ADIVASI HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER

Tantia Mama the Greatest Bhil & Indian Human Rights Worker of Adivasis Today

In the written sources of India and oral tradition of the Bhils, we find many heroic characters depicted as great Bhils who left behind the traces of their footprints. Among these great Bhils are Prince Eklavya the greatest archer of his time, Shabari Bhilni who honoured God Rama by her hospitality, Bhil King Rana Punja who stood by Rana Pratap of Mewar when all Rajputs of Rajputana had deserted Rana Pratap and joined Emperor Akbar's army, Tantia Mama Bhil when the Landlords of Nimar were with British people a tribal stood against the foreign rule, and many others.
Tantia Mama the sole hero and freedom fighter of Nimar originally hails from Sirpur a small village some 20km East of Khandwa in Nimar region of Madhya Pradesh. The oral tradition of the Bhils and some written records concerning Tantia Mama's unknown life history say that due to the normal land dispute, about the division of ancestral property among the brothers and nearest kins, he left the birth place and went to Aulia some 18 km away from Khandwa and settled down temporarily in a small Bhil village called Pir Pokhar.

The Muslim sage or the Holy man of Pir Pokhar sheltered Tantia, taught him many lessons to face life and not to welcome escapism. The teachings of the Muslim saint strengthened the will and character of Tantia and he gradually began to take initiatives in solving the village land disputes, recovery of higher loan interests charged by the local land lords and annexation of the Bhil land by them. One problem the tribal Bhils suffered from the Nimar land lords was concerning the loans given on higher interests to the poor Bhils which they were helpless to repay due to failure of crops, natural calamities, manmade problems owing to which the tribals suffered serious social, physical and economic harassments in the hands of the Nimari land lords. Tantia couldn't tolerate these atrocities any longer afflicting Adivasi society, economy and self-esteem of his fellow Adivasi Bhil Brothers. He began to defend them and get justice for the tribal Bhils of Nimar by taking back the land from the land lords, illegally taken away and the same way money collected from the Bhils by these land lords who were charging higher interests from the Nimari Bhils. Thus Tantia Bhil proved to be the Robin hood of Nimar. This particular role of human right defence by the emerging Bhil hero and the leader the Nimari land lords could not accept.

The land lords of Nimar the Choudharies jointly accused Tantia Bhil as it happens even today, for looting and robbing them. The British Government took action against Tantia Bhil depicting him in their records as a thief and a plunderer of Nimar. Now the wrath of Tantia Bhil turned against British rulers too who were directly doing injustice to him and supporting the land lords. His anger doubled in revenge against both powerful enemies. The British after a long struggle arrested Tantia Mama and after trying in Jabalpur court hanged the hero of Nimar unjustly. Thus one more Bhil leader, great hero and lion of Nimar, fighting ceaselessly also a great freedom fighter vanished for defending Adivasi human rights of India against the tyranny of the land lords and anarchy of the British peoples, together with his companions. Much more than the freedom fighter, Tantia Mama the great Bhil was the Adivasi human rights fighter of Nimar giants the local landlords. The government of Madhya Pradesh has not done sufficient justice to the great hero of the Bhils in the state especially in Nimar. Today Tantia Bhil is the greatest hero of Nimar, ideal Nimari, freedom fighter, defender of Adivasi human rights in India, and deified hero of the Bhils of Bhilanchal especially in Nimar. This very sacred task Mama Baleshwar Dayal did for the Bhils of Bhilanchal from Bamania in Jhabua, MP. A fact for both, the state government of Madhya Pradesh and Indian Government are yet to recognise these two Adivasi human rights fighters of Bhilanchal.

Even though the greatest hero of the Bhils, Adivasi human rights defender and a great tribal freedom fighter the hero Nimar is no more, but his spirit and the spirit of his opponents still prevail in the land of Tantia Bhil and Bhilanchal. There is a strong fight still goes on between these two spirits. New Tantias are emerging but socially, culturally and legally still crushed in an unknown way. Due to the significant contributions made by Tantia in the precarious conditions fighting against two strong enemies, British Government and the land lords of Nirmar made him a hero, saint, freedom fighter and an Adivasi human rights defender and fighter of India. The selfless sacrifice, dedication and the spirit with which he fought with the Bhil sena (Bhil army) against the British raj, many of the high caste persons of Nimar are yet to dream. The reward Tantia Mama and his companions got in their own life time that they were hanged and a lonely and unknown figure of Tantia Bhil stands near the bus stand of Jhabua(MP) in a dirty place amidst the thela gadis of hammals.

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