India, the world’s largest democracy, has a rich history of kings and queens, who had a deep-rooted connection with the common people. Today we are discussing the people of Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region, where the locals remember King Pravir Chandra Bhanj Dev and venerate him as a deity.
A short documentary film titled “I Pravir The Adivasi God” directed by filmmaker and IIM Ahmedabad alumnus Vivek Kumar on Pravir Chandra Bhanj Dev, the king of Bastar, has been released on OpIndia’s YouTube channel, after watching which you will know what the local people think about him and why he is held in such high regard even after so many years.
The film captures community members lovingly reminiscing memories of the king and provides fascinating insights into the battle between monarchy and democracy. This film is now available exclusively on OpIndia.
Raja Pravir Chandra Bhanj Dev was assassinated in 1966. He was fighting the then-government for his subjects at the time. For the Bastar tribal people, he is still God, and they worship him in this guise.
The tribal people of Bastar recall their king Pravir Chandra Bhanj dev in this film, noting that while India now has a democratic system, the king valued his people and their aspirations more than today’s leaders. Even today, King Pravir Chandra Bhanj Dev’s photo is found in the homes of the people of Bastar. People from tribal society stated that there must have been developments in the current democratic system, but the tribals have not benefitted as much as they should have.
Pravir Chandra Bhanj Deo was an ardent supporter of tribal rights who frequently clashed with the Congress government of the time. He was the elected legislator from the Jagdalpur Vidhan Sabha seat in undivided Madhya Pradesh. He came to the streets in defense of tribal rights and spearheaded popular anti-government rallies at the time.
“On March 25th, Maharaja Pravir Chandra, who also was a Congress MLA from Jagdalpur Assembly seat, along with several tribals, was killed in the police firing on the orders of then Congress government inside his palace at Jagdalpur,” according to the documentary. One member of the judicial committee, formed to investigate the incident, reprimanded the government for mishandling the matter but did not hold anyone directly responsible for the occurrence.”
Decades later, his death in the police firing is thought to have had a significant influence on the emergence of Maoist insurgency in the state. It is one of the great “What ifs” in Indian history to speculate on what course Bastar would have taken if King Pravir Chandra Bhanj Dev had not been assassinated.
According to one tribal seen in the film, after Pravir Chandra Bhanj Dev was shot dead, his body was never discovered, just his clothing was found. His samadhi was afterwards created by placing his clothes. One person told that Pravir Chandra Bhanj Dev was killed due to the iron mine dispute. The king considered that the indigenous tribals had the highest claim to Bastar’s natural resources.
The film showcases the Adivasi culture, dance, and other tribal art forms. However, there is a harsh reality in the video that some people today have entirely forgotten the king and do not even recognize his image. On the contrary, several locals believe that whatever Bastar is today is the result of the king’s efforts. People also claim that King Pravir Chandra Bhanj Dev has always been generous to the people. The film also depicts Bastar’s current development work.
