What was birsa's vision of golden age? Why do you think such a vision appealed to the people of region?
Answers
Birsa Munda was a charismatic leader of the Munda tribe residing in the present regions of Bihar and Jharkhand. Birsa’s vision of a golden age was the arrival of the time when the tribals would regain their lost glory. He wanted them to tap natural resources, plant trees and orchards and practice cultivation for earning livelihood. He talked about the age when the tribals would not kill each other and live a clean and an honest life. He also wanted them to give up witchcraft and sorcery.
His vision appealed to the people as they believed that all their miseries were the result of the exploitative policies of the ‘dikus’. It is only when they will regain their land that they would be able to live an independent and peaceful life.
Birsa’s vision of golden age was to have their land free of dikus. He considered that age to be the ‘age of truth’. According to Birsa, in the golden age, the tribal sirdars will be able to rule among themselves and no one will be there to dictate terms to them. His golden age vision was to have an age with no vices like liquor, witchcraft, sorcery and uncleanliness. He did not want any role of outsider participants like missionaries, Hindu landlords, moneylenders, traders and Europeans.