Delhi's Sarai Kale Khan intersection renamed 'Bhagwan Birsa Munda Chowk' on his 150th birth anniversary

Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in 2021 announced that India would forever celebrate this day as 'Aadiwasi Gaurav Din' since Bhagwan Birsa Munda was born on this day in Jharkhand.

Statue of legendary tribal leader Birsa Munda.

Credit: PTI Photo

New Delgi: The Modi government on Friday renamed Delhi’s Sarai Kale Khan as the Birsa Munda Chowk to commemorate the life of the tribal freedom fighter.

The decision, announced on occasion of Janjatiya Gaurav Divas, was made by Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. 

“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,” Khattar said while making the announcement.

The chowk, close to Delhi’s ISBT, is a popular thoroughfare in the Capital. The government said that the move is to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the tribal freedom fighter’s life. The move could also help the ruling BJP in poll-bound Jharkhand.  

In a post on X, the prime minister said that his government will release a commemorative stamp. “The 150th birth anniversary year of Bhagwan Birsa Munda Ji is going to start from tomorrow. On the occasion of Tribal Pride Day, at around 11 am in Jamui, Bihar, we will have the privilege of releasing a commemorative coin and postage stamp in his honour, besides laying the foundation stone and inaugurating many projects,” the prime minister posted. He was in Jamui to unveil the coin and stamp, and a slew of projects. 

Earlier in the day, Khattar alongside union home Minister Amit Shah and Delhi LG VK Saxena unveiled a statue of Birsa Munda in the national capital. 

Birsa Munda, who hailed from the Chotanagpur region, spearheaded an armed revolution known as ‘Ulgulan’ (the rebellion) against British rule in 1894. His birthday has been commemorated as the Janjatiya Diwas by the Modi government. 

In its 2024 Lok Sabha poll manifesto, the BJP had said that it will declare 2025 as Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh to celebrate the life of Birsa Munda. Last year, in November, PM Modi announced Rs 24,000 crore for the Pradhan Mantri Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PM PVTG).