BHARAT PARV

EK BHARAT SHRESHTHA BHARAT

CELEBRATION-2018
APR -18
Warriors of our state Odisha. In the annals of the History there have been
many great personalities, great fighters, an impeccable warriors, generals
and shrewd state’s men who served and sacrificed their entire life for country,
society, community and for people. They shine brightly like bright star even
unto this day......They are......

1. SURENDRA SAI-

Surendra Sai, the great freedom fighter in the first Indian struggle for independence in
the 19th century, is the least known and yet one of the bravest and most valiant martyrs
for the cause of independence of the country. It is a pity that his name has been omitted
in many annals of this first war of independence of India. Surendra Sai started his revolt
against the British rule long before 1857 and continued his guerrilla war against the
British authority from 1857 till 1864 long after the struggle led by the Rani of Jhansi,
Tantia Tope, Kunwar Singh and others had subsided. Surendra Sai was a prisoner in
British jail from 1840 to 1857 and then again from 1864 to 1884 being lodged in the
final couple of decades of his life in Asirgarh jail, far away from the place of his birth. He
was blind at the time of his death. Not merely he alone, but practically his whole family
were valiant freedom fighters. His uncle Balram died in Hazaribagh jail after 16 years of
jail life. His brother Chhabila was killed in an encounter with the British army. Another
brother Ujjal was sent to the Raja Patnagarh to seek the latter’s help in the fight against
the British, but the Raja betrayed Ujjal and surrendered him to the British and Ujjal was
executed. His other brothers Udaut, Dhruba and Medini and his son Mitrabhanu were
also among the freedom fighters. Surendra Sai was born on January 23rd, 1809 in his
ancestral home at Khinda in the district of Sambalpur. His father Dharam Singh was the
sixth in the line of succession to Raja Madhukar Sai of Sambalpur. History refuses to

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recognise the valour, the patriotism and the noble qualities of a hero, who has fought
and lost. The victor occupied a notable place in the pages of history, however cruel,
mean and selfish he may be and he is free to malign the viction. This is the lesson we
learn from the life of Surendra Sai. But Surendra paid his debt to the motherland to the
last breath of his life, to the last drop of his blood and to the last ounce of his energy.

2. JAYEE RAJ GURU-

Jayakrushna Rajaguru Mohapatra (29 October 1739 – 6 December 1806) popularly

known as Jayi Rajaguru was a prominent figure of the Indian independence
movement in the state of Odisha. A princely-priest by profession at the court of
the raja of Khurda, Rajaguru revolted against the British Raj in the province. Whilst
collaborating with the Marathas to recapture the British-occupied province, a Maratha
messenger was caught by the British army and Rajaguru's secret strategies got exposed.
Upon failure of his removal from the king's court, the British force attacked the fort of
Khurda and captured Rajaguru. He was later sentenced to death by tying his legs to the
branches of a banyan tree in Baghitota, Midnapore. Rajaguru was born on 29 October
1739 (occasion of Anala nabami as per the Odia calendar) in Biraharekrushnapur, a
village in the Puri District of Odisha to father Chandra Rajaguru and mother Haramani
Debi. He was the Royal Priest, Commander-in-Chief and the real administrative
representative of the king of Khurda, Gajapati Mukundadev-II. He is supposedly known,
in written history, as first martyr of India against the British. However, this is disputed
because he was mainly fighting against the threat imposed by the British towards the
seizure of his feudal lands, rather than for the independence of either Odisha or India.
However later, the Paika Rebellion, under Bakshi Jagabandhu, is thought to first
rebellion among Odias against the British. Being an excellent scholar in Sanskrit like his
grandfather Gadadhar Rajaguru and a great Tantra Sadhak, he was appointed as the
Chief Minister-cum-Rajaguru of Gajapati Dibyasingha Dev in the year 1780 at the age of
41. He was a lifelong bachelor. He was also the royal priest of Gajapati Mukunda Dev-
II.In 1779, during the war between the Khurda King and Januji Bhonsala at Badamba
Garh, Narasingha Rajaguru was killed who was handling the army. In this precarious
condition Jayi Rajaguru was appointed as the head of the administration and the chief of
Army of Khurda and carried out his duties till his death.However, the main trouble
started in 1757 when the British won the battle of plassey and occupied the provinces

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of Bengal, Bihar and Medinapur in Odisha. In 1765 they occupied a vast region of
Andhra Pradesh from the Parsis and the Nizam of Hyderabad. They built a fort in
Ganjam south to Khurda. For the purpose of transportation between Ganjam and
Medinapur, they attacked Khurda in 1798 with the help of Shyamsundar Dev, the
treacherous brother of the king of Khurda. Even with the sudden death of Khurda King
Gajapati Dibyasingha Dev at that particular time, Rajaguru did not let them to succeed in
their effort. Rajaguru Supported Mukunda Dev-II and made him the king of Khurda. The
District Magistrate of Ganjam Col. Harcourt made an agreement with the king of Khurda
for the communication of Ganjam and Balasore. It was agreed that the British would pay
one lakh Rupees (₹ 1, 00,000) towards compensation to the king and to return the four
Parganas which were under the control of the Marathas since 1760 A.D. But, they
cheated in both the ways. Rajaguru tried his best to get the both, but was unsuccessful.
In 1803-04, he marched with two thousand armed Paiks to Cuttack to collect the money
but was only paid ₹ 40,000 and was refused to get the Praganas. Considering the
petition submitted by the king from the prison, the British counsels released Mukunda
Dev-II and sent him to Puri for settlement. The trial of Rajaguru was conducted at
Baghitota in Medinapur. He was declared guilt for waging a war "against the lawfully
established Govt. of the land". He was ordered to be hanged till death; but was killed on
6 December 1806 in a procedure in which executioners tied his legs to the opposite
branches of a tree.

3. BIRSA MUNDA

Birsa Munda (1875–1900) was an Indian tribal freedom fighter, religious leader, and
folk hero who belonged to the Munda tribe. He spearheaded an Indian tribal
religious Millenarian movement that arose in the tribal belt of modern-
day Bihar and Jharkhand in the late 19th century, during the British Raj, thereby making
him an important figure in the history of the Indian independence movement. His
achievements are even more remarkable for having been accomplished before the age
of 25. His portrait hangs in the Central Hall of the Indian parliament, the only tribal
leader to have been so honoured. Birsa Munda was born on 15 November 1875, at
Ulihatu in Bengal Presidency, now in the Khunti district of Jharkhand, on a Thursday,
and hence named after that day, according to the then prevalent Munda custom. The
folk songs reflect popular confusion and refer to both Ulihatu and Chalkad as his
birthplace. Ulihatu was the birthplace of Sugana Munda, father of Birsa. The claim of
Ulihatu rests on Birsa's elder brother Komta Munda living in the village, where
hisBirsa's claim to be a messenger of God and the founder of a new religion sounded

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preposterous to the missionaries. There were also within his sect converts from
Christianity, mostly Sardars. His simple system of offering was directed against the
church which levied a tax. The concept of one God appealed to his people who found his
religion and economical religious healer, a miracle-worker, and a preacher spread. The
Mundas, Oraons, and Kharias flocked to Chalkad to see the new prophet and to be cured
of their ills. Both the Oraon and Munda population up to Barwari and Chechari in
Palamau became convinced Birsaities. Contemporary and later folk songs
commemorate the tremendous impact of Birsa on his people, their joy and expectations
at his advent. The name of Dharti Aba was on everybody's lips. A folk song in Sadani
showed that the first impact cut across the lines of caste Hindus and Muslims also
flocked to the new Sun of religion. Birsa Munda started to advise tribal people to pursue
their original traditional tribal religious system. Impressed by his teachings, he became
a prophet figure to the tribal people and they sought his blessings. Birsa Munda's slogan
threatening the British Raj—Abua raj seter jana, maharani raj tundu jana ("Let the
kingdom of the queen be ended and our kingdom be established"). He was arrested on 3
March 1900 in Jamkopai forest, Chakradharpur, while he was sleeping, along with his
tribal guerrilla army, which was fighting again Birsa Munda died in Ranchi Jail on 9 June
1900. Although the British claimed he died of cholera, he never showed symptoms of
the disease.
4. BAJI ROUT

Baji Routis the youngest martyr of India. This 12 yr old boat boy was shot dead by
British police when he courageously denied ferrying them across the Brahmani River on
the night of 11 October 1938 at Nilakanthapur Ghat, Bhuban, Dhenkanal district.Baji
Rout was the youngest son of a boatman on the Brahmani river. As an active member of
the Banar Sena of Prajamandal (Party of People), he had volunteered to keep watch by
the river at night. The British Police force ordered him to cross the river by his Boat
which he denied. The police force became revengeful and fired Baji Rout along with
Laxman Mallik and Fagu Sahoo. Famous Poet Sachidananda Routray, Jnanpith
Award winner has written a poem "Baji Rout" . The poem starts like this "It is not a pyre,
O Friends! When the country is in dark despair, it is the light of our liberty. It is our
freedom-fire."

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5. RAMA DEVI

Ramadevi Choudhury (3 December 1899 – 22 July 1985), also known as Rama Devi,
was an Indian freedom fighter and a social reformer. She was called Maa (Mother) by
the people of Orissa. She was the daughter of Gopal Ballav Das and the niece of Utkal
Gaurab Madhusudan Das. At the age of 15, she married Gopabandhu Choudhury, then a
Deputy Collector. She and her husband the two together joined the Indian independence
movement in 1921. She was highly influenced by Mahatma Gandhi. She used to go from
village to village to encourage women to join the independence movement. Others who
influenced her were Jai Prakash Narayan, Vinoba Bhave and her uncle Madhusudan
Das. In 1921, she had her first meeting with Gandhiji and with her husband joined the
Non Cooperation Movement. In the year 1930, she took active part in Salt Satyagraha
movement at Orissa level. She went to Inchudi and Srijang, with other activist
like Kiranbala Sen, Maltidevi, Saraladevi, Pranakrushna Padhiari. She was arrested
several times (in 1921, 1930, 1936, 1942) with other women independence activists
like Sarala Devi, Malati Choudhury and others and was sent to jail. She attended the
1931 Karachi session of Indian National Congress. In 1932 after release from
Hazaribagh jail, she got herself actively involved in Harijan welfare. During Quit India
Movement of 1942 the entire family of Rama Devi including her husband Gopabandhu
Choudhury were arrested. After the death of Kasturba Gandhi, Gandhji assigned her
with the work of the representative of Kasturba Trust. After the Independence of
India in 1947, Rama Devi dedicated herself to the cause
of Bhoodan and Gramdan movement of Acharya Vinoba Bhave. She helped set up the
Utkal Khadi Mandal and also established a Teachers’ Training Centre. During the
Emergency she protested by bringing out her own newspaper along with Harekrushna
Mahatab and Nilamani Routray.[3] The Gram Sevak Press, was banned by the
government and was arrested along with other leaders from Orissa like Nabakrushna
Choudhuri, Harekrushna Mahatab, Manmohan Chowdhury, Smt. Annapurna Moharana,
Jaykrushana Mohanty. She established a primary school, Shishu Vihar and a cancer
hospital at Cuttack. In recognition of her services to the nation, Ramadevi was awarded
the Jamnalal Bajaj Award on 4 November 1981 and the Doctor of Philosophy (Honoris
causa) by Utkal University on 16 April 1984. Ramadevi Women's
University at Bhubaneshwar is named in her memory. She died on 22 July 1985.

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6. GOPABANDHU DAS

Gopabandhu Das (1877–1928), popularly known as Utkalamani (Jewel of

Utkal or Orissa), was a social worker, reformer, political activist, journalist, poet. In
1909, Das established a school at Sakhigopala, near Puri. Popularly known as Satyabadi
Bakul Bana Bidyalaya, but called the Universal Education League by Das, it was inspired
by the Deccan Education Society, operated in the gurukula tradition and aimed to
impart a liberal education on a non-sectarian basis, despite opposition from
orthodox Brahmins. Das progressed to Calcutta University, where he obtained an MA
and LL.B. Hugely motivated by the positive response he received, the school was
converted into a high school in the following year. It secured affiliation from Calcutta
University and held its first matriculation exam in 1914. The school further secured an
affiliation from Patna University in 1917. It became a National School in 1921.
Madhusudan Das encouraged Gopabandhu Das to stand for election to the Legislative
Council that had been created in 1909 under the terms of the Morley-Minto Reforms.
There he concentrating his efforts on four themes:
Administrative amalgamation into a single entity of the Oriya-speaking regions of
Bengal Province, Central Province, Madras Presidency and Bihar and Orissa Province

 Eradication of famine and flood in Orissa

 Restoration of the region's right to manufacture salt without incurring excise duty
 Expansion of education on a model similar to that he had established at the
Satyabadi school
Das ceased to be a member of the Legislative Council in 1919 or 1920. After its
members decided to join the Non-Cooperation movement, made at a conference on 31
December 1920, Das effectively became a member of the Indian National Congress. He
became the first president of Utkal Pradesh Congress Committee in 1920, holding the
post until 1928, and he welcomed Gandhi to the province in 1921. Das launched and
acted as editor for a short-lived monthly literary magazine titled Satyabadi . in 1919, he
started a weekly newspaper called The Samaja, Das had been persuaded to join the Lok
Sevak Mandal . Gopabandhu became All India Vice-President of the Lok Sevak Mandal in
April 1928. He became ill while attending a society meeting in Lahore and died on 17
June 1928. Brahmananda Satapathy, a professor of political science, has said of Das that
"His crusade against untouchability, advocacy of widow remarriage, campaign for

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literacy, new model of education, stress on both rights and duties, emphasis on women
education, particularly vocational training and above all a deep commitment and
compassion for poor and destitute have immortalized him in Orissa and India"
7. MADHUSUDAN DAS

Madhusudan Das (28 April 1848 – 4 February 1934) was the first graduate and
advocate of Odisha. He was born in the village of Satyabhamapur, 20 kilometres (12 mi)
from Cuttack, Odisha. He is known as Kulabruddha, which means Grand Old
Man, Madhu Babu, and Utkal Gourab, which means Pride of Utkal, and was referred to
as a poet and freedom fighter.After his early education, he moved to Cuttack High School
(later known as Ravenshaw Collegiate School) which offered English education. In 1864,
he passed the entrance examination and went to Calcutta University. In spite of
uttermost challenging conditions he lived in Calcutta for almost fifteen years, from 1866
to 1881. In 1870, he became the first Odia to complete his B.A.[4] He continued his
studies there to complete his M.A. in 1873 and B.L. degree in 1878, thus becoming the
first scholar from Orissa to achieve these feats. Madhusudan had adopted two Bengali
girls; Sailabala Das and Sudhansubala Hazra. Sailabala was an educationist who had
trained from England and in whose name the famous Shailabala Women's College of
Cuttack was founded. Shailabala was a Bengali, and her parents had left her in the care
of Madhusudan Das and his wife Soudamini Devi at Calcutta. Sudhansubala Hazra was
also a Bengali and she was the 1st female lawyer of British India. Madhu babu was the
house teacher of Ashutosh Mukherjee, the former Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta
University in Calcutta and Janakinath Bose, father of Subhash Chandra
Bose at Ravenshaw College. After returning to Orissa from Calcutta in 1881, he started
his legal practice. His insight knowledge on this field helped him to earn sufficiently and
spend for the common man. He was a source of inspiration for the lawyers in Orissa and
in India. His birth anniversary is observed to be a Lawyers' Day in the State. Known as
'Madhu Babu' by the common people, he worked for the political, social and economical
upliftment of the people of Orissa and worked as a lawyer, journalist, legislator,
politician and social reformer. He founded Utkal Sammilani which brought a revolution
in the social and industrial development of Orissa. He was elected as a member of the
legislative council of Bihar and Orissa Province and under the Diarchy scheme
of Government of India Act, 1919, he was appointed as Minister for Local Self-
Government, Medical Public Health, Public Works in 1921. He was the first Odia to
become a member of both the legislative council and the Central Legislative Assembly of
India. By his long political fight he united Orissa and modern Odisha took birth on 1
April 1936. This day is celebrated as Utkala Dibasa. He was also the first Odia to sail
overseas.

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8. KRUSHNA CHANDRA GAJAPATI

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Krushna Chandra Gajapati (26 April 1892 – 25 May 1974), honorably known
as Maharaja Sir Krushna Chandra Gajapati Narayana Dev KCIE, was a key
personality in the formation of an Independent Odisha State and regarded as it's
architect. Gajapati District of Odisha was named after him. He was interested in Oriya
culture including it's literature, art and music. He was also interested in sporting, in
particular horse-riding (in which sport he excelled). Maharaja Krushna Chandra
Gajapati Narayan Dev, the scion of the great Ganga Dynasty of Paralakhemundi, was
born on 26 April 1892 to the King of Paralakhemundi Goura Chandra
Gajapati and Radhamani Devi.Shri Gajapati received his elememntary education at the
local Maharaja High School of Paralakhemundi and then entered the
exclusive Newington College in Madras for higher studies. During his studies in Madras,
he lost his father Shri Goura Chandra Gajapati. After completing his studies at Madras he
returned to Paralakhemundi and in the year 1913 married the princess of Kharasuan
State. In the same year he held the reign of the State on 26 April 1913. Maharaja
Krushna Chandra Gajapati spent so much time done so much effort. Utkal
Gourav Madhusudan Das, Utkalamani Gopabandhu Das, Maharaja Krushna Chandra
Gajapati, Fakir Mohan Senapati and other eminent members of Utkal
Sammilani demanded a separate Odisha state with an amalgamation of Oriya speaking
areas in the then Orissa-Bihar-Bengal province. In 1937, the first Governor of Odisha,
Sir John Austin Hubback invited Krushna Chandra Gajapati Dev to form the cabinet. Shri
Gajapati was the first Prime Minister of the Odisha state from 1 April 1937 to 18 July
1937. He was the Prime Minister of Odisha for the second time from 24 November 1941
to 30 June 1944. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Utkal University,
the SCB Medical College and also the famous Central Rice Research Institute in
Bidyadharpur, Cuttack, which is one of the largest of its kind in Asia. Shri Krushna
Chandra Gajapati was an Honorary Captain in the First World War. He received a rare
Sanad in 1920 from the then Viceroy and Governor General of India, in recognition of
his services rendered to the Indian Army during the Great War and as a mark of
commendation. He was a Member of the Royal Commission on Agriculture, under the
Chairmanship of Lord Linlithgow. He was also a Member of the Madras Legislative
Council.He was awarded honorary Doctorates by the Utkal University and the
Berhampur University, and was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the
Indian Empire (KCIE) in the 1946 New Year Honours. He was one of the founding
fathers of the Indian Constitution, being a Member of the Constituent Assembly of India.

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His contribution to horse-racing and his encouragement for horse breeding in India are
notable. Sri Krushna Chandra Gajapathi died on 25 May 1974 at the age of 82.

9. BIJU PATNAIK

Bijayananda Patnaik, popularly known as Biju Patnaik (5 March 1916 – 17 April

1997) was an Indian politician and 3rd Chief Minister of Odisha for two terms. He was
educated at Ravenshaw College in Odisha but due to his interest in aviation he dropped
out and trained as a pilot. Patnaik flew with private airlines but at the start of
the Second World War he joined the Royal Indian Air Force eventually becoming head of
air transport command. While in service he began an interest in nationalist politics and
used air force transports to deliver what was seen as subversive literature to Indian
troops. But Patnaik remained committed to fighting the Axis Powers and when he was
jailed for his illegal activities he only served two years in prison. Biju Patnaik met
with Jawaharlal Nehru during his participation in Indian freedom struggle and became
one of his trusted friends. Nehru viewed the freedom struggle of the Indonesian people
as parallel to that of India, and viewed Indonesia as a potential ally. When the Dutch
attempted to quell Indonesian independence on 21 July 1947,
President Sukarno ordered Sjahrir, the former prime minister of Indonesia, to leave the
country to attend the first Inter-Asia Conference, organised by Nehru, in July 1947 and
to foment international public opinion against the Dutch. Sjahrir was unable to leave as
the Dutch controlled the Indonesian sea and air routes. Nehru asked Biju Patnaik, who
was adventurous and an expert pilot, to rescue Sjahrir. Biju Patnaik and his wife flew
to Java and brought Sultan Sjahrir out on a Dakota reaching India via Singapore on 24
July 1947. For this act of bravery, Patnaik was given honorary citizenship in Indonesia
and awarded the 'Bhoomi Putra', the highest Indonesian award, rarely granted to a
foreigner. In 1996, when Indonesia was celebrating its 50th Independence Day, Biju
Patnaik was awarded the highest national award, the 'Bintang Jasa Utama’. Biju
Patnaik piloted the first plane that left Palam Airport at Delhi on 27 October 1947 at
dawn and landed at Srinagar Airport in the early morning. He brought 17 soldiers of 1-
Sikh regiment commanded by Lt.Col. Dewan Ranjit Rai. On 1946 Patnaik was elected
uncontested to the Odisha Legislative Assembly from North Cuttack constituency. In
1952 and 1957 he won from Jagannathprasad and Surada, respectively. In 1961 he
assumed the presidency of the state Congress. Under his leadership, the Congress Party
won 82 of 140 seats and Patnaik (representing Chowdwar constituency) became the
chief minister of Odisha on 23 June 1961 and remained in the position until 2 October
1963 when he resigned from the post under the Kamaraj Plan to revitalise the Congress
party. He was the Chief Minister of Odisha at the age of 45. was elected to the Lok
Sabha for the first time from Kendrapara and became Union minister for steel and

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mines in both the Morarji Desai and the Charan Singh governments until 1979. He was
re-elected to the Lok Sabha again in 1980 and 1984 from Kendrapara as Janata
Party candidate despite the Congress wave in 1984 following Indira Gandhi's death.
With the Congress defeat in 1989, he bounced back into the political limelight. However,
after playing a key behind-the-scenes role in manoeuvring V. P. Singh to the Prime
Minister's post, he again chose to go back to Odisha, and prepared for the assembly
election. In 1990 state assembly election, the Janata Dal received a thumping majority
(two third assembly seats) which saw Biju Patnaik being the Chief Minister of Odisha for
the second time until 1995. Biju Patnaik set up Kalinga Tubes, Kalinga Airlines, Kalinga
Iron work, Kalinga Refractories and the Kalinga, a daily Oriya newspaper. In 1951 he
established the international Kalinga Prize for Popularisation of Science and Technology
among the people and entrusted the responsibility to the UNESCO. The projects which
he was known to have spearheaded includes the Port of Paradip, Orissa aviation
centre, Bhubaneswar Airport, the Cuttack-Jagatpur Mahanadi highway bridge, Regional
Engineering College, Rourkela, Sainik School Bhubaneswar, Orissa University of
Agriculture and Technology-Bhubaneswar, NALCO (National Aluminum
Company), Talcher Thermal Power Station, Balimela Hydel Project, HAL-Sunabeda and
the Choudwar & Barbil industrial belts. He also established the Kalinga Cup in football.
The Government of Odisha has named several institutions after the name of Biju
Patanaik. They include the Biju Patnaik Airport at Bhubaneswar, the Biju Patnaik
University of Technology, Biju Patnaik Stadium at Nalco Nagar, Angul etc. Also his
son Naveen Patnaik made his birthday 5 March as the Panchayat Raj Divas, a holiday in
Odisha in his memory.
10. NABAKRUSHNA CHOUDHURY

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Nabakrushna Choudhury was an Indian politician and activist born on 23 November
1901 at Kherasa village of Jagatsinghpur District, Odisha, India. He served as Chief
Minister of the Indian state of Odisha. He dwelt from a landlord family. His father,
Gokulananda Choudhury was a great advocate. Nabakrushna had shown unusual talents
during his childhood. He was very fond of games and sports. Noticing that he was
devoting more time to games and sports, his father engaged a private tutor for him.
Subsequently he studied at the Peary Mohan Academy and completed his studies
leading to Matriculation Examination at the age of 14. He had to wait for two years and
eventually passed the examination with a good division. In 1917, Nabakrushna
Choudhury took admission in the Ravenshaw College, Cuttack. When he was still
continuing his graduation at Ravenshaw college, he took part in the non-cooperation
movement along with Nityananda Kanungo, Loknath Patnaik, Jadumani Mangaraj and

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Harekrushna Mahtab and left his course incomplete. In 1922 he got trained in
Sawarmati Aashram and started serving the motherland. In 1925 he joined for his
graduation degree again at the Shantiniketan. After completing his graduation he
participated in the freedom movement. When Odisha became a separate province in
April 1, 1936, Nabababu contested in elections of Odisha Legislative Assembly and won.
He worked hard to make Odiya official language of Odisha. He also made efforts and
succeeded to stop Naxalites in Koraput. He was elected to the legislative assembly in the
year 1937. In 1946 he held the position of Finance minister in Harekrushna Mahtab
ministry. He resigned from his post because of his son’s death in 1948. On 12th May
1950 he became the Chief Minister of Orissa. He worked as the Chief Minister till 1956.
Then he resigned from his post and left the party and started serving the country. Some
of his works include the first five year plan for Orissa (1950-1956), the removal of
landlord System, the law to make Oriya language the official language, establishment of
the agricultural university, Baji Rout hostel for the students and many other laws to
help the people.

11. SUBASH CHANDRA BOSE

Subhas Chandra Bose (23 January 1897 – 18 August 1945) was an Indian
nationalist whose defiant patriotism made him a hero in India, but whose attempt
during World War II to rid India of British rule with the help of Nazi
Germany and Imperial Japan left a troubled legacy. The honorific Netaji (Hindustani:
"Respected Leader"), first applied in early 1942 to Bose in Germany by the Indian
soldiers of the Indische Legion and by the German and Indian officials in the Special
Bureau for India in Berlin, was later used throughout India. Bose had been a leader of
the younger, radical, wing of the Indian National Congress in the late 1920s and 1930s,
rising to become Congress President in 1938 and 1939. However, he was ousted from
Congress leadership positions in 1939 following differences with Mahatma Gandhi and
the Congress high command. He was subsequently placed under house arrest by the
British before escaping from India in 1940. The Indian National Congress, the main
instrument of Indian nationalism, praised Bose's patriotism but distanced itself from his
tactics and ideology, especially his collaboration with fascism. The British Raj, though
never seriously threatened by the INA, charged 300 INA officers with treason in the INA
trials, but eventually backtracked in the face both of popular sentiment and of its own
end. In those days, the British in Calcutta often made offensive remarks to the Indians in
public places and insulted them openly. This behavior of the British as well as the
outbreak of World War I began to influence his thinking. His nationalistic temperament
came to light when he was expelled for assaulting Professor Oaten(who had
manhandled some Indian students) for the latter's anti-India comments. He was
expelled although he appealed that he only witnessed the assault and did not actually

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participate in it. He later joined the Scottish Church College at the University of
Calcutta and passed his B.A. in 1918 in philosophy. Bose left India in 1919 for England
with a promise to his father that he would appear in the Indian Civil Services (ICS)
examination. He went to study in Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge and matriculated on
19 November 1919. He came fourth in the ICS examination and was selected, but he did
not want to work under an alien government which would mean serving the British. As
he stood on the verge of taking the plunge by resigning from the Indian Civil Service in
1921, he wrote to his elder brother Sarat Chandra Bose: "Only on the soil of sacrifice
and suffering can we raise our national edifice."He resigned from his civil service job on
23 April 1921 and returned to India. In this period, he also researched and wrote the
first part of his book The Indian Struggle, which covered the country's independence
movement in the years 1920–1934. Although it was published in London in 1935, the
British government banned the book in the colony out of fears that it would encourage
unrest. By 1938 Bose had become a leader of national stature and agreed to accept
nomination as Congress President. Subhas Chandra Bose was born on 23 January 1897
(at 12.10 pm) in Cuttack, Orissa Division, Bengal Province, to Prabhavati Devi
and Janakinath Bose, an advocate belonging to a Kayastha family. He was the ninth in a
family of 14 children. His family was well to do.

Death on 18 August 1945

Main article: Death of Subhas Chandra Bose

The last aeroplane journey

of Subhas Chandra Bose.

The Mitsubishi Ki-

21 twin-engine heavy

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bomber that Bose
boarded at Saigon airport
around 2 PM on 17
August 1945.

Clipping from Japanese

newspaper, published on
23 August 1945.

A memorial to Subhas
Chandra Bose in
the Renkōji Temple,
Tokyo. Bose's ashes are
stored in the temple in a
golden pagoda.

12. HAREKRUSHNA MAHATAB

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Harekrushna Mahatab (21 November 1899 – 2 January 1987) was a leader of
the Indian National Congress, a notable figure in the Indian independence
movement and the Chief Minister of Odisha from 1946 to 1950 and again from 1956 to
1961. He was popularly known by the sobriquet "Utkal Keshari". In 1922, he was
imprisoned and charged of sedition. He was the Chairman of Balasore District Board
from 1924 to 1928. He became the member of Bihar and Odisha Council in 1924. He
joined the Salt Satyagraha movement and was imprisoned again in 1930. He was elected
as the General Officer Commanding of Congress Sevadal for the AICC session at Puri in
1932 and he was arrested when the party was banned. He participated in the movement
against untouchability in 1934 and opened his ancestral temple to all for the first time
in Odisha. Later, he started Gandhi Karma Mandir at Agarpada. He was the President of
Utkal Pradesh Congress Committee from 1930 to 1931 and again in 1937. He was
nominated to the Congress Working Committee by Subhas Chandra Bose in 1938 and
continued till 1946 and again from 1946 to 1950. He was the President of State Peoples'
Enquiry Committee in 1938 and recommended cancellation of Sanada of the rulers and
merger of the erstwhile princely states with Odisha Province. He participated in the Quit
India Movement in 1942 and was imprisoned from 1942 to 1945.Mahatab was the first
Chief Minister of Odisha from 23 April 1946 to 12 May 1950. He was the Union Minister
of Commerce and Industry from 1950 to 1952. He became the secretary general of the
Congress Parliamentary Party in 1952. He was the Governor of Bombay from 1955 to
1956. After resigning from Governorship in 1956, he again became the Chief Minister of
Odisha from 1956 to 1960. During his tenures as the Chief Minister, he played
significant role in the merger and integration of former princely states, shifting of the
capital from Cuttack to Bhubaneshwar and the sanction and construction of the multi-
purpose Hirakud Dam Project. He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1962 from Angul and
became the vice-president of the Indian National Congress in 1966. In 1966, he resigned
from the Congress and led the Orissa Jana Congress. He was elected to the Odisha
Legislative Assembly in 1967, 1971 and 1974. He was imprisoned in 1976 for protesting
against the emergency. He was the founder of the Prajatantra Prachar Samiti and
started the weekly magazine Prajatantra in 1923 at Balasore, which later became
the Daily Prajatantra. He was the chief editor of a monthly journal Jhankar since its
inception.He also published the Weekly English paper The Eastern Times and was its
Chief Editor. He received the Sahitya Academy award in 1983 for the third volume of his
well-known work, Gaon Majlis. He was the President of Orissa Sahitya Academy and
Sangit Natak Academy for a couple of terms. He received an honorary Doctorate degree

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from Andhra University, an honorary D.Litt. from Utkal University and an honorary
Doctorate of Law from Sagar University.
The Odisha State Central Library, the Apex Library of the State Public Library System
of Odisha is named after him as Harekrushna Mahtab State Library. It is established in
1959 with a majestic building of around 16000 sq.ft. Carpet area, enshrined within a
beautiful land of 3 acres in a prime location of Capital City of Bhubaneswar.

 TALES OF CHIVALRIES OF STATE ICONS-

Indian women are very different from their counterparts of yester years.
During the rule of the Britisher’s, the condition of women did not improve
much. In every household, the male child was considered to be asset where as
the female child was considered to be liability. So the female child was very
much neglected. The female child was denied the facilities of education, equal
status and freedom of movement. Gradually the situation started
changing......New leaders like PADMASHRI TULSI MUNDA and A FIGHTER
WOMEN RUTUPARNA MOHANTY etc.....realised that without the upliftment of
the status of women, India would never prosper.
TULASI MUNDA

Tulasi Munda is a noted social activist from Indian state of Odisha who was
awarded Padma Shri in 2001 by Government of India. Tulsi Munda has done a lot of
work to spread literacy among the tribal people. Munda has released hundreds of tribal
children from a future as exploited daily labourers by setting up a school in Odisha’s
mining area. As a girl, she had herself worked in these mines as a labourer. In 2011
Tulasi Munda wons Odisha Living Legend Award for Excellence in Social service. The
sexagenarian Tulsi Munda is known for her mission to spread literacy among the
underprivileged. An encounter with Vinoba Bhave when he visited Odisha in 1963
during the Bhoodan Andolan padayatra set her on the path that was to change the
fortunes of her people. On that padayatra, Tulsi promised Vinoba she'd follow his

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guidelines and principles throughout her life. A year later, in 1964, enthused by the
acharya's ideals and goals' and armed with her social service training' she started work
in Serenda.Inspired by Vinoba Bhave's ideals, the illiterate Tulsi Munda opened a school
under a mahua tree for children of tribal mine workers. Charity begins at home but
Tulsi also chose Serenda because "it was extremely backward and poor". Today, her
efforts have benefited not only the villagers of Serenda where she's based with her
Adivasi Vikas Samiti, but for the people living around 100 km of this tribal belt.
Popularly known as Tulsiapa' she's changed the whole educational statistics as well as
the social standard of the area through the school she runs under the aegis of her
Samiti.About 7 km away from Joda (famous for its iron ore mines)' Serenda houses
almost 500 tribals. At first, Tulsi had a hard time convincing people about the need for
education. "I had to visit each and every house." In fact, since children in the area
worked in the mines during the day. Tulsi started a night school with the help of the
village mukhiya. Then she convinced mine workers to leave their children in her care
for the day. She began by telling those stories about the freedom movement and deeds
of our great scholars and national leaders. "I was an illiterate and knew nothing of
bookish knowledge, but I had come to know about the importance of education and had
enough practical knowledge to impart it. "Tulsi started her school under a mahua tree.
To raise funds, which were in short supply, she took to selling vegetables and murri
(puffed rice). Later, as she began to gain their confidence, the villagers began providing
her with food and a place to live in. Soon Tulsi persuaded the villagers to cut stones
from the mountain and help her build the school. It took six months for the school to
come up outside the village. Today the Adivasi Vikas Samiti school has two concrete
buildings. Funds remained a problem for a long time. Tulsi had no money to pay the
teachers but she gathered the youth of the village who had studied up to primary level.
"They all came voluntarily. Things began to be sorted out when my students offered to
pay a fee-that was a landmark in my mission. Donations also began coming in from large
industrial houses and some foreign agencies." Now she charges Rs 200 a month for the
hostel but only from those who can afford to pay her. Today the school has seven
teachers and 354 students with hostel facilities for 81 children."Tulsidi is like our
mother and she has been our source of inspiration in life'" says Sharad Kumar Perei
who teaches in class IV. His colleague Abhay Kumar Mishra agrees and in fact thinks the
school compares well with any government school as far as the standard of education is
concerned. "We try to give the best of everything to the students", he says. Confident
that her mission to educate has taken off, Tulsi hopes to undertake other developmental
programmes through her Adivasi Vikas Samiti. "The first thing I want to do is to prevent
alcoholism among the tribals who regularly take hadiya (the local brew). I also want to
form gram sabhas and mahila sangathans to discuss and find ways to improve their
condition", says she. What about finances? "Of course there are a lot of financial
constraints; even now I can't pay my schoolteachers their salaries on time but I do get
help from foreign agencies and individuals from time to time. Support and financial aid
from TRDs (Tata Steel Rural Development Society) has come in as a great help."

RUTUPARNA MOHANTY

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“Always trust your instincts. They know what they’re talking about”. Going by these two
invaluable principles in life, the renowned social activist of Odisha, Rutupurna
Mohanty, is instinctively a fighter woman. The fiery woman activist has stood for the
traditional values that she inherited right from her family background. Upright, frank,
and downrightly rebellious in her attitude towards oppression on women by the
society, she feels in the depth of her heart that women in Indian society still do not
share the power with men to make a decision.“Although the theme of United Nation
has stayed planet 50:50 by the end of the year 2030 on the occasion of Women’s Day, I
doubt whether this would see the light of the day. Just take the picture inside our
State’s Legislative Assembly. What is the percentage of women in such democratic
houses? It is negligible. Are the women a substantial part in any major decision-
making?”- Her words portray vividly the realistic picture that only 7 to 8 percent
among the democratically elected representatives are women. Rurupurna was born in
a family that mostly consisted of freedom fighters– her father was a close associate of
Vinoba Bhave while her mother stayed in a life-long relationship with Ramadevi.“My
father’s elder-brother, Sachidananda Mohanty, not only fought in the independence
struggle, his virtues won him the title of ‘Gandhi of Kendrapada’. We grew up wearing
khadi as it was one of the ideologies to wear clothes of hand-woven Khadi. Among my
four sisters, my writer sister Aparna Mohanty inspires me the most.”- She explains
emphatically that family values played the most decisive role in her character to shape
up her as a woman activist and lawyer. Rurupurna grew up in a childhood steeped in
financial difficulties as she had to teach in private tuition classes to eke out a sum of
600 rupees to sustain her expenses for education. She also acted in the movie Aei ta
Dunia and another film by Doordarshan, while all her siblings were proficient in song
and dance. After completing her graduation from Tulasi Women’s College from
Kendrapara, she opted to go for study of law. As she bagged a job with Urban
Development department in Kendrapara, she was later transferred to Bhubaneswar
Municipality Corporation (BMC). Rurupurna’s stint with BMC literally turned out to be
a defining moment in her career as she discovered the corporation was a storehouse
of corruption. “Then corrupt practices existed at every level. Just imagine BMC had to
spend a whopping sum of Rs 60,000 to feed banana to the roaming bulls on the street.
The heinous practices of looting were going on at every stage. It was almost
uncontrollable that the staff were looting the innocent tax-payers’ money. The
municipality staff had eight or nine unions. The atmosphere was suffocating with
practices of corruption and in-fighting. But I had to sum up my courage to raise voice”,
she tightens her grip to show the determination in her instinct to fight the injustice
taking place in a behemoth like BMC. Rurupurna fought the elections of the union,
while keeping her voice steady and firm against the corrupt bureaucracy inside the

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system. She was physically threatened and later transferred to the municipality of
Balasore. But at that time, the staff union in the Municipal Corporation had called for a
strike protesting against the privatization of sanitary task. As the protest went on for
29 days, she stayed at the forefront of agitation. Her transfer to Balasore saw a
withdrawal with the interference of Chief Minister, Naveen Pattnaik, as the
government bowed before the demand of agitating staff. As she made her mind for
more active participation in social service, Rurupurna resigned from her job in the
year 2001. But her seven years stint in BMC made her a renowned leader, who could
handle any social problem. Rurupurna smiles while showing her utter humbleness in
finding the right man for her marriage. “As my family had no money to afford, my first
and foremost condition before the suitors for my marriage was ‘no dowry’. At first, I
thought, it was impossible but one day I was fortunate to find him”, she shies away
with a blush on her face to show her appreciation for her partner in life.As a female
activist, Rurupurna kept on longing for helping the destitute women. Gradually, the
concept for ideal shelter home for the destitute women and unwed mothers took
shape as she zeroed on forming the shelter homes in every nook and corner of Odisha-
“Maa Ghara”. The concept took off at a faster speed as she also brought in to existence
various provisions for helping the helpless women. She brought activities that taught
the women to become self-dependent while extending legal help to them for fighting
injustice committed to them in their families. Her project has literally become
hallmark of success as it is handling all the major feminine issues. Rurupurna nods
agreeing to the fact that planet 50:50 would stay her dream for women’s
emancipation. “I would still dream for status of every home, where the man and his
woman share responsibility equally. My heart swells up with pride, when I hear a few
words of praise from my husband. Literally that rejuvenates my body and mind. The
society needs to understand men and women are equal, Atrocities committed on
women simply unbalances things, creating disharmony, unrest, and loss of mental
peace in the world. Whenever women are subjugated, the result is a bigger turmoil.
Just see the unrest that followed after the rape of a girl in a moving bus in Delhi. Do
not you think the entire society gets disturbed after such an incident? ”– The rationale
in her words was mesmeric. Rurupurna represented India in San Diego in California as
a woman peace-maker in an eight-week programme as she was the only woman to get
the chance. She was felicitated for her immensely creative talent in bringing up “Maa
Ghara” by all the leading organisations in Odisha.

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 DRAMATISATION OF PROMINENT WAR, STORIES-

 (MOST PROMINENT WAR STORIES)-

The early history of Odisha can be traced back to the mentions found in ancient texts
like the Mahabharata, Maha Govinda Sutta and some Puranas. In 261 BCE, Ashoka of
the Mauryan dynasty conquered the region in the bloody Kalinga Warwhich was fought
at the banks of River Daya near present-day Bhubaneswar. The resulting bloodshed and
suffering of the war deeply affected Ashoka. He turned into a pacifist and converted
to Buddhism. He sent peace emissaries to various neighbouring nations. Thus as an
indirect consequence, the event caused the spread of Buddhism in Asia.

The region was also known to other kingdoms in region of East Indies due to maritime
trade relations.

The year 1568 CE is considered a pivotal point in the region's history. In 1568 CE, the
region was conquered by the armies of the Sultanate of Bengal led by
the iconoclast general Kalapahad. The region lost its political identity. The following
rulers of the region were more tributary lords than actual kings. After 1751,
the Marathas gained control of the region for almost half a decade. In 1803, the region
was passed onto the British Empire. The British divided the region into parts of other
provinces. In 1936, the province of Odisha was formed on the basis of populations
of Odia-speaking people.
 KALINGA WAR-
The war began in the ninth year of Ashoka's reign, probably in 261 BCE. After a bloody
battle for the throne following the death of his father, Ashoka was successful in
conquering Kalinga – but the consequences of the savagery changed Ashoka's views on
war and led him to pledge to never again wage a war of conquest.

The war began in the ninth year of Ashoka's reign, probably in 261 BCE. After a bloody
battle for the throne following the death of his father, Ashoka was successful in

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conquering Kalinga – but the consequences of the savagery changed Ashoka's views on
war and led him to pledge to never again wage a war of conquest.

Ashoka had seen the bloodshed and felt that he was the cause of the destruction. The
whole area of Kalinga was plundered and destroyed.

The land of Odisha has undergone several changes in terms of its boundaries since
ancient ages. It was also known by different names like Kalinga, Hirakhanda,
Mahakantara, Odra Desha or Utkala in different eras. The year 1568 is considered a
turning point in the history of Odisha.

Some prominent photographs of wars

 DRAMATISATION, PATRIOTIC SONGS AND DANCES

In hours of loneliness we look for a warm feeling. If the sweet, benevolent
sentiment of individual life fails, the stream of happiness is flowing in the

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entire universe because there is a saying SWARA HI ISWARA. The word
BHARAT literally means- BHA for BHABA, RA for RAGA and TA for TALA- the
fundamentals of song, music. Life is a song....sing it. Song, music and drama
leads us to God. The swara, naada or cosmic sound is a gateway to infinity. It
creates a positive enlightenment , spirituality and divinity all around us. Song,
Music, Dance and Drama make our life smooth and beautiful. So different
cultural programs were organized in our school on occasion of EK BHARAT
SHRESHTA BHARAT.....

1:- Patriotic group song was sung by our group of cadets.

2:- Mono Act/Mime was played by our cadets on the topic’ DHARMASHOKA’.

3:- Drama was organized on the life of JAIRAJAGURU and SURENDRASAI .

4:- Short play was performed on the Topic- PAIKA BIDROHA .

5:- Short play was played on the Topic- KARA ( TAX) was collected during
British period to exploit the poor people of Odisha.

6:- Finally a different languages patriotic group song also was sung by our
cadets for unity and integrity of our country. The languages are- Tamil,
Telugu, Malayalam, Assamese ,Sanskrit, Kannada, Sindhi, Marathi, Gujarati,
Hindi, Odia, Bengali, Kashmiri and Punjabi.

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Page | 22
Life does not mean joy and happiness only. Trial, troubles, struggles, wars etc.
are part and parcel of life. So, we must have free society, where there will be
no struggle, no fear, no war. Unnecessary conflict will be not there. Inspite of
all differences, if we will be together then our country will achieve strong
bond of unity. The well being of society means the well being of individuals. So
everyone should be together to enjoy beautiful country side. Our combined
effort will knock the doors of success.

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Prepared by Dr. Sujata Panigrahi.

Teacher.

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