1. 150th Birth Anniversary Year celebration of Bhagwan Birsa Munda
Tags: Festivals
Janjatiya Gaurav Divas
Why in news?
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi marked the commencement of 150th Birth Anniversary Year celebration of Bhagwan Birsa Munda on the occasion of Janjatiya Gaurav Divas on november 15,2024 in Jamui, Bihar.
Key points of the event:
- PM Modi unveils a commemorative coin and postal stamp in honour of Bhagwan Birsa Munda.
- The stamp, designed by Shri Sankha Samanta, features a powerful portrayal of Bhagwan Birsa Munda, set against a backdrop depicting him addressing his followers. His resolute expression symbolizes his unwavering vision for tribal unity, empowerment, and self-governance.
- To commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Lord Birsa Munda, Birsa Munda Tribal Gaurav Upvans will be built in tribal dominated districts of the country.
- There was a Grih Pravesh of 11,000 Awas built for the tribals on the auspicious occasion of Dev Deepavali.
What is Janjatiya Gaurav Divas?
- First celebrated in 2021, november 15, was instituted to recognize the sacrifices of tribal freedom fighters as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, celebrating 75 years of India's independence.
- His contributions, celebrated on Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas, continue to symbolize the struggle for indigenous justice and identity.
Who was Birsa Munda?
- Born on 15th November 1875 in Ulihatu, Bihar (present-day Jharkhand), Birsa Munda led the historic Ulgulan (Great Rebellion) from 1899 to 1900, rallying thousands in the fight to reclaim tribal lands and resist colonial oppression.
- His advocacy for “Munda Raj” symbolized his dream of a just and self-governed society free from exploitation.
- Though he tragically passed at just 25, his message of courage and resilience continues to inspire communities throughout India.
Other events on Janjatiya Gaurav Divas:
- Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah unveils a grand statue ofBhagwan Birsa Munda in New Delhi on the occasion of his 150th birth anniversary.
- On this occasion, the Modi government also decided to change the name of Sarai Kale Khan Chowk to 'Bhagwan Birsa Munda Chowk.
2. Madhya Pradesh becomes the 8th state to notify PESA Rules in scheduled areas of the state
Tags: State News
Madhya Pradesh has become the8th state in India to notify its Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) PESA Rules on the occasion of Janjatiya Gaurav Divas on 15th November, 2022. At the State Level Janjatiya Gaurav Divas Sammelan at Shahdol in Madhya Pradesh, Governor of Madhya Pradesh Mangubhai Patel handed over the first copy of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA Act) Manual to the President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu.
It will empower the Gram Sabhas to take decisions on the rules and regulations with regard to all natural resources in the forest areas. The PESA Act will give more constitutional rights to the tribal people to reap the benefits of natural resources from the forest areas where they live.
In India Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Telangana have notified their State PESA Rules under their respective State Panchayati Raj Acts. Chhattisgarh had notified their PESA Rules on 8th August, 2022.
Scheduled Areas in India
The constitution has made special provision for the administration of areas which are mainly populated by the Scheduled Tribes.
The constitution under article 244(1) makes special provision for the administration of certain areas called Scheduled Areas in states other than Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura. These Scheduled areas are mentioned in Schedule 5 of the constitutions.
The Tribal areas under the state of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Meghalaya and provisions regarding administration are mentioned in Schedule 6 of the constitution.
Presently, 10 states Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and Telangana, have Fifth Schedule Areas in their respective States.
Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996” (PESA)
To bring the people residing in Fifth Schedule Areas in the mainstream, the Parliament, in terms of Article 243M(4)(b) of the Constitution, has enacted “the Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996” (PESA) to extend Part IX of the Constitution, relating to Panchayats, to the Fifth Schedule areas, with certain modifications and exceptions. States, having Fifth Schedule Areas, have been empowered to frame Panchayat laws and rules for these areas.
All the states in the 5th Schedule have framed their state PESA rules under their respective State Panchayati Raj Acts, except Jharkhand and Odisha.
Panchayats are mentioned in the State list of the seventh schedule and the state government has the power to make rules law on it.
However, to bring uniformity in the Panchayats across the country and provide a framework, the Parliament passed the 73rdConstitutional amendment act 1992 which gave a constitutional status to the Panchayati raj institutions in India. However the power to frame the rules for their panchayat system is with the state government.
3. Janjatiya Gaurav Divas
Tags: Important Days
In the year 2022, for the second time in the country, Janjatiya Gaurav Divas is being celebrated on 15 November. Jharkhand's foundation day is also celebrated on 15 November, the birthday of Birsa Munda, who is known as Dharti Aaba. Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar in the year 2000 as a new state.
Important facts
President Droupadi Murmu paid tributes to Bhagwan Birsa Munda at Ulihatu village in Khunti district of Jharkhand on this occasion.
The Central Government declared 15 November as Janjatiya Gaurav Divas in the year 2021 to remember the contribution of tribal communities in the history and culture of the country.
The date was chosen because it is the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda, who was an Indian freedom fighter, religious leader and folk hero of the Munda tribe of the Chota Nagpur plateau region.
Tribal communities such as the Santhals, Tamars, Kol, Bhil, Khasi and Mizos participated strongly in India's freedom struggle through several movements.
Santal rebellion, Khasi rebellion, Phukan and Barua rebellion, Naga struggle, Bhutia Lepcha rebellion, Palamu rebellion, Kharwar rebellion etc. are many such movements for independence, which shook the foundation of British rule.
About Birsa Munda
Birsa Munda was an Indian freedom fighter, religious leader and folk hero of the Munda tribe of the Chota Nagpur Plateau region.
He was born on 15 November 1875 at Ulihatu in the erstwhile Bengal Presidency which is now in Khunti district of Jharkhand.
He took Hindu religious lessons from a Vaishnava saint and studied ancient scriptures along with Ramayana and Mahabharata.
He led an Indian tribal movement in the tribal region of modern Jharkhand and Bihar during British rule in the late 19th century.
Munda Rebellion was one of the most important tribal movements, led by Birsa Munda in the south of Ranchi in 1899-1900.
In March 1900, while fighting the British with his guerrilla army, Munda was arrested in the Jamkopai forest of Chakradharpur. He died a few months later, on 9 June, while in custody.
4. Republic Day Celebrations to begin every year on 23rd January instead of 24th
Tags: National News
According to the Government of India's sources, the step was taken to include the birth anniversary of freedom fighter Subash Chandra Bose as a part of Republic Day Celebrations.
- The birth anniversary of Subhas Chandra Bose is celebrated as Parakram Divas on 23rd January, every year across the country.
- This is in line with Modi's Government's focus on celebrating and commemorating important aspects of the country's rich history and culture.
- In recent years, the Centre has marked several dates to commemorate their historical and cultural importance. Some of these dates include-
- 14th August: Partition Horrors Remembrance Day
- 31st October: Ekta Divas-National Unity Day
- 15th November: Janjatiya Gaurav Divas
- 26th November: Constitution Day
- 26th December: Veer Baal Divas
