The statue of Bhagwan Birsa Munda will be made free of shackles within 2-3 days as renowned sculptor Dilip Toppo has been assigned the job by the State Art and Culture department. All Deputy Commissioners have also been directed to get shackles removed from the statues of Birsa Munda after identifying such figurines in their districts.
“We have contacted prominent sculptor Dilip Toppo for the job. As he was not in the town for the last few days, it got delayed for a few days. Toppo is back now and has promised that he will start working on it within 2-3 days,” said Director, Art and Culture, Anil Kumar Singh.
Directives have also been issued to all concerned people and agencies across the State to remove shackles from statues of Birsa Munda.
Art, Culture and Tourism Secretary Avinas Kumar, however, said that anybody who has put such a statue or painting has to remove shackles from it. “It is a directive from the state government, which we have to communicate to everyone….there is no time bound in it…they can take their time but it has to be done as early as possible,” added the Secretary.
Toppo, on the other hand, is yet to receive a formal request from the State government. “I have definitely been informed about the new assignment, but have not yet received any formal request from the government side. As soon as I receive the request, I will start working on it,” said Toppo.
According to Toppo, shackles will be removed through grinding work following which a layer of bronze will be put on it by adding a layer of chemical on the statue so that it could withstand harsh weather conditions also. “Nobody will be able to make it out that Bhagwan Birsa was ever put under shackles,” claimed Toppo.
Notably, Chief Minister Raghubar Das, observing the fact that the statues of state icon Birsa Munda wearing shackles puts a negative impact in the mind of the youth, recently issued ordered to remove those shackles from statues with immediate effect. With this, more than a century after his death inside a Ranchi jail, tribal leader who led an uprising against the British, will finally be free of shackles.
Munda, born in Ulihatu village in Khunti district, died at the age of 25 in 1900 of cholera at a Ranchi jail, after being ambushed in his sleep. He is revered in Jharkhand, where public buildings are named after him, including Ranchi Airport.