India has a rich legacy of freedom fighters who were also exceptional social reformers. Among these, one of the most remarkable figures—though still not widely known at the national level—is Govind Guru, also known as Govindgiri. He emerged as an inspirational leader for Bhil tribal communities and several other marginalized groups of central India. The colonial rulers quickly recognized his ability to mobilize the masses against both colonial authority and feudal oppression, responding with ruthless repression that culminated in one of the biggest massacres perpetrated in India by colonial forces in the 20th century.
Visitors to Bhil villages in the tri-junction region of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh are often struck by the frequent greeting “Jai Guru.” This salutation refers to Govind Guru, whose legacy continues to shape the cultural and political consciousness of these communities. His many-sided contributions—as a reformer, freedom fighter, mobilizer and lifelong advocate for justice—make him a towering figure who deserves much broader national recognition.
The memorials built in his honor at Mangarh on both the Rajasthan and Gujarat sides are important steps, but they remain insufficient compared to the scale of sacrifices made by Govind Guru and his followers. His life and work are deeply embedded in the songs, prayers and collective memory of tribal communities, and honoring this legacy is also a way of acknowledging the enormous suffering endured by Bhil communities in their struggles against feudal and colonial oppression.
Born in 1858 into a banjara (nomadic) family in the Dungarpur region of Rajasthan, Govind Guru experienced difficult early years marked by poverty. He worked as a farm laborer under exploitative conditions, and several members of his family died during a famine. Observing widespread suffering among people around him, he connected these hardships to the economic and social systems dominated by the British colonial regime and princely states.
As a young man, he travelled across the Banswara, Sunth, Dungarpur and Panchmahal regions, building rapport with tribal communities. He also accompanied Swami Dayanand during the latter’s travels in Rajasthan, and these conversations deepened his reformist convictions.
His early reform program emphasized gender equality, giving up liquor, avoiding crime, rejecting superstitions, and promoting sustainable livelihoods and land rights. He spoke openly against the injustices inflicted by dominant castes, particularly towards women and widows, while praising egalitarian traditions among tribal populations. These views angered entrenched interests, notably liquor traders who were hostile to his growing influence.
As his thinking evolved, Govind Guru moved beyond social reform to highlight the systemic exploitation of tribal communities. His speeches increasingly critiqued the colonial regime, and he demanded protection of tribal land rights, abolition of bonded and forced labor, and recognition of the community’s right to assemble and organize. He also invoked long-standing traditions of self-rule among tribal groups, posing a growing challenge to colonial authority. This led to punitive action, including his arrest around 1912, though widespread anger among tribals forced the authorities to release him.
By this time, his movement had gained significant momentum in the regions that now border Rajasthan and Gujarat, especially in Banswara, Dungarpur and Kushalgarh. It comprised several intertwined streams. The first was a social reform movement promoting temperance, equality and hygiene, and supporting widow remarriage. His use of rituals such as the sacred fire (dhuni) was less about religious tradition and more about symbolically uniting followers during periods of intense repression. Though some accused him of ritualism, Govind Guru consistently opposed superstition.
The second stream was a democratic and civil rights movement. He repeatedly appealed for freedom of expression, assembly and peaceful gathering, but repression only intensified. He and his family members were imprisoned around 1912, reflecting the growing concern of colonial and feudal authorities about his influence.
A third stream was a peasant and workers’ movement that demanded reduced taxation, protection of tribal land rights, and the abolition of forced and bonded labor. He encouraged followers to adopt improved agricultural practices, linking economic empowerment to social and political emancipation.
Govind Guru also led relief efforts during famines and floods, encouraging even the poorest to help one another. He himself lived an austere life and refused offers that could have granted him comfort or luxury. Followers in the bhagat and samp movements were expected to lead ethical lives free of crime, theft and intoxicants.
He was a master mobilizer who built a mass movement among some of the poorest and most oppressed communities despite formidable obstacles. Over time, the social movement evolved into a freedom movement asserting the rights and sovereignty of Bhil tribal communities.
This growing radicalization led to violent confrontation with colonial forces and collaborating princely states. Govind Guru and his followers were forced to travel with modest arms for self-defense. At a gathering in Mangarh on 17 November 1913, they were encircled by British forces, who used cannons and machine guns brought up the hills with the help of donkeys and mules. Around 1,500 people—mostly Bhil tribals—are estimated to have been killed, based on oral histories and other sources, though colonial records cited much lower numbers. The massacre was one of the most brutal mass killings carried out by colonial authority in 20th century India, likely surpassing the scale of the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh tragedy.
Govind Guru was arrested along with his close associates Dhirji Punja and Punja Pargi, and all three were sentenced to life imprisonment.
Meanwhile, in the Mewar region, the movement against excessive land revenue was growing in Bijoliya and spreading to surrounding areas. Inquiries ordered by the Maharana had already confirmed the exploitative nature of taxation. The arrival of Vijay Singh Pathik gave further momentum, and his writings expanded the movement’s reach. Among those influenced by these ideas was Motilal Tejawat, a young man from Udaipur who began organizing Bhil tribals against excessive taxes and forced labor. His mobilization—known as the Eki movement—attracted thousands.
As his support grew, so did repression. Like Govind Guru earlier, Tejawat began moving with followers from place to place. In early March 1922, when about 5,000 to 10,000 people gathered at Pal Chitaria village in present-day Gujarat to hear him speak, a heavily armed colonial force launched an assault. Around 1,200 people are believed to have died. Reports suggest that, wary after the backlash to Jallianwala Bagh, British authorities tried to suppress any record of the killings. Accounts mention bodies buried in a well or lost in a riverbed. Most victims were non-locals unfamiliar with escape routes, while local supporters managed to help Tejawat flee across a hill; he avoided arrest for nearly seven years.
Some accounts claim that more than 1,000 people were again killed in Bhula and Balohiya villages in May, though evidence is limited. Repression also intensified in regions influenced by the Bijoliya movement and its offshoots.
Govind Guru, though initially sentenced to life imprisonment, was released in 1919 but barred from entering his core areas of influence. He continued his reform work until his death on October 30, 1931, at Kamboi near Limbdi in Gujarat. His associates Dhirji Punja and Punja Pargi are also revered by Bhil communities.
Today, these struggles remain alive in the collective memory of Bhil communities, who continue to cherish Govind Guru as a reformer, visionary and freedom fighter. Many villages still uphold the reform measures he advocated. The best tribute the country can pay to him is to respect tribal rights, ensure justice and dignity for these communities and acknowledge the enduring legacy of their sacrifices.
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The writer is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include When the Two Streams Met (freedom movement of India), Man over Machine—A Path to Peace, A Day in 2071, and Planet in Peril. All photos based on Mangarh Memorial by P.L. Patel
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