Delhi’s Sarai Kale Khan Chowk Renamed As Birsa Munda Chowk
In a big declaration, the Union Minister of Urban Development, Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday said that the Sarai Kale Khan Chowk will now be known as Birsa Munda Chowk
The decision was announced on the occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of the freedom fighter and tribal leader Bhagwan Birsa Munda
"I am announcing today that the big chowk outside the ISBT bus stand here will be known after Bhagwan Birsa Munda
Seeing this statue and the name of that chowk, not only the citizens of Delhi but also the people visiting the International Bus stand will definitely be inspired by his life," Manohar Lal Khattar said
The Union Minister asserted that this decision was taken to honour the freedom fighter so that people visiting the area could know about him and get inspired by his life
Earlier today, Union Home Minister Amit Shah along with Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Delhi LG VK Saxena, unveiled a statue of Bhagwan Birsa Munda in the national capital city
Birsa Munda, the hero of the Indian tribal freedom struggle, played a pivotal role in inspiring the tribal community of the Chotanagpur region to fight for their independence
He belonged to the Munda tribe in the Chhotanagpur Plateau area. He spearheaded an Indian tribal mass movement that arose in the Bihar and Jharkhand belts in the early 19th century
Munda rallied the tribals to fight against the forceful land grabbing carried out by the British government, which would turn the tribals into bonded laborers and force them to abject poverty
He became their leader and was given the nickname, 'Dharti Aba' or the father of the earth. He died on June 9, 1900, at age 25
November 15, the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda, was declared 'Janjatiya Gaurav Divas by the Central Government in 2021