Tribals in Ratlam protest government insult:Officials apologise after Lord Birsa Munda was wrongly referred to as ‘Gunda’ in official letter

Ratlam witnessed strong protests on Friday after a serious mistake by the Tribal Affairs Department came to light. In an official letter, the name of Jananayak Bhagwan Birsa Munda was wrongly written as “Birsa Gunda.” The letter quickly went viral on social media, causing anger among tribal groups. Bhil Pradesh Vidyarthi Morcha, local tribal communities, and other social organizations took to the streets to protest. Protesters burnt effigies of departmental officials outside the office, calling it an insult to tribal identity. Dinesh Mal and Dhyanveer Damor, who joined the protest, said, “While the central and state governments plan grand celebrations for Bhagwan Birsa Munda’s 150th birth anniversary, the Tribal Department of Ratlam is hurting his honor. We will never accept this.” Tomorrow is Birsa Munda’s 150th Birth Anniversary According to information, following instructions received from Bhopal, the Ratlam Tribal Affairs Department issued a letter on November 9. In this letter, the duties of officers and employees were assigned for the chariot procession to be taken out on November 15 in observance of Lord Birsa Munda’s 150th birth anniversary. In the same letter, instead of Lord Birsa Munda, ‘Birsa Gunda’ was mistakenly typed. It also came to light that despite the letter going viral, the department did not make immediate corrections. This negligence became a major cause of anger among tribal organizations. Department said – This is a typing error, notice to typist Seeing the growing protest, Ranjana Singh, Assistant Commissioner of the Tribal Development Department, issued an apology letter. She admitted that it was a typing error, which occurred due to the holiday. She stated that on that day, the officer-in-charge signed the letter without sufficient attention and posted it in the departmental group, while the department has also issued a notice to the typist for this mistake. However, tribal organizations say that “This is not just a typist’s mistake. The officer signed without reading, this is serious negligence on the part of the department.” Organizations allege that such errors indicate that the department does not show respect for great personalities like Bhagwan Birsa Munda. See two pictures of the protest Tribal organizations said – if no action is taken, the movement will intensify Adivasi Samaj and Bhil Pradesh Vidyarthi Morcha have demanded from the department that the officers whose negligence caused this dispute should be immediately suspended. The organizations said that if strict action is not taken against the culprits, they will launch a large-scale agitation. Despite the department’s letter of apology, the anger in the community has not subsided. Protesters say that Bhagwan Birsa Munda is not just a great freedom fighter for tribals, but for the entire country, and the incorrect mention of his name is an insult to the tribal community. Currently, the department has started an investigation, but this incident has raised serious questions about government functioning and the responsibility to pay attention to sensitive issues. Know Who Was Bhagwan Birsa Munda Bhagwan Birsa Munda was one of the most prominent tribal heroes of India’s freedom struggle. He was not only a freedom fighter but also a social reformer and a revolutionary leader. Birsa Munda’s contribution is considered unique in tribal society and the history of India. He was born on November 15, 1875, in Ulihatu, Ranchi (present-day Jharkhand). He belonged to the Munda tribe. From childhood, he was a sharp, leadership-oriented, and spiritually inclined youth. He raised his voice against the social evils prevalent among the tribals, exploitation, debt, land grabbing incidents, and the atrocities of the British. He gave the message to the tribal society to be educated, organized, and aware. The public called him “Dharti Aba” (Father of the Earth). Birsa Munda initiated a large mass movement against the British and landlords in the 1890s, which is known as “Ulgulan” (The Great Revolt).