Komaram Bheem కొమురం భీమ్
Gond tribal leader and freedom fighter · (1900 – 1940)
Komaram Bheem (1900–1940)
Komaram Bheem was a Gond tribal leader who led an armed rebellion against the Nizam of Hyderabad's rule over the Adilabad forests. His slogan "Jal, Jangal, Zameen" (Water, Forest, Land) predates the modern environmental movement by decades.
Life
Born in Sankepally village, Adilabad district (then the princely state of Hyderabad), Bheem was from the Gond community. After witnessing the exploitation of tribal lands by landlords under Nizam rule, he organised tribal communities to resist.
Rebellion
Bheem established a base at Babejhari and led guerrilla resistance from 1936 to 1940. He was killed in a forest operation by Nizam's forces at Jodeghat on 27 October 1940.
Legacy
Komaram Bheem is celebrated as a hero of tribal rights. Komaram Bheem Asifabad district is named after him. The 2021 Telugu film RRR (directed by S.S. Rajamouli) features a fictional version of Komaram Bheem, bringing his name to global audiences.