The bravery and sacrifice of Baba Tilka Manjhi, who killed the British officer, is still alive.
Amar Baidhani Tilka Manjhi was born on 11 February 1750 in Tilakpur, Sultanganj, Bihar. Tilka Manjhi of the Santhal tribe was the leading hero of the Indian freedom struggle. It was the intelligent and amazing political genius Tilka Manjhi who first informed the Santhals about the British policy of divide and rule. To uproot the British rule, he started a war by taking all the tribes Pahariya and Santhal with him.
On January 13, 1784, Augustus Cleveland, an officer of the East India Company posted in Bhagalpur, was killed. Due to lack of resources they could not continue that war and were eventually captured. The cruel British hanged the brave Tilka Manjhi on the banyan tree situated at the crossroads of Bhagalpur on 13 January 1785. The bravery and sacrifice of Baba Tilka Manjhi is still alive in the folk songs of the tribes of Bihar, especially the Santhals. Immortal martyr Tilka Manjhi had given the slogan “The earth is ours”.
