This story is from January 24, 2019

5,000 villagers march to Ranchi with soil for Birsa statue

5,000 villagers march to Ranchi with soil for Birsa statue
Das also took the opportunity to assure the tribal communities that their rights over their land and property will be safe in Jharkhand.
RANCHI: Over 5,000 villagers from across the state arrived in Ranchi with soil that they collected from their villages for the proposed Birsa Munda statue. The soil was also used to lay the foundation stone of a museum at Old Birsa Jail christened ‘Shaurya Park’ on Wednesday, on the occasion of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary.
A grand procession was led from Morhabadi grounds to the Old Birsa Jail by the chief minister Raghubar Das accompanied by his cabinet colleagues Neelkant Singh Munda, Lois Marandi, senior officials in the government along with villagers, who arrived from all parts of the state.

Das said Wednesday’s event was an iconic moment in Jharkhand’s history. “This is a people’s movement that has been successfully conducted by the villagers from all over Jharkhand. Over the years, the former governments have not only ignored the role and contribution of Jharkhand’s freedom fighters but also painted this part of India’s history black by denying them the respect and reverence they deserve,” he said. “I thank all the individuals who have taken time out to bring the soil from their villages which will be stored in the Old Birsa Jail and used to build the statue of Birsa Munda in the proposed museum,” he added.
Das also took the opportunity to assure the tribal communities that their rights over their land and property will be safe in Jharkhand.
“On Tuesday’s budget, we have allocated funds for drinking water supply to over 1,200 scheduled tribe settlements in the state. Additionally, Rs 5 lakh has been allotted to the villages of the freedom fighters under Shahid Gram Vikas Yojana for development of the villages into model ones,” he said.
The move to collect soil from all villages of Jharkhand for the Birsa Munda statue was inspired by the collection of farmer tools from all over the country for the ‘Statue of Unity’ in Gujarat. The union government had earlier announced a financial funding of Rs 25 crore for the project.

Marandi, state welfare minister, said they are taking efforts to give recognition and respect to freedom fighters. “Decades have passed since the freedom struggle of the country, but the tribal leaders who fiercely laid down their lives protecting the country have been forgotten. This project will not only revive their memories but also inspire the young generations to be proud of a forgotten past that has been not very kind to these leaders and their stories,” Marandi said.
The museum (Birsa Munda memorial museum) will have statues of freedom fighters Sido Kanho (1855 Hul battle), Diva Soren and Kisun Soren Murmu (1872 war against British), Telenga Kharia (1850 Ulgulan), Tana Jatra Bhagat (1912 non-violence movement), Lal Mangal Pandey, Amanat Ali and Ganpat Rai (1857 revolt) among others.
Union minister of state for tribal affairs Sudarshan Bhagat termed this initiative a noble move towards recognizing the sacrifices of the freedom fighters of Jharkhand in the 17th and 18th century. “The contribution of the freedom fighters from the state has been huge in getting India free from British domination. The plan to document all these stories of struggles in the museum at Old Birsa Jail is a befitting tribute to the forgotten heroes from this state,” he said.
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