Ahead of Jharkhand poll, PM announces 150th birth anniv celebrations of Birsa

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the government would celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of the country’s first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and freedom fighter Birsa Munda.

Modi, who was speaking during his monthly radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’, urged people to become part of the government campaign. The announcement regarding Birsa Munda will resonate with the people of Jharkhand, where Assembly elections will be held next month in two phases — on November 13 and 20.

The BJP had earlier revealed plans to establish a grand memorial in Sundargarh district of Odisha to honour Munda — a Santhal icon and freedom fighter — on his birth anniversary.

The memorial will include a 150-foot statue of Munda, along with an interpretation centre, convention hall, souvenir shop and landscaped gardens. The choice of Sundargarh district for the memorial is noteworthy as it borders Jharkhand and is near Ulihatu, Birsa Munda’s birthplace in the Khunti district of Jharkhand. The foundation stone for the memorial will be laid on November 15 — a date that falls between the two phases of the Assembly poll in Jharkhand. As many as 38 of 81 Assembly constituencies of Jharkhand will go to polls on November 20 and 43 will go to polls in the first phase on November 13.

“The government has decided to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of these great personalities (Birsa Munda and Sardar Patel) at the national level. I would urge all of you to become a part of this campaign”, Modi today said.

“Today in Mann Ki Baat, I will discuss two great heroes who had courage and foresight. The country has decided to celebrate their 150th birth anniversary. Patel’s 150th birth anniversary year will begin on October 31. After this, Bhagwan Birsa Munda’s 150th birth anniversary year will begin on November 15. Both these great men had different challenges but their vision was the same — to unify the country,” Modi said.

The PM also recalled his visit to Ulihatu village on Munda’s birth anniversary last year. “If you ask me what the most memorable moments of my life have been, I remember many incidents, but there is one moment that is very special. That moment was when, on the 15th of November last year, I had gone to Ulihatu village in Jharkhand, the birthplace of Bhagwan Birsa Munda, on his birth anniversary,” he said.

The PM also spoke about the cybercrime of “digital arrests” and urged people to adopt the mantra of “stop, think and take action” when faced with such a scam. Modi said probe agencies were working with states to deal with the issue but added that awareness was essential to protect oneself from this crime.