New Delhi: For decades, India’s tribal heroes, whose courage shaped the nation’s struggle against colonial oppression, remained largely on the margins of history. Under PM Modi, this narrative has been transformed. Through commemorative acts, memorials, publications, symbolic releases, and direct engagement with descendants, the stories of tribal freedom fighters are now celebrated as a cornerstone of India’s national heritage.
Recognizing the importance of keeping tribal history alive, the Modi government established 15 November as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas, marking the birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda, India’s tribal revolutionary. Over time, this observance has expanded into Janjatiya Gaurav Week, celebrated across ministries and states with cultural programs, exhibitions, and educational activities that bring the legacy of tribal heroes to life. In 2023, the government announced national celebrations of Rani Durgavati’s 500th birth centenary, further highlighting the leadership and courage of India’s tribal women. PM Modi has consistently linked these commemorations to living sites of resistance.
On Hul Diwas, he honoured the Santhal heroes Sidho–Kanho, Chand–Bhairav, and Phulo–Jhano, keeping their defiance against colonial oppression alive in public memory.
• In Banswara, Rajasthan, he attended the Mangarh Dham ki Gaurav Gatha, commemorating heroes like Govind Guru, Tilka Manjhi, Sidhu-Kanhu, and Budhu Bhagat.
• He also became the first sitting Prime Minister to visit Birsa Munda’s birthplace in Ulihatu, Jharkhand, paying floral tributes to the leader of the Ulgulan movement, further embedding tribal heroism into the nation’s cultural consciousness.
A defining feature of PM Modi’s approach has been direct engagement with the descendants of tribal freedom fighters, emphasizing that history is not just about monuments but living families.
• He felicitated families of the Paika Rebellion heroes in Odisha, including Bakshi Jagabandhu, Rindo Majhi, and Laxmi Panda, acknowledging their courage in the 1817 armed uprising.
• PM Modi personally interacted with the descendants of Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh, inquiring about their well-being and ensuring their contributions are remembered.
• During Birsa Munda’s 150th birth anniversary, PM Modi ensured the descendants of Birsa Munda, Sido Murmu, Kanhu Murmu, and other tribal freedom fighters, highlighting the government’s commitment to supporting tribal communities nationwide.1
By engaging with families, the Prime Minister has created a human connection to history, reinforcing that the sacrifices of tribal leaders continue to shape India’s identity.
Under PM Modi’s vision, the courage of India’s tribal freedom fighters is being preserved and celebrated across the country. Announced in his 2016 Independence Day address, the Tribal Freedom Fighters’ Museum plan has approved 11 museums across 10 States, creating spaces that honour their leadership and struggles.1 So far, three museums have been inaugurated:
• Bhagwan Birsa Munda Memorial Park-cum-Freedom Fighter Museum, Ranchi
• Badal Bhoi State Tribal Freedom Fighters Museum, Chhindwara
• Raja Shankar Shah & Kunwar Raghunath Shah Freedom Fighter Museum, Jabalpur2
• PM Modi also performed bhoomi poojan of the Veerangana Rani Durgavati Memorial aur Udyaan at Jabalpur.34
• The Rani Maa Gaidinliu Tribal Freedom Fighters Museum is being developed to honour her legacy.
• Taking remembrance further, PM Modi also inaugurated India’s first Digital Museum on Tribal Freedom Fighters at Raipur, named after Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh, offering interactive stories and artefacts for citizens and students nationwide.
Through these physical and digital memorials, tribal heroism is now woven into India’s cultural and civic fabric, inspiring generations to honour and carry forward their legacy of courage.
PM Modi has ensured that India’s public spaces also reflect the legacy of tribal freedom fighters.
• Rani Kamalapati Railway Station in Bhopal immortalizes the Gond queen.
• Jannayak Tantya Bhil Station and Tantya Mama Bhil University commemorate Bhil warriors who resisted British rule.
• In Andhra Pradesh, a 30-foot bronze statue of Alluri Sitarama Raju in Bhimavaram celebrates his leadership during the Rampa Rebellion.
• Similarly, in Jharkhand, PM Modi unveiled a statue of Birsa Munda in Ranchi, honouring the tribal icon and his pivotal role in the Ulgulan movement.
• The Birsa Munda Janjatiya Gaurav Upvans are being established across tribal regions, transforming tributes into living heritage spaces for communities and visitors alike.
Through these initiatives, monuments, stations, universities, and museums together create a living landscape of remembrance.
PM Modi has transformed the way India remembers its tribal freedom fighters, ensuring their stories reach every generation. Through the Aadi Shaurya e-book, he digitally chronicles over 150 years of tribal resistance1, while the Inspiring Tribal Heritage of India coffee-table book celebrates tribal art, culture, and contributions to the freedom struggle.
Adding a creative touch, the comic anthology “Tribal Leaders of the Freedom Struggle”, developed with Amar Chitra Katha, narrates the lives of 20 tribal heroes in an engaging way.
• PM Modi released commemorative coins and stamps marking the Paika Rebellion.
• He also launched a coin on the 150th birth anniversary of Birsa Munda, cementing his legacy in the national memory.
• Additionally, he launched a coin celebrating Rani Gaidinliu, the Naga freedom fighter who led armed resistance against colonial rule.
Under PM Modi, tribal freedom fighters are no longer footnotes, they are central figures in India’s national narrative.
The legacy of Birsa Munda, Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh, Govind Guru, Sidhu-Kanhu, Rani Gaidinliu, Alluri Sitarama Raju, and countless other tribal heroes is now preserved, celebrated, and made accessible for generations to come, ensuring that India remembers not only the leaders but the people behind the struggle, the families, the communities, and the spirit of resistance that shaped the country’s freedom.
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