Birsa's birthplace needs another saviour

Ulihatu (Khunti): Almost everything in Jharkhand is named after Birsa Munda - the picturesque airport in the state capital, the athletics stadium that hosted the 2011 National Games and the central jail where leaders like Madhu Koda and Lalu Prasa were incarcerated.
However, the birthplace of the tribal legend - Ulihatu in Khunti district - still languishes.
Birsa, revered by tribal residents as "Birsa Bhagwan", led the Munda rebellion against the British colonial government-imposed feudal state.
Born in 1875, Birsa died at 25, in Ranchi's Central Jail. In his short life, he not only mobilized and led tribals to a revolt that shook the British Empire, but also became famous as a prophet.
Situated barely 60km from Ranchi, the icon's village is plagued by frequent violence, unemployment, lack of irrigation infrastructure enveloped in lush green forests. People defecating in the open and visibly underweight children are a common sight. The nearest college is in the district headquarter, Khunti, 30 km away, as is the nearest hospital. No one in the village owns a vehicle and no buses or autos ply here. The government has failed to provide even piped drinking water to the people.
Sukhram Munda, the 62-year-old great grandson of the tribal icon, said: "It is just not possible to get any job here. Several boys from our village go to Gujarat to work. The wages for jobs done under MGNREGA are always delayed." Apart from Gujarat, people also migrate to Karnataka, Maharashtra and Punjab, said Sukhram.
Every other youngster who turned up to vote in Ulihatu on Thursday dreams of moving to other states as this tiny village has failed to provide jobs and a decent life to the mostly tribal population. A villager, in fact, said that Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Punjab has done more for the villagers than Jharkhand. Salan Purty, 30, and six others had headed to Gujarat three years ago. "It was easy to find jobs there. We worked as laborers in different factories," said Purty, who returned home last year when his parents fell ill. On Thursday, Khunti recorded an impressive voter turnout of 61%, an impressive rise from the 2009 election when turnout was 52%. The figure was similar in Ulihatu, where people turned up to elect a leader who they believe can give them a better life.
The polling booth set up at the Government Upgraded Middle School for Girls was teeming with people since voting started at 7am. "We want our MP to take care of our village. This is the birthplace of a legend and villagers here should get all the facilities possible," said Abraham Munda, a villager.