names of Bhagwan Birsa Munda and Tilka Manjhi have been mentioned in passing reference in this context. The general impression has been that the struggle for freedom, when it came to the tribals, was largely limited to Jharkhand and adjoining areas. So, two myths need to be busted: One, not much was contributed by the tribals in Bharat’s freedom struggle; and two, the freedom fighters from the tribal communities were largely confined to the Bihar-Jharkhand region.

The fact of the matter is that tribal warriors from every part of the country participated in this struggle for freedom. However, we have been largely unaware about all of them.

It is time to take a look at some of these struggles waged by tribal leaders and their communities in different parts of the country from 18^th century onwards. In this context, one must mention Tuhin Sinha’s The Great Tribal Warriors of Bharat (Rupa; 2022). Sinha along with co-author Ambalika has put together a wealth of information on 17 such warriors. We would try and take a look at a few of them. Ironically, most of us haven’t even heard these names, even after seven and a half decades of our independence.

U Tirot Sing (1800-1833; North-East)

He was the hero of the Anglo-Khasi war that raged in the North East between 1829-33. According to Sinha, Tirot is considered to be the first king in this part of India who put up the united fight against foreign occupation. Syiem U Tirot Sing belonged to the royal family of Mawmluh, the centre of the iron Industry in Western Khasi Hills of Meghalaya. As a prince, he was very well trained in warfare, games, languages, religion and the various administrative aspects of the kingdom. He ascended the throne in 1826.

His struggle against the British began when the latter tried to expand their reign in this part of the country. In 1829, Tirong’s warriors killed two British officers. The British retaliated by sending a light infantry regiment. Armed with bows and arrows, the Khasi warriors fought bravely against the British army that was equipped with guns. The British were able to capture his seat of power, Nongkhlaw. Tirong escaped with his warriors and launched a new guerrilla campaign against the British by uniting together various tribes across the north-east. Tirot became a major challenge to the British forces till he was captured in a deceitful manner by the British. He was sent to prison. In 1835, Tirot passed away.

Komaram Bheem (1900-1940; Telangana)

Komaram Bheem belonged to the Gond tribe and was a resident of the state of Hyderabad. He fought against the tyranny of the British as well as the notorious ‘Razakaars’, a rogue anti-Hindu militia run by the Nizam of Hyderabad. Bheem’s mother had died when he was only 15. A year prior to that his father, Chinnu, was brutally killed by the Razakars for resisting them. Bheem led the fight against the Razkars from the front. The Nizam of Hyderabad was backed by the British to displace the Gond tribe from the forest areas so that they could exploit all the natural resources. The British had passed the Indian Forest Act in 1865 making it difficult for communities like Gond to find land to graze their cattle, cultivate their crops and find firewood. These communities had already lost their right to teak when Lord Dalhousie declared it the state’s property in 1855. In addition, they were forced to become bonded labour.

It all started when Bheem and his brother killed one of the Razakars as they were cutting fingers of the tribals who were not able to pay exorbitant tax to Nizam on the behest of the British. Nizam’s forces started hunting him down. Bheem first escaped to Chandarpur (in present day Maharashtra) and then from there he went to Pune. Bheem came back after some time to organise a tribal uprising against the Nizam which continued from 1937-1940. In September, 1940, he was killed in a battle between Nizam’s forces and the Gond revolutionaries. According to Sinha, “Bheem was killed along with 15 others. Their bodies were riddled with bullets until they became unrecognisable and then hurriedly burnt, so as to eliminate all physical trace of their existence.”

Guru Gobind Giri (1858-1931; Rajasthan)

While most of us are aware about the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919, a similar massacre that has gone completely unnoticed had happened on 16 November, 1913 at Mangarh Hills in Rajasthan. Thousands of Bhils had gathered at Mangarh hills led by their leader Guru Gobind Giri, who was also a spiritual guru and social reformer. The Bhils had attacked some British police posts in the nearby area to resist British oppression. The Bhils had been at the receiving end of the British forces as the latter chased them away from any place where they were trying to settle down. Under the leadership of Guru Gobind Giri, they finally took refuge at Mangarh hills.

The British, scared of the growing unity and strength of the Bhils, were forcing them to vacate even Mangarh hills. The Bhils retaliated by attacking a police post near Mangarh hills. Apart from this attack, they also killed a British agent who had come to spy on them. On the fateful day, British machine guns and cannons started firing in the early morning. The Bhils retaliated and fought back bravely with their bows and arrows. But it was an unequal fight. According to Sinha, “At least 1500 Bhils were killed and several hundreds injured. Gobind Giri… was shot in the leg and arrested along with 900 other Bhils.”

Gobind Giri was initially awarded a death sentence which was later reduced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment in Hyderabad jail. His close confidante Punja Dhriji, who had led the attack on the police post, was sentenced to life imprisonment at the Cellular jail in Andamans. Gobind Giri, after his release, was not allowed to enter the Bhil strongholds of Banswara, Mewar, Dungarpur and Sirohi in Rajasthan. However, he continued with his efforts from Dahod in Gujarat to resurrect the ‘Bhagat movement’, as this uprising had come to be known. Sinha mentions in his book, “He did keep the spirit of the Mangarh resistance alive through his song, ‘O Buretia, Nahi Manu Re’ (‘O White ruler, I won’t give in’). It was his way of paying tribute to all the Bhil clansmen who had embraced his call to fight the injustice they had faced.”

He took samadhi at Kamboi village in the Limdi region of Gujarat on 19 October 1931.

There are many more such tribal warriors who belonged to various parts of the country and made supreme sacrifices for their nation. Their stories need to be dug out from the dusty archives and the folklore. These stories need to be told and retold to every Bharatiya. That would, perhaps, be the true and meaningful homage to these greatest sons and daughters of Bharat as we celebrate the 75^th year of Independence.

The writer, an author and columnist, has written several books. Views expressed are personal.

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