What was Birsa’s vision of golden age? Why do you think such a vision appealed to the people of the region?

Birsa was deeply influenced by many of the ideas he came in touch within his growing-up years. The movement that he led aimed at reforming tribal society. He urged people to give up drinking liquor, clean their village, and stop believing in witchcraft and sorcery.

Birsa’s vision of a golden age was:

1) To free the Mundas from the oppression of Dikus.

2) To restore the ancestral rights of the community.

3) To see themselves as the descendants of the original settlers of the region, fighting for their land, reminding people of the need to win back their region.

I think such a vision appealed to the people of the region because they were very much eager to lead a free life. They got fed up of forest laws and the restriction which was imposed on them. This vision reminded them of a golden age in the past when Mundas lived a good life, constructed embayment, tapped natural spring, planted trees and orchards, practiced cultivations to earn their living. They could now again live a life of brother and relative.