Jaya Jagannath,
( An Utkala Dibasa Special article,
source )
When our country was in
the darkest despair for freedom, a 13 year old orphan boy Baji Rout was the
spark of
liberty who ignited freedom-fire. The supreme sacrifice of this
thirteen-year-old boy triggered adequate catalyst to freedom
movement that ultimately wiped out Britishers from India. In the
darkest night of an unforgettable October 10, 1938 time had chosen
Baji Rout to be immortal by just burning the mortal remains of his
dead body
and preserving his accomplishments intact.
In the midnight of 10th October 1938 ,British forces attacked Bhuban
village and arrested as many as eight persons and let loose terror to
elicit information on freedom fighters hideouts. based on a tip off
british troop started immediate chase. Villagers obstructed, but
britishers did not listen to agitators and fired at them killing and
injuring many. Then the troop rushed to nearest ferry
on River Brahmani.
A 13 year old orphan boy,
Baji Raut was on guard of a country boat at that time. He was ordered
by the troop to ferry them across immediately.
By that time he had heard details of
the brutality the troop had resorted to villagers and had understood
that if freedom fighters were to be protected, the
british troops were to be obstructed from crossing the river. He refused to
ferry them across.
The troop threatened to kill him if he did not ferry them across
immediately. this little boy strongly rejected their orders again.
One of the british soldiers hit Baji Rout head with his gun butt that fractured his
skull severely. He collapsed, but he rose again gathering
whatever little strength and courage was left with him, and raising
his voice to the highest pitch beyond even his strength, warned the
british troops not to ferry them till alive. A soldier pierced his
bayonet into the soft skull of the brave boy even as
another fired at him. Time wheel stopped for a while to recover this
shocking dismissal of the bravest kid of our motherland.
Charged with wrath and contempt, villagers rushed to the spot.
Seeing them
the panicked british soldiers fled for life, but taking hold of Baji’s boat after killing him, the troop oared away
in utmost haste. While escaping, they also back fired on the
chasing masses causing four more deaths.
Time has changed. Our democracy has changed into plutocracy. History
has witnessed that those, who were sabotaging our freedom struggle,
have befooled us to the extent of becoming rulers of our country.
Those who have redefined our independence to be dependant on foreign
powers have grabbed the highest political posts in our Country. Those who should have opposed this mischief have allied with them in
the style of safeguarding secularity! Those who should have remained
unfazed on the issue of political economy of capitalism vrs
socialism, have, only in order to remain in close proximity to
power, been parading new ideas of political philosophy of secularism
versus communalism.
We Odias, despite our truest Indian hood, are grossly neglected ever
in the Indian parlance. Some one who says the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857
as the First War of Independence must get reminded that the Paika
Mutiny of 1803-17 and Adivast Mutiny of 1926 were ancient to 1857.
If the people of Odisha had the English Media at their command, and
had the historians been able to interpret events without
fear, martyrdom of Baji Raut could have been recognized as the first
spark that ignited freedom fire. Jaya Jagannath.
Regards
Team
Nilachakra
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