Thousands pay homage to Kumram Bheem on 85th martyrdom anniversary

Thousands of Adivasis gathered at Jodeghat in Kumram Bheem Asifabad district to pay homage to tribal leader Kumram Bheem on his 85th martyrdom anniversary. Officials and community leaders recalled his struggle for “Jal, Jangal, Jameen” and his lasting legacy

Kumram Bheem Asifabad: Thousands of Adivasis paid homage to tribal legend Kumram Bheem on his 85th martyrdom anniversary at his memorial in Jodeghat village, located in the valley of Kerameri mandal, on Tuesday. District Collector Venkatesh Dothre and SP Kantilal Patil attended the ceremony.

The event began with Bheem’s family members, including Sone Rao, offering traditional tributes. They performed customary rituals at the three wooden flags symbolising Persapen and Avvalpen, deities of the Gond community. Elders and leaders of Adivasi organisations also took part in the observance.

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Collector Venkatesh Dothre, SP Kantilal Patil, and ITDA-Utnoor Project Officer Khusbu Gupta later paid floral homage by garlanding the statue of Kumram Bheem. In Adilabad town, Collector Rajarshi Shah and SP Akhil Mahajan led similar commemorations. A holiday was declared for educational institutions in both Kumram Bheem Asifabad and Adilabad districts to mark the occasion.

Thousands of Adivasis from across Telangana and neighbouring States, including Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Maharashtra, thronged Jodeghat to honour the tribal icon. Many reached the venue on foot, some taking out colourful processions from Hatti village, accompanied by traditional drums and folk instruments.

Participants recalled Kumram Bheem’s valiant struggle for “Jal, Jangal, Jameen” (water, forest, land) rights against the Nizam rulers eight decades ago. They hailed his sacrifice and paid glowing tributes to his enduring legacy. Tribal artistes performed traditional dance forms, filling the valley with cultural vibrancy.

Kumram Bheem and 14 of his followers were gunned down by police at Jodeghat in 1940 while waging a movement for tribal rights. The incident shook the then Nizam administration, prompting it to appoint noted anthropologist Professor Christoph von Fürer-Haimendorf to study the causes of the unrest. Haimendorf and his wife, Elizabeth Betty, lived in Marlavai village of Jainoor mandal between 1945 and 1956 during their study.