Published Date: 31-10-2025 Issue: Vol. 2 No. 10 (Special issue): October 2025 Published Paper PDF: Download
Abstract: Birsa Munda, one of the most revered tribal leaders of India, symbolizes the spirit of resistance and resilience against colonial exploitation and social injustice. His leadership during the Ulgulan (Great Tumult) not protected tribal identity and rights, but also established the groundwork for Contemporary tribal awareness.This paper explores the legacy of Birsa Munda by examining his psychological and social dimensions such as coping mechanisms, spiritual intelligence, and self-efficacy. The study analyzes tribal conflicts over land, forest, and water rights. The study demonstrates how faith, spiritual leadership, and adaptive coping mechanisms promote communal resilience. It also examines how Bandura’s theory of selfefficacy interacts with the empowerment of tribal groups in their struggles for justice and self-governance.This study draws insights from contemporary policies such as the Forest Rights Act (2006), PESA (1996), and programs such as the Eklavya Model Residential Schools, and articulates Birsa Munda’s perspectives in the context of contemporary challenges such as mining, displacement, and logging.Bycombining psychological concepts with the history of the political struggles, the research demonstrates how the teachings of Birsa Munda continue to inspire the tribal and other marginalized communities to be resilient, to gain their Independence, and to become truly empowered.
Keywords: Birsa Munda, Coping Mechanisms, Spiritual Intelligence, Self-Efficacy, Tribal Rights, Resilience.