The Mamata Banerjee government has decided to organise week-long programmes this month to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda, a move that reflects the Trinamool Congress’s bid to woo the tribal community ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.

Born on November 15, 1875, Munda was a revered hero and religious leader of the tribal community.

A source said the state government planned to celebrate the iconic tribal figure’s 150th birth anniversary this year and follow up with bigger events next year.

The source said the celebrations would begin on November 14 and conclude on November 21.

“This is the first time we will celebrate the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda for a full week. The event is organised to honour our icon and cult figure as part of celebrating his 150 years of birth,” said tribal development minister Bulu Chik Baraik.

The source said the decision to celebrate Munda’s birth anniversary carried political significance as the ruling party wanted to connect with the tribal population on a larger scale before the 2026 Assembly elections, especially in regions like north Bengal and Jungle Mahal, which have substantial numbers of Adivasis.

A source in the tribal development department said a state-level programme would be held on November 15 in Jhargram, one of the two Lok Sabha constituencies reserved for the tribal community (the other being Alipurduar) in Bengal. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee is likely to attend the event as the chief guest.

“The chief minister is expected to announce the entire programme schedule soon. However, it’s confirmed that celebrations will be held across the state, particularly in districts with a significant tribal population,” an official said.

Honouring Munda’s legacy gained political momentum after the November 2020 gaffe by Union home minister Amit Shah who mistakenly garlanded a statue of a tribal hunter, believing it to be Munda’s. Trinamool sought to capitalise on the gaffe, accusing the BJP of lacking an understanding of Bengal’s culture.

Shah’s faux pax is believed to have helped Trinamul bag substantial tribal votes in the 2021 Assembly polls and defeat the BJP in several constituencies.

Following the controversy in November 2020, Mamata declared Munda’s birthday, November 15, a state holiday.

Although the TMC won the Jhargram Lok Sabha seat this year, Alipurduar went to the BJP.

In the recent Lok Sabha polls, the TMC led in nine out of 16 Assembly segments reserved for Scheduled Castes, while the BJP was ahead in seven.

Beyond the 16 reserved seats, the tribal population plays a significant role in electoral outcomes in many Assembly constituencies in districts like Darjeeling, Alipurduar, and Jalpaiguri in north Bengal, and Jhargram, Purulia, Bankura and West Midnapore in south Bengal.

“Since the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP has made significant inroads into Adivasi-dominated areas. Although we regained ground in the 2021 Assembly and 2024 general polls, we still need to strengthen our presence in at least seven Assembly segments where the community did not place their trust in us,” said a senior TMC leader in Calcutta.

A source said the government planned to celebrate Munda’s birth anniversary
in various blocks and areas in 17 districts where tribal people have a significant presence.

Bharat Jakat Majhi Pargana Mahal, a prominent national tribal organisation, has urged the government to begin the week-long celebration on November 15, which is Munda’s birthday, instead of November 14.

“We protested two years ago when the government began observing World Tribal Day on August 8, a day early. So, we hope the government will reconsider the decision and start the celebration on November 15,” said Rabindranath Murmu, a state committee member of the outfit.

BJP leaders, however, argued that this initiative by the government would not help Trinamool win over the tribal community. The BJP claimed that Adivasis had lost faith in the TMC long ago.

“Tribal people have long since realised that this government isn’t committed to their development, which is why they lost seats like Purulia and Alipurduar. Such efforts to appeal to the tribal community are unlikely to succeed,” said BJP Rajya Sabha member Samik Bhattacharya.