To recognise and create awareness of the sacrifices and contributions of tribal people in India’s freedom movement, the Government has established four Tribal Freedom Fighters’ Museums (TFFMs), with five more museums likely to be set up by the end of 2026.
Durgadas Uikey, Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, informed the Parliament in a written response on Thursday that the Ministry conducts regular review meetings and workshops with the concerned States for monitoring the progress of the museums, along with field visits by experts and ministry officials.
Ministry of Tribal Affairs had sanctioned a total of 11 TFFMs in ten States on the basis of proposals received from State Governments, receiving funding through the centrally sponsored ‘Tribal Research Institute’ and ‘Proviso to Article 275(1)’ schemes. The response clarified that the selection of land, preparation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and construction of the museum are to be undertaken by the respective State Governments.
Four museums in three states have already been established under the project. The first TFFM, the Birsa Munda Memorial Freedom Fighter Museum, was sanctioned in 2017-2018 with a contribution of 25 crore rupees by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and was inaugurated on Janjatiya Gaurav Divas (Tribal Pride Day) on 15 November 2021 at Ranchi Jail, where Birsa Munda died. Three years later, on 15 November 2024, Badal Bhoi State Tribal Freedom Fighters Museum and Raja Shankar Shah & Kunwar Raghunath Shah Tribal Freedom Fighter Museum were inaugurated in Madhya Pradesh. Most recently, the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Memorial and Tribal Freedom Fighters’ Museum was inaugurated in Chhattisgarh on 1 November 2025.
Out of the remaining seven TFFMs, construction and curation work in five states is “undergoing and are likely to be set up by the end of 2026,” said Uikey. TFFMs in Mizoram, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are set to be inaugurated by “mid 2026” while those in Kerala and Gujarat will be set up by the end of the year. Additionally, the response mentioned that the DPR for a museum planned to be established in Goa has been finalised, and a museum in Manipur is currently in the DPR stage, with no stated estimate for their inauguration.
{{/usCountry}}Out of the remaining seven TFFMs, construction and curation work in five states is “undergoing and are likely to be set up by the end of 2026,” said Uikey. TFFMs in Mizoram, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are set to be inaugurated by “mid 2026” while those in Kerala and Gujarat will be set up by the end of the year. Additionally, the response mentioned that the DPR for a museum planned to be established in Goa has been finalised, and a museum in Manipur is currently in the DPR stage, with no stated estimate for their inauguration.
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