Digamber Hansda

Digamber Hansda (16 October 193919 November 2020) was an Indian academic and tribal activist who worked for the social and economic advancement of the underprivileged communities in West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Odisha. He was a founding member of the Santhal Sahitya Akademi and was considered a pioneer of Santhali language literature.

In 2018, Hansda was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honour, by the President of India for his work in the field of tribal literature and education.

Early life Hansda was born in Dobhapani village in Ghatshila, East Singhbhum district (now in Jharkhand) on 16 October 1939. His parents were farmers; from a young age, Hansda helped his parents on the farm. He completed his schooling at Rajdoha Middle School and Manpur High School. He obtained a graduate degree in political science from Bihar University (now Ranchi University) in 1963 and a postgraduate degree in political science from the same university in 1965.

Career Hansda started his career by working as the secretary of the TISCO Adivasi Co-operative Society in the early 1960s. The organization focused on creating job opportunities for tribals in the region, and administered vocational courses to generate employment opportunities. He later worked with Bharat Sevashram Sangh. In his role with these organizations, he helped set up schools in the rural areas near Jamshedpur, including the RP Patel High School, Jugsalai.

Honours In 2018, Hansda was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honour, by the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, for his work in the field of Santhali language literature and education.

Personal life He was married and had two sons and three daughters.

Death He died on 19 November 2020, aged 81, after a long illness at his home in Karandih, Jamshedpur. His wife and one of his daughters had died before him. The Jharkhand State Government announced a state funeral for him.