The history of colonial India is rich with tales of resistance against British rule. While certain landmark events have earned a prominent place in the national freedom narrative, many others—particularly those led by tribal communities in remote and often marginalized regions—have remained largely overlooked, buried in the pages of history.
One such forgotten chapter is the Amko Simko incident of 1939 in Sundargarh district, Odisha. On April 25 that year, exactly two decades after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, British police opened fire on a peaceful gathering of tribal people, killing at least 49 innocent individuals and injuring hundreds more. Despite its scale and significance, the Amko Simko massacre has rarely found mention in mainstream historical accounts.
The incident took place in Simko village, under the Raiboga police station near Birmitrapur, close to the Odisha-Jharkhand border and about 50 km from Rourkela. Over 3,000 tribal people had assembled there under the leadership of Nirmal Munda. When British police arrived to arrest him and failed to secure the crowd’s cooperation, they unleashed indiscriminate firing on the unarmed gathering. This brutal act resulted in a large number of casualties.
The movement had its origins in the growing exploitation and erosion of tribal rights under the princely state of Gangpur (now part of Sundargarh district). Tribal communities, who had long enjoyed certain traditional protections, faced mounting pressure as the state imposed new taxes on lands that were previously tax-free.
The Struggle for Land Rights
In the late 1930s, tribal communities in Odisha were subjected to severe exploitation under British colonial rule. Excessive land taxes and revenue demands pushed them into economic distress, leading to widespread discontent.
Nirmal Munda, born on January 27, 1894, in Bartoli village near Raiboga, brought unique experience and resolve to the cause. After serving in the British Indian Army and participating in World War I in France, he returned home and worked as a teacher in Dahijira and Rajgangpur. Over time, the anti-tribal policies of the Gangpur administration drew him into the freedom struggle.
Land revenue in the region rose sharply from Rs 5,200 in 1865 to Rs 47,700 in 1900, Rs 64,257 in 1911, Rs 1,10,257 in 1923–24, and Rs 1,49,861 by 1932. In 1937, even traditionally tax-exempt “Godda” lands were brought under compulsory taxation. Disturbed by these developments, Munda began organising tribal communities from 1935 onwards. He demanded the cancellation of the recent Mukherjee settlement, recognition of traditional Khuntkatti land rights, abolition of forced labour (Bethi), and greater community control over water, forests, and land.
The movement also called for relief from excessive revenue demands, measures to address unemployment, and the promotion of education.
The agitation gradually spread across Raiboga, Purunapani, Bisra, Birmitrapur, and Hathibari. Munda repeatedly petitioned the Viceroy through letters in January 1937, February 1938, and October 1938, seeking intervention—but to no avail.
The Massacre
As pressure mounted, the Gangpur administration resolved to arrest Nirmal Munda. In response, he called for a large public gathering at Simko village on April 25, 1939, to discuss the restoration of tribal rights, including Khuntkatti privileges and protections under the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act. A large crowd gathered, partly in the hope that the Queen of Gangpur, Janaki Ratna, might announce a favourable decision that day. Instead, police forces led by British officers surrounded the assembly. When officers began searching for Munda, many in the crowd bravely declared themselves to be him in order to protect their leader.
According to eyewitness accounts, a minor incident, possibly an officer’s cap being knocked off, was misinterpreted as an attack. Without warning, the police opened indiscriminate fire on the unarmed crowd. In the ensuing chaos, at least 49 people were killed and over 80 injured. The bodies of the victims were reportedly disposed of in the nearby Brahmanmara quarry. Nirmal Munda and several others were arrested and imprisoned, first in Jashpur Jail and later in Sundargarh Jail. They were released only after India gained independence in 1947.
Memory, Recognition, and Continuing Demands
For nearly five decades, the Amko Simko tragedy remained largely confined to local memory. It was kept alive through the quiet efforts of tribal activists and individuals such as former MLA Dhananjay Mahanti, Prof D N Singh, Kishun Sahu, and Mahavir Agarwal. In recent years, commemorative events have been held and a memorial has been erected at the site.
In 1972, on the 25th anniversary of Independence, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi honoured Nirmal Munda with a Tamrapatra, recognising him as a freedom fighter. He had earlier been elected as an MLA from Bisra in 1957.
Yet the broader movement and the martyrs of Amko Simko have still not received formal national recognition as part of India’s freedom struggle. Tribal organisations continue to demand that the Amko Simko incident be officially acknowledged and that all those who lost their lives be granted the status of freedom fighters.
A Symbol of Courage
The Amko Simko incident remains a powerful testament to the courage, resilience, and dignity of Odisha’s tribal communities. Their struggle was not just about land and revenue—it was a fight for autonomy, justice, and the right to live with self-respect.Bringing such overlooked histories into the national narrative requires conscious effort through education, research, and public discourse. Granting due recognition to the Amko Simko martyrs would be a meaningful step toward honouring their sacrifice and ensuring that the contributions of India’s tribal communities are no longer sidelined.
