This incident dates back to the time when the British had announced their departure from Bharat, and the process of partition had already begun. However, before leaving, the British wanted to ensure that their church institutions remained unaffected and that their cultural traditions continued undisturbed. To achieve this, certain “sleeper cells” were active throughout the country, working covertly. It was in the midst of such a conspiracy that this young girl sacrificed her life.
Veerbala Kalibai was a 13-year-old Vanvasi (tribal) girl, a native of the forest region of Dungarpur district in Rajasthan. The exact date of her birth is not recorded, but it is estimated to be around June 1934. During British rule, churches had launched a campaign to establish schools in tribal regions, with the intention of distancing the tribal society from its roots. Their method of education was such that religious conversions began happening rapidly in the Vanvasi areas. Many freedom fighters and socio-cultural organizations were deeply concerned about this, especially those associated with the Arya Samaj and Ramakrishna Mission.
Rajasthan had seen several visits from Swami Dayanand Saraswati and Swami Vivekanand, due to which their ideological influence was strong in the region. Noted freedom fighter Nanabhai Khant, who was associated with the Arya Samaj, established a school in the village of Rastapal in Dungarpur district. This school provided education to Vanvasi children. While it imparted modern education, it also sought to revive the traditional Indian guru–shishya (teacher–disciple) tradition. Evening prayer sessions were also held, which began attracting Vanvasi families.
The teacher at the school was Sengabhai, and young Kalibai, belonging to the Bhil tribe, used to attend this school. The area fell under the Dungarpur princely state. Arya Samaj had obtained formal permission from the Maharawal of Dungarpur to operate the school. However, a nearby church was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the growing popularity of the school, as it drew Vanvasi families away from the church. The church lodged a complaint with the British Commissioner.
Though the British had declared their intent to leave Bharat, their administrative machinery and influence over the princely states remained intact. Upon receiving the complaint, the Commissioner pressurized the Maharawal of Dungarpur, and orders were issued to shut down the school.
Despite the orders, Nanabhai continued the school as usual and sought an audience with the Maharawal, hoping the permission would be reinstated. However, he was repeatedly denied a meeting. He believed that the British were on their way out, and thus there was no reason to submit to either the church or colonial officers. His defiance enraged the authorities.
A large police contingent was sent to the school with orders to seal it. When they arrived, Teacher Sengabhai stood at the entrance to block their way. The police manhandled him, forcibly removed him from the gate, and locked up the school. Not stopping there, they tied Sengabhai with a rope to the back of a police vehicle and began dragging him along the road. His body became bloodied and battered from the ordeal.
Kalibai, who was working in the fields nearby, witnessed this horrific sight – her teacher being dragged behind a jeep. She had a sickle in her hand and, with courageous determination, ran toward the moving vehicle and cut the rope to save her guru. This act further infuriated the police. They opened fire on her. Bullets riddled her body, and she died on the spot.
The sound of gunfire and the news of Kalibai’s death spread rapidly. Members of the Bhil community gathered in large numbers, outraged. Witnessing the brutality inflicted on their teacher and the lifeless body of their daughter, they surrounded the police, forcing them to flee, leaving both behind.
Kalibai’s sacrifice occurred on 19 June 1947. Sengabhai, severely wounded, succumbed to his injuries that very night. Both of them were cremated on 20 June.
Kalibai’s Balidan, in her attempt to save her teacher, remains etched in the pages of history and lives on in the folk songs of the region. After independence, a park was built at the site of her sacrifice, where a statue of Kalibai has been installed in her honor.
By Dr. Bhupendra Kumar Sullere
