The struggle for water, forests and land (jal, jangal aur zameen) is centuries old. Even today, the Adivasis are fighting for their basic rights. Hul Diwas reminds us of such a struggle. About 150 years ago, the Adivasis of Jharkhand sounded the bugle of revolt against the British. Though the historians say that the sepoy uprising of 1857 was India’s first battle for independence from the British, the fact is that the Adivasis of Jharkhand had raised the banner of revolt against the foreign rulers, earlier, on 30 June 1855. The Hul revolt had begun from the Bhagandih village of the present Sahibganj district under the leadership of Sido and Kanhu. At the time, Sido had coined the slogan “Do or die, O’ British leave our soil”.
Related Articles
When Ambedkar urged workers of India to unite against Brahmanism and capitalism
Two years after he launched the Independent Labour Party, Ambedkar addressed a conference of Dalit workers employed by the railways in Manmad in which...
How months of deliberations preceded Santhal Hul
Kedar Prasad Meena’s research concluded that Hul was the response of a people yearning for freedom and self-respect to their exploitation by moneylenders, the...
Ambedkar’s insights and foresight remain deeply underappreciated
Dr B.R. Ambedkar’s vision of democracy transcended the simplistic notion of majority rule. He critiqued majoritarian democracy as a system that risked perpetuating the...
Raidas: A modern revolutionary thinker from the feudal medieval era
Raidas’ radical thinking and works didn’t get wider national and international acceptance. In fact, his modern vision wasn’t even accorded the place it deserved...
As Jharkhand turns 24, a reason to celebrate and a reality check
Jharkhand stands at a crossroads. The state must strike a balance between preserving its rich cultural heritage and meeting the demands of modernization and...