Chhattisgarh tableau highlights proposed ‘India’s first tribal digital museum’ on Kartavya Path

RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh’s Republic Day tableau, themed “Vande Mataram – The Mantra of Freedom,” drew attention on Kartavya Path on Republic Day as it showcased a proposed “India’s first tribal digital museum” and highlighted the legacy of tribal resistance against British rule.Rolling past the saluting dais during the 77th Republic Day parade in New Delhi, the tableau was received with waves and applause from the leadership seated at the ceremonial base, including President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, officials said. The Chhattisgarh tableau was centred on the concept of a digital museum which, according to the state’s presentation, chronicles tribal uprisings and honours leaders who challenged colonial policies and paid with their lives. The presentation was accompanied by folk artistes performing a dance of the Dhurwa tribal community, depicting Veer Gundadhur, a key figure associated with the Bhumkal rebellion of 1910 in the Bastar region.State officials said the tribal museum at Nava Raipur — projected to cost ₹50 crore — is envisaged as a permanent tribute to tribal contributions to India’s freedom struggle. It aims to connect younger generations with stories of local uprisings that often remain outside mainstream historical narratives.As described on the tableau, the museum is planned across 14 thematic galleries and will feature more than 650 sculptures portraying major tribal movements during the colonial period. The lead section of the tableau highlighted Gundadhur, described as a revered leader of the Dhurwa community who rallied different tribal groups against exploitation and injustice. The tableau also carried visual symbols linked to the Bhumkal movement — mango branches and dried chillies — presented as markers of unity and resistance.The tableau narrative also referred to the scale of the 1910 rebellion, noting that the British administration had to summon additional troops from Nagpur, while Gundadhur was never captured.The rear segment shifted focus to another iconic figure from the region’s freedom history — Veer Narayan Singh, often remembered as Chhattisgarh’s first martyr. He was depicted mounted on horseback, sword in hand, as a leader who stood with the poor during a famine and later emerged as a key figure during the upheaval of 1857.Together, the tableau wove a sweeping story of Chhattisgarh’s tribal heroes — from Bastar’s forest rebellions to the broader currents of the freedom movement — with the proposed digital museum positioned as a modern-day archive of courage, sacrifice and resistance.