Indore's Patalpani station is named after Tantya Bhil. All about the ‘Indian Robin Hood’
Known as the “Indian Robin Hood”, Tantya Bhil was a dacoit in India between 1878 and 1889.
Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced on Monday that the Patalpani railway station in Indore will be renamed after Tantya Bhil, also known as the “Indian Robin Hood”.
"Tribal pride, Mama Tantya Bhil's sacrifice day is on 4th December. Indore Bus Stand and Patalpani Railway Station to be named after Tantya Mama," Shivraj Singh Chouhan tweeted.
Notably, the decision follows a move by the state government to rename Habibganj railway station to Rani Kamlapati Station after the famous Gond queen.
Watch the announcement made by CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan:
Who is Tantya Mama?
Known as the “Indian Robin Hood”, Tantya Bhil was a dacoit in India between 1878 and 1889.
Going by the British accounts of that time, he has been described as a criminal but was considered a heroic figure by Indians.
Tantya Bhil, who belonged to the Bhil tribe of the indigenous Adivasi community, was born in 1840 in Badada village under East Nimar, now known as Khandwa, in Madhya Pradesh.
According to reports, Tantya decided to stage a revolt against the British following the rebellion of 1857 after which it imposed harsh measures. However, he was arrested in 1874 for "bad livelihood".
Following a year-long sentence, Tantya took to more serious crimes including theft and kidnapping. He was again put behind bars in 1878 in Khandwa but escaped after spending three days in prison and became a dacoit.
Tantya is hailed as one of the revolutionaries who waged an armed struggle against British rule for 12 years. Reports said he used to plunder the treasuries of the British government and the wealth of their followers to distribute it among the poor and needy.
Tantya has since become a long-cherished pride of the Bhil tribe.