In fact, tribal mutinies against the British began at least 75 yearsbefore the 1857 revolution. These battles were fought with traditional bows andarrows and spears, and predated the reported political movement that came tothe fore in the latter part of the nineteenth century.
we complete 75 years ofIndependence, it is only fair to acknowledge that a parallel freedom movementhad existed in our far-flung villages and jungles, away from the mainstreamfreedom movement acknowledged in the books of history.
The Great Tribal Warriors of Bharat is a humble attempt to honour these largely unsung heroes of an epochal movement, whose contribution remains largely unacknowledged. The book begins with Tilka Manjhi, who unleashed guerilla warfare to combat the British, and includes Jaipal Singh Munda, one of the most nuanced speakers of our Constituent Assembly, tracking the trajectory of this movement. These brave warriors came from all parts of India, including the Northeast and the South, and from all tribes existing in the country. The book is a rare collection and a journey into self-discovery for our civilization turned nation.
To speak about their latest book, we invited Tuhin A. Sinha and Ambalika. In this episode, they tackled topics such as connotations of the term Adivasi, the issues faced by the tribal freedom fighters, the state of tribals post independence, and more.