Jaipal Singh Munda
| Jaipal Singh Munda | |
|---|---|
| Born |
3 January 1903 Takra Pahantoli, [[Ranchi, Jharkhand]], India[1] |
| Died |
20 March 1970 Delhi, India |
| Other names | Marang Gomke |
| Occupation | Hockey player, Indian Civil Service officer, Adivasi political leader |
| Years active | 1939-1970 |
| Spouse(s) | Tara Mazumdar (divorced); Jahanara Jaipal Singh |
| Olympic medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's field hockey | ||
.svg.png){kind=icon} | 1928 Amsterdam | Team competition |
Jaipal Singh Munda (3 January 1903 – 20 March 1970) born in a Munda tribal family, was a politician, prolific writer and sportsman. He was the member of the Constituent Assembly which debated on the new Constitution of the Indian Union. He captained the Indian field hockey team to clinch gold in the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. He was well known for his sportsmanship and political skills.
Later he emerged as a campaigner for the causes of Adivasis and the creation of a separate homeland for them in central India. As a member of the Constituent Assembly of India, he campaigned for the rights of whole the tribal community.
He is popularly known as Marang Gomke, which means the Great Leader. This name was given to him by the tribal people of Chota nagpur region.
Early life
Jaipal Singh Munda, alias Pramod Pahan, was born on 3 January 1903 in remote Takra, Pahan Toli village of what was then Khunti subdivision (now declared district) of the then District of Ranchi in the state of Jharkhand, India. The majority of the inhabitants of Khunti district are from the Munda tribe. Jaipal Singh too was from a Munda family that had embraced Christianity.
In childhood, Singh's job was to look after the cattle herd. After initial schooling at the village church school, in 1910 he gained admission to St. Paul's College, Ranchi, which was run by the Christian Missionaries of the SPG Mission of the Church of England. A keen and gifted field hockey player, Singh was a brilliant student and exhibited exceptional leadership qualities from a very young age. This was noticed by the missionaries, who took him to England for higher studies at the University of Oxford. He graduated from St. John's College, Oxford with Honours in Economics.
Singh was selected to work in the Indian Civil Service, from which he later resigned. In 1934, he because a teacher at the Prince of Wales College at Achimota, Gold Coast, Ghana. In 1937, he returned to India as the Principal of the Rajkumar College, Raipur. In 1938, he joined the Bikaner princely state as foreign secretary.
Singh thought that with his varied experience he could be more useful to the country if he worked in the sphere of education. He wrote letters to the Bihar Congress President, Rajendra Prasad, asking to be allowed to contribute to Bihar's education sector, but received no positive answers. In the last month of 1938, Singh visited Patna and Ranchi. During this visit, he decided to come to politics by seeing the poor condition of the tribal people.[2]
Adivasi Mahasabha
Singh formed Adivasi Mahasabha in 1938, with himself as its president. After the independence of India, the name of the party was changed to Jharkhand Party and it accommodated non-tribal people to achieve long-term goals. He is popularly known as "Marang Gomke (meaning Great Leader) by the Adivasis of Chhotanagpur.
Role in the Constituent Assembly debate
Singh was a gifted speaker and represented all the tribals of India at the Constituent Assembly of India (which was responsible for drafting the constitution of Independent India). The following is an excerpt from a famous speech made by him, where, while welcoming the Objectives Resolution, he highlighted the issues faced by the Indian tribals:
As a jungli, as an Adibasi, I am not expected to understand the legal intricacies of the Resolution. But my common sense tells me that every one of us should march in that road to freedom and fight together. Sir, if there is any group of Indian people that has been shabbily treated it is my people. They have been disgracefully treated, neglected for the last 6,000 years. The history of the Indus Valley civilization, a child of which I am, shows quite clearly that it is the newcomers — most of you here are intruders as far as I am concerned — it is the new comers who have driven away my people from the Indus Valley to the jungle fastness ... The whole history of my people is one of continuous exploitation and dispossession by the non-aboriginals of India punctuated by rebellions and disorder, and yet I take Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru at his word. I take you all at your word that now we are going to start a new chapter, a new chapter of independent India where there is equality of opportunity, where no one would be neglected.[3][4]
Hockey player
Singh was a member of the Oxford University Hockey Team. The hallmarks of his game as a deep defender were his clean tackling, sensible gameplay and well directed hard hits. He was the most versatile player in the Oxford University Hockey Team. His contribution to the University Hockey Team was recognised and he became the first Indian student to be conferred blue in Hockey.
In 1928, while he was in England, Singh was asked to captain the Indian hockey team for the 1928 Olympic Games. Under his captaincy the Indian team played 17 matches in the league stage, of which 16 were won and one drawn. Due, however, to a dispute with the English team manager, A. B. Rossier, Singh left the team after league phase and therefore could not play in the games in the knockout stage. In the final, the Indian Team defeated Holland by 3-0.
On returning to India, Singh was associated with Mohan Bagan Club of Calcutta and started its hockey team in 1929. He led that team in various tournaments. After retirement from active hockey, he served as Secretary of Bengal Hockey Association and as a member of the Indian Sports Council.
Death
Jaipal Singh died on 20 March 1970 in Delhi. At that time, foundation of a sports stadium was being laid in Ranchi City by the District Administration of Ranchi. Birsa Seva Dal submitted a proposal to the District Administration to honour Singh by naming the new stadium after him, which was agreed. Recently, the Government of Jharkhand has named the grand games complex and games village built at Ranchi for the next National Games as Jaipal Singh Munda Games Complex.
Published work
- Lo Bir Sendra : an autobiography : A memoir of Jaipal Singh Munda published in 2004. Edited by Rashmi Katyayan and published by Prabhat Khabar Publications, Ranchi.
- Adivasidom: a collection of the articles and speeches of Jaipal Singh Munda, written in the 1940-50s, published in July 2017. Edited by Ashwini Kumar Pankaj and it has published by the Pyara Karketta Foundation, Ranchi.