Orissa Review * February-March - 2007
Laxman Naik - The Immortal Martyr of
Quit India Movement
Braja Paikaray
therefore joined the training centre of Nuaput
village. He learned the spinning and listened to
the speeches of the Congress Leaders with rapt
attention and followed the strict Gandhian
principles in his daily life.
Laxman Naik, the well known martyr of Quit
India movement, though a tribal by birth and was
far away from modern education and urban
society, had joined the historic movement in
response to Gandhiji's call "Do or Die". He fought
for truth, non-violence, justice, and gave his life
heroically on the gallows set up
by the imperialist British
Administration.
On 1st August 1942 the All India Congress
committee passed the famous
"Quit India" resolution and
gave a call for mass struggle
under Gandhiji's leadership. On
the same night Gandhiji
declared :-
Laxman was born in the
year 1893 to Sri Madhab Naik
of village Tentuligumma near the
banks of River Kolab and under
Mathili Police Station in the
Koraput district of Orissa,
which abounds in flora and
fauna. In his earlier child-hood,
he learnt the witch craft, hunting
and the art of herbal medicinal
treatment. By the application of
herbal medicine, Laxman could
cure the diseases of the people
and thereby gained their
confidence and love. Laxman
could notice the sorrowful plight of the people
under the British Raj and made up his mind to
fight back against the oppression and tyranny of
the foreign rulers. He believed that Swarajya could
be attained only through non-violent methods and
"I am not going to be satisfied
with any thing short of complete
freedom. Here is a mentra, a
short one that I give you. The
Mantra is "Do or Die". We
shall either free India or die in
the attempt. We shall not live
to see the perpetuation of our
slavery."
On 9th August Gandhi and
other Congress Leaders were
arrested. In Orissa, all the Congress Offices were
declared unlawful and the movement soon spread
to rural areas. People started Satyagraha in all
corners of the State and attacked Post Offices,
Police Stations and Tehsil Offices to paralyse the
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Orissa Review * February -March- 2007
Government and force the British to quit India.
The British authorities never apprehended mass
upsurge of this magnitude and under the slightest
provocation, resorted to lathi charge and firing.
Police got the news of Laxman's return and
sorrounded his house and arrested him with handcuffs.
A false case was registered against
Laxman accusing him for the murder of one forest
guard namely Ramaya. The Court verdict went
against him, although, he pleaded himself not
guilty.
On 21st August, 1942 Laxman responded
to Gandhiji's quit India call and alongwith his
people started a peaceful agitation in front of
Mathili Police Station defying the prohibitory
laws. The agitators tried to unfurl the national flag
on Mathili Police Station and four Satyagrahis
were killed as a result of people firing. Laxman,
the leader of the Satyagrahis, though not killed,
was severelly wounded by the police bayonet and
due to profuse bleeding became unconscious.
Considering him dead, the police left him on the
wayside alongwith other dead persons. After a
long time, Laxman regained his consciousness and
walked 32 miles to Jaypore. He met Balabhadra
Pujari, a Congress worker, and stayed in his home
for some days. By Pujari's advice, Laxman went
to Ramgiri hills to hide himself from the eyes of
the police. But, when he learnt about the police
atrocities on the people, he returned to his village.
On 29th March 1943 Laxman was hanged
in Berhampur Jail. His last words uttered before
the execution was "When Swaraj comes, all
injustice will end."
Laxman Naik, the great patriot is no more
with us. But his brave personality and heroic
struggle will be inspiration to the youth of this land
for many years to come.
Braja Paikaray lives at 342/B, Jagamara (Barabari),
Khandagiri, Bhubaneswar-751030.
ORISSA TABLEAU TOPS IN THE REPUBLIC DAY PARADE
AT NEW DELHI
The tableau that represented Orissa at the Republic Day Parade - 2007 at New
Delhi has been awarded the first prize for best presentation. This is for the first time that
a tableau from Orissa was conferred the top honour.
It is noteworthy to mention that the design of the tableau was conceptualised by
Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik himself. The State Information & Public Relations
Department crafted the tableau design with direct supervision of State Information &
Public Relations Minister Shri Debasis Nayak, Commissioner-cum-Secretary Shri
Digambar Mohanty and Director Shri Baishnab Prasad Mohanty.
While showcasing the traditional folkart, toy and mask crafts of Orissa, the tableau
also displayed some spectacular dances like tiger dance, horse dance, bull dance and
colourful hand-made artistic images like Nabagunjar and ten headed Ravana. Besides,
the musical songs of Orissa was also adjudged another best award.
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