Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: A bronze statue of Bhagwan Birsa Munda now stands at the Beesakopie Tea Factory in Doomdooma, Upper Assam. It overlooks National Highway 37. The memorial marks a shift in a region long defined by British colonial tea plantations. Generations of workers brought from the Chotanagpur Plateau and surrounding regions built these estates. Those laborers faced displacement, extreme hardship, and cultural suppression for decades.
Assam Cabinet Minister Rupesh Gowala and Dibrugarh MP Pradan Baruah cleaned the site ahead of Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas. Reflecting on the revolutionary's legacy, Gowala stated, "The great warrior who shook the strong foundations of British rule through his revolutionary struggle was none other than Bhagwan Birsa Munda."
The statue commemorates the 150th birth anniversary of Munda, who died in British custody in 1900 at age 25. Mangaldoi MP Dilip Saikia inaugurated the monument on November 16, 2025. It serves as a focal point for the descendants of plantation workers. Older residents view the site as long-overdue recognition for ancestors who suffered under colonial rule. Younger generations see it as a call for social justice, education, and economic progress.
For 85-year-old Parkhito Bagh, the memorial honors more than just labor. It recognizes the courage of people who lived without power over their own lives. Local residents and students gathered at the site to connect their heritage with Munda’s vision. The monument transforms a space once synonymous with colonial exploitation into a symbol of indigenous identity and endurance.
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