A movement needs a leader and the leader needs followers. The role of the followers is in recognising the potential of the leader and giving him the real strength and getting him excited for leading the movement. We know this from the times of Ramayana period itself: Hanuman is said to have known his capacities […]
A movement needs a leader and the leader needs followers. The role of the followers is in recognising the potential of the leader and giving him the real strength and getting him excited for leading the movement. We know this from the times of Ramayana period itself: Hanuman is said to have known his capacities only when his followers recognised and instigated him to realise that he could rise high and fly over the ocean to find Sita in Ravan’s Lanka.
Similarly, the capabilities of Kumram Bheem, the leader of the Gonds movement, who worshipped Hanuman in the centre of their hamlets, were first recognised and encouraged by his followers. Among such followers, Routa Kondal stands as the main personality who was associated with Kumram Bheem throughout his Jodeghat rebellion from the beginning till the end.
The original name of Routa Kondal is Kumram Kondal or Kumra Kondu but he was also called Edla Kondal since he used to feed oxen (edlu) in the pastures. Kumram Bheem, Routa Kondal would reside in Routa Sankepalli village in today’s Kumram Bheem Asifabad district. Kumram Bheem’s father Chinnu founded that village. Bheem and Kondal were childhood friends. They used to play together and sing together. They used to get inspired by listening to the heroic legends of the Gond Rajas sung by the paternal uncles of Kumram Bheem. The young minds could not understand why the Gonds who were once independent kings were now so poor – i.e. in the second decade of the 20th century. When asked, the elders would say in Gondi language, “if you try to analyse the atrocities happening in front of your eyes now, you will understand”. This inspired the young hearts.
The Nizam Nawabs of the State of Hyderabad from the South and Marathas and the British from the North had expanded into the Gond territories which they ruled till 19th century. The revenue of the respective rulers, forest department officials, landlords, money lenders and businessmen spread into the Gond areas and looted Gonds and their associated tribes — Kolams, Pardans, Thotis, Naikpods, etc. — using their power in many ways. They used to enter their homes in front of their eyes and pick up their chickens, goats and even the tuniki (local wild fruit) they collected from the forests. Whatever the tribals got from the forests, cultivated farming, fed cattle, the officers, feudal lords and money lenders used to impose and collect many coercive taxes in the name of ‘Forest Laws’ and other rules, not understood by the illiterate tribals.
Not able to tolerate the atrocities of the Nizam officials, Gonds and other tribes migrated. Bheem and Kondal used to think that they should face those conditions somehow. The police force, in support of the officers, had guns in their hands; so Bheem friends thought of ways to deal with the police and guns. They did research and found local herbs and minerals. The elders, especially those who were knowledgeable in medicine, were consulted because their ancestors were knowledgeable enough about the uses of the herbs and minerals. Eventually they came to know that if the parasite plants that grow on the branches of the pipal tree were kept with them, the enemy could not reach and harm them; further, the enemy would do as they commanded. Similarly, had they kept with them the parasite plants of the tamarind tree they would not get harm if the enemy hit or shoot them with a gun. Thus they learned some magic tricks. In other words, they looked for alternative ways to deal with the police to save their lives. Bheem and his friends also learned how to make Burmar guns and their ammunition. With these endeavours, Kondal gained name for witchcraft powers and Bheem for physical valour. Believing in their energies and confidences hundreds of young people were drawn from the 12 tribal hamlets into their private force so as to oppose the landlords, junglat (forest department) officials and police forces, contemplating that they could continue their previous traditional ways of life smoothly.
Meanwhile, the misdeeds of the Nizam officials also increased. The families of Bheem and some others couldn’t bear them and hence migrated to a nearby village Surdapur. The government employees looted the crops of the tribals under the supervision of an officer named Siddiq after they were ready for harvesting. Kumram Bheem faced them. In the ensuing fight Bheem hit Siddiq on his head with a stray log; Siddiq fell down. Bheem ran away suspecting serious consequences if Siddiq dies. He fled to Assam through Maharashtra and worked in tea gardens and returned to the Babejhari – Jodeghat area knowing that how British atrocities were happening in their respective areas – in 1930s – to fight back decisively.
Brothers of Bheem’s father and Kondal along with tribes had founded twelve hamlets along the mountains from Babejhari to Jodeghat. When the government authorities came to assault, the Gond heroes hanged their clothes among the trees on the banks of the Babejhari-Jodeghat valley and attracted the officers to the other side and wounded them in guerrilla warfare from behind. Even they faced them face to face with the assurance given by Kondal’s Badanika Tantra.
Without knowing the ways to catch the rebellious Gonds and the other tribal heroes the Nizam government’s forces found a Gond who knew the whereabouts of Bheem-Kondal and their Badanika Tantra. The Gond informer told them that Bheem and Kondal together with their followers were worshipping ‘Avval Pen’ (Mother Goddess) at Jodeghat and their warfare technique could be dealt with by a piece of cloth stained with a woman’s menstrual blood. Then the Nizam government forces caught Bheem-Kondal and their followers at the spot and threw bombs upon them; while Kondal escaped from the explosion Bheem and 13 of his followers attained martyrdom then and there itself on the 10th September of 1940.
The Nizam government had already invited the well known Anthropologist Professor Haimendorf to study the tribal status of the State. The professor was preparing reports on how to provide education, medical and financial support to the tribals. If the lured Gond person hadn’t turned to be the reason for the heroic death of Bheem, the tribals would have got rights on the Jal-Jungle-Zameen soon. However, their struggle had inspired the Telangana peasants struggle and the movement for formation of a separate state. Their slogan – ‘Mawe Nate Mawe Raj’ (our rule in our region) was realised, though lately.
Now it is our duty to pay tribute to Kumram Bheem and his chief companion Routa Kondal. The villagers including the Patel Kumra Hannu and Kumra Bheem, son of Routa Konda set up traditional wooden poles at the place where the friends used to play during their childhood in Patha Routa. There they are paying homage to the friends on every Kathika Pornami not to clash with Ashweeyuja Pornami when Kumram Bheem vardhanti takes place at Jodeghat. For the first time people, people’s representatives and government celebrated Routa Kondal’s death anniversary in Routa Sankepalli on 30.10.2021. (With thanks to Sri Sidam Arju).
– Dr. Dyavanapalli Satyanarayana
(Scholar specialised in Telangana History and Culture)