Bhubaneswar, Oct 17 (Odisha.in) It was going down the memory lance Wednesday , when a Special session of the Orissa Assembly was held here at the historic Sardar Patel Hall that had the distinction of being the venue of the first elected Orissa Assembly after Independence, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the first war of Independence.
Orissa governor, Muralidhar Chandrakanta Bhandare inaugurated the Special session of Orissa assembly, that lasted for one and half hour in paying rich tribute to the hero’s of the first war of Independence-1857 and felicitating 31 veteran freedom fighters, who shared the seats in the well of the old assembly along with the legislators.
It was the fifth Special session of the Orissa Assembly after Independence.” The first Special session of the Orissa Assembly was held on 27th August 1947, just 12 days after the country achieved freedom.
The second special session was held at mid-night of 19 August 1972 to celebrate the silver jubilee of Independence, while another special session on 9 August 1987 was convened to observe the 4oth years of Indian Independence.
The last special being held on 15 August, 1997 to commemorate theGolden Jubilee of Independence”, said a spokesman of the research wing of the Orissa assembly.
The governor, who shared the dias along with Speaker of the state Assembly, Maaheswar Mohanty, Chief Minister, Naveen patnaik, Leader of Opposition, Janaki Ballav Patnaik and Deputy Speaker PrahalladDora, said though the contry won Freedom from the mighty British, the true freedom was yet to be achieved.
“We now have to wage a different kinds of war against the poverty, illiteracy, malnutrition and unemployment” said the governor asserting<” we have to win against the discrimination, gender bias, child labour , bonded labour and dowry as well, the social evils”
Pointing out that the true freedom means freedom from hunger, fear and want, Bhandare said “economic growth and human rights growth must work to secure the human rights of every citizen and the globalization must go hand with poverty alleviation”.
The Chief Minister, saluting all those who inspired and united the nation to Oust the British, announced that state government establish a Gallery in memory of the freedom fighters in the State capital- Bhubanswar at an estimated cost of Rs.50 lakh .
Remembering the contribution of Jai Rajguru and Bauxi Jagabandhu and Chakhi Khuntia Among others in uniting the Paikas to fight the British, the Chief Minister said that Orissa has the proud history of resisting the foreign rulers prior to 1857 war ofIndependence.
Assembly Speaker Maheswar Mohanty lamented that though people of Orissa had Fought and resisted British, much before the 1857, their contribution and sacrifice was not given due recognition in the history of freedom struggle. He appealed the historians and researchers to debate and rewrite the freedom movement.
He said that much before Mangal Pandey started the uprising, in Orissa, Jairajguru led the fight against the British and hanged in 1803.
The leader of opposition, Janaki Ballav Patnaik said that Orissa was had never drifted from the mainstream of the struggle against the British rather , Oriyas like Jairajguru, Buxi Jagabandhu , Chakara Bisoi, Dharanidhar Bhuyan , Vira Surendra Sai, Dalbehera Madhav Routray were the real hero’s in embarking the uprisings and pioneers in their own way.
On the occasion, the Governor, released the Oriya book on the “Contribution of Orissa in ‘The first war of Independence”.
Odisha.in