Kumram Bheem Resistance Movement, 1938–40

Another brave tribal leader, Gond Kumram Bheem, was born in a village called Sankepally in the forest area of Jodenghat in Asifabad (Jangama) division of the Old Adilabad District on 22nd October 1901. His parents were Kumram Chinnu and Sombai. The whole Asifabad area was under the rule of the Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan.

Tribals in Jodenghat practiced shifting cultivation (Podu) in the forests and were not under direct State control. However, the 1917 Act brought by the Nizam Government for the protection of Adivasi lands caused disturbances in tribal life, introducing heavy taxes such as:

• 

  Bancherai Pannu (for cattle grazing)

• Dumpa Patti (for firewood collection)

• Ghar Patti, Nagar Patti, Faisal Patti, Choubina, etc.

As they were unfamiliar with monetary systems, tribals struggled to pay taxes. In 1918, the Government established a Forest Revenue/Tahasil office at Utnoor and also started a paper mill at Sirpur Kagaznagar, occupying vast forest land. Many Gonds were forced into factory labour.

Additionally, non-locals (Marathas, Telugus, Muslims), with support from corrupt officers and moneylenders, encroached tribal lands, filing false cases against tribals. Witnessing these injustices, Kumram Bheem sought solutions.

After his father’s death, his family moved to Surdapur village. There, Bheem learned about tribal heroes like Birsa Munda, Ramji Gond, and Alluri Sitarama Raju through friends Madaavi Mahadu and Mothiram. Their heroic legacies inspired him.

A land dispute with Patwari Laxman Rao and Pattedar Siddiq Ali led to Bheem killing Siddiq, triggering a turning point. This united the Gond and Kolam tribes, who depended on Podu cultivation.

Bheem fled, first to Bollarum, then to Chandrapur, working in a printing press. When his employer Vithoba was arrested for printing anti-Government content, Bheem escaped, later working in tea plantations for five years, where he again witnessed British exploitation. He led resistance efforts, eventually returning to Jodenghat and marrying Sombai of Devadom village.

“Jal, Jungle, Jameen” (Water, Forest, Land)

Bheem united his family and villagers in Surdapur and spread the Jal-Jungle-Jameen slogan to mobilize tribals. He explained that forests, water, and land traditionally belonged to them and they must resist and defend their rights. He successfully:

• Convinced and united villagers

• Established 12 Gond villages:

  1. Babezhari

  2. Jodeghat

  3. Chalbardi

  4. Goginmovadam

  5. Hoyikhan Movadam

  6. Bhimangondi

  7. Kallegam

  8. Murikilanka

  9. Ankusalpur

  10. Narsapur

  11. Demdiguda

  12. Patnapur

Revenue and Forest officers claimed that 3,000 acres were being illegally cultivated. Cases were filed, and in clashes, tribals were injured, including Kumram Bheem, who then demanded autonomous rights over their lands.

On advice from Janakapuram Panthulu and lawyer Ramachandra Rao, Bheem sent multiple letters to the Nizam, demanding:

• Land rights

• Autonomy

• Freedom in tribal areas

But the Nizam never responded.

Final Battle and Martyrdom

Seeing police atrocities in Jodenghat, Bheem declared the 12 villages as liberated zones and made Jodenghat the resistance centre. He formed a guerilla army with Gond, Kolam, Pradhan, Thoti, Nayak, and Podu tribals.

As the situation escalated, officers covertly won over Kurdu Patel, a former ally of Bheem. With his help, the government forces under Captain Ali Raza Branden attacked.

On 1st September 1940, during Ashwayuja Pournami, Bheem was holding a meeting at the Goddess Temple of Galgad. That night, police launched a surprise attack, killing many sleeping tribals at Neykappi waterfall and Kariyar Gundam in Jodenghat Valley.

Kumram Bheem fought bravely till the end and was killed in police firing. About 140 tribals became martyrs.

According to a statement from the Nizam Government (17th September 1940):

• Kumram Bheem and 9 followers were killed

• 6 of 13 injured later died

Baddam Yellareddy estimated 138 deaths.Legacy

In response, Nizam appointed Austrian anthropologist Christ von Fürer-Haimendorf to study Gond conditions. Based on his recommendations:

• The ‘Dastur-ul-Amal’ Act was enacted in 1940

• Later, the 1/70 Act was also introduced in India

Kumram Bheem remains an eternal hero of the Gond people, celebrated every Ashwayuja Pournami (after Dussehra). Since 2014, the Government of Telangana observes his death anniversary as a State Festival.

Q. Examine the role of Komurum Bheem in the Jodeghat Tribal Movement. How did his leadership influence the course of the movement?