Doordarshan Ranchi To Reach First in Ulihatu : The Birthplace of Birsa Munda

Doordarshan Ranchi To Reach First in Ulihatu : 

The Birthplace of Birsa Munda

(All the images are subject to IPR)

Today is 9th June and death anniversary of  India's tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda.  Birsa Munda is regarded  as one of the greatest personalities  of not only Bihar, now Jharkhand but also whole of India. It is the acknowledgement of the great personality that his portrait hangs in the Central Hall of Parliament, the only tribal leader to have been so honoured. 

Image of Bhagwan Birsa Munda
Image Courtesy : jagran.com 

The slogan of Birsa Munda threatening British Raj  - "Abua raj seter jana, maharani raj tundu jana"(Let the kingdom of the queen be ended and our kingdom be established) - is remembered even today in the areas of Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh.

Ulihatu is the bitrhplace of the Great Bhagwan Birsa Munda.

Ulihatu is situated in Khunti district of Jharkahand and is around 70 kms from Ranchi. Earlier Khunti was sub division of Ranchi district.

 Doordrashan Kendra Ranchi production team under the leadership of Ajay Kumar, for the first time, touched the pious soil of Ulihatu - birthplace of Bhagwan Birsa Munda with a view to doing the coverage of the place. The documentary " Aao Chalen Birsa Munda Ke Gaon" not only brought this erstwhile little known but important historical place on state level but national level. It also highlighted the backwardness of the area and also poor & pathetic road connectivity at that time.  The team had to face a number of difficulties while reaching the place in the mid July 1992.  Fortunately DC Ranchi and the then SDO Alka Tiwari also accompanied Doordarshan team  so that road connectivity & other development projects could be planned to develop this important but otherwise neglected  area. 

The documentary based on the coverage of Ulihatu and adjoining area was telecast from Doordarshan Kendra Ranchi in the evening of 22nd July 1992 and received appreciation and accolades from all the corners for producing such a historic programme  under great stress, difficulty and infra-structural constraints. 

It was reported in almost all the newspapers of Ranchi. We can find below a clipping  from  Ranchi Express published on 27th July 1992. It congratulated Producer Ajay Kumar and Doordarshan Kendra Ranchi for showing something on Ulihatu for the first time ever on TV. It also specially appreciated the  commentary by Ajay Kumar for being of the national standard.

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Image (C) : Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha