Bhopal, May 27 (IANS) The Chief Minister Mohan Yadav-led Madhya Pradesh government will organise its next cabinet meeting on June 3 in Pachmarhi in honour of Korku tribe chief Bhabhut Singh, also known as ‘Shivaji’ of Gondwana kingdom.
He fought against the British during the 1857 mutiny and kept on harassing the British forces with his guerrilla war tactics.
Singh was the son of a Jagirdar of Pachmarhi, then inhabited by merely 30 hutments. Korku is a tribe of Madhya Pradesh.
“The cabinet, having recently paid tribute to Devi Ahilyabai Holkar, would now convene in Pachmarhi to commemorate Singh’s legacy,” Urban Development Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya announced on Tuesday.
Born into the Jagirdar family of Harrakot Raikhedi, Singh played a pivotal role in resisting British rule. His grandfather, Thakur Mohan Singh, had previously supported Peshwa Appa Saheb Bhonsle in battle.
Singh’s guerrilla tactics earned him the title “Shivaji of Narmadachal or Gondwana kingdom.”
“His enduring influence continues to inspire, and the upcoming cabinet meeting seeks to ensure his memory is preserved. During the 1857 uprising, as Central India’s Raj Gond kingdom fell to British rule, Pachmarhi emerged as a stronghold of resistance,” the minister said.
Rebel leader Tatya Tope sought refuge in the region, allying with Raja Bhabhut Singh.
A war continued for several months between the Madras infantry and Raja Bhabhut Singh at the banks of the Denwa river near Matkuli, but the Britishers could not capture him.
While Tope was captured and executed in 1859, Singh continued his guerrilla warfare from the Satpura Mountains, launching raids against British forces until his eventual capture and execution in 1860 in Jabalpur jail. His defeat enabled British expansion into the Mahadeo Hills, marking the beginning of their control over the region’s forests.
Official records from the Madhya Pradesh State Archives recount these events, underscoring Singh’s enduring legacy.
“To honour his contributions, the government is considering the installation of a statue, the naming of an institution in Narmadachal after him, and dedicating a garden in Pachmarhi in his memory,” the minister said.
Efforts to establish his statue were first initiated nine years ago by the BJP government in Matkuli but were never implemented.
The Mohan Yadav administration now aims to realise this plan.
On May 20, during a session in Indore dedicated to Ahilyabai Holkar, he reaffirmed his commitment to Raja Bhabhut Singh’s legacy.
–IANS
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