Doomdooma, Nov. 14 -- On the grounds of the historic Beesakopie Tea Factory in Doomdooma, Upper Assam's Tinsukia district, a bronze statue of Bhagwan Birsa Munda now stands overlooking National Highway 37. In a landscape shaped by British colonial expansion and generations of plantation labour, the memorial has emerged as a powerful symbol of Adivasi identity, resistance and recognition.

The setting carries considerable historical significance. The tea gardens of Assam grew under a colonial economic system built on the labour of thousands of workers, many of whom were brought from central and eastern India. Today, the statue of a revolutionary who challenged British rule and fought for indigenous land rights and dignity stands on the gro...