New Delhi/Leh: Ladakhi historian and scholar Nawang Tsering Shakspo placed the spotlight on Dharti Bhagwan Birsa Munda’s anti-colonial struggle and its resonance today while delivering the keynote address at a seminar organised by the National Tribal Research Institute (NTRI) under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. The session formed part of the National Tribal Literary Festival, held during Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh to mark the 150th birth anniversary of the iconic Adivasi leader.
Nawang told the gathering that Birsa Munda recognised early the value of English education as a bridge to convey Adivasi grievances to the ruling class, and argued that this strategic awareness shaped later efforts to secure Scheduled Tribe status for indigenous communities nationwide. He said Birsa’s entry into the freedom movement underscored the central role Adivasis played in challenging colonial rule.
Reflecting on his own scholarly journey, Nawang shared an anecdote involving eminent Ladakhi intellectual Tashi Rabgais and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, who met during the 1956 World Fellowship of Buddhists Conference in Rangoon. Ambedkar’s brief advice — “Learn English” — encapsulated, Nawang said, the emphasis placed by reformers on education as a tool for empowerment.
He went on to highlight the contribution of the 19th Kushok Bakula Rinpoche, widely regarded as the architect of modern Ladakh. Bakula’s intervention in securing Scheduled Tribe status for Ladakhis, Nawang noted, allowed generations of students to pursue higher studies in reputed institutions without undue hurdles. He described Birsa Munda, Ambedkar and Bakula as leaders whose efforts redefined the constitutional position of Adivasi communities, adding that the current observance offered an apt moment to honour their contributions.
Earlier, Nawang attended the National Tribal Literary Festival held on November 11–12 at the India Habitat Centre, where Tribal Affairs Secretary Ranjana Chopra and Prof. Nupur Tiwary released two publications of the Centre for Research on Ladakh — Autobiography of a Ladakhi: From a Mountain-Locked Region to a World of Opportunities and Ladakh Review Year 2025.
Ladakhi Historian Shakspo leads dialogueon Birsa Munda’s fight for Adivasi Rights
