Birsa Munda statue to be unchained

RANCHI: Statue of the iconic tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda, who fought against the British Raj, will soon be unchained. Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das directed the state's Arts and Culture Ministry to replace the statues showing him in shackles with new ones sans them. "Birsa Munda is a guiding light for the youth of Jharkhand. Statues showing him in chains cast a negative effect on the minds of youth," Das said in a statement. He directed immediate implementation of the order and asked all government departments and buildings to replace all the statues. The fighter lanuched a military uprising against the Britishers in the 19th Century. He was captured and jailed in Ranchi, where he died at the age of 25. Director of state art and culture Anil Kumar Singh said shackles also commemorate the Indian subjugation to its colonial masters and evokes a sense of shame among people.