Orissa Review * January - 2006
Freedom Fighters of Panimara
Saraja Kumar Panda
under the leadership of Chamru Parida and
Bhagirathi Patnaik. Ten persons were deprived
for being minors and finally thirty-two persons
joined Movement phase by phase. Chamru Parida
forcibly held the office of the civil SDO of Bargarh.
Minaketan Saraf was shot dead. Then Chandra
Sekhar Sahu who destroyed foreign goods at
Bargarh market was arrested. Dhansingh Pradhan
and Fakira Behera were imprisoned in connection
with the case of breaking the lock of the Congress
Office, seized by the British. In the year 1940
minor boys Dibyakishore Sahu and Abhimanyu
Behera were arrested and escaped from prison
after 15 to 20 days.
It was really an extraordinary event in the Indian
freedom movement that a the entire village jumped
into the fire of freedom struggle. Popularly known
as Ahinsa-Tirtha, this small village Panimara of
Bargarh District occupies an eminent status for
the tremendous sense of dedication and
determination with which the villagers participated
in the freedom movement. The freedom fighters
of this village raised their voice against the British
Government at different times. They were not so
educated and rich except a few. But the spirit of
Swaraj in the country touched their heart and they
joined the freedom movement. Their struggle was
not only for political unrest but also for the moral
progress, social justice, abolition of blind-believes,
boycott of foreign goods, abolition of
untouchability and prohibition of liquor etc. They
were totally devoted for a reformation.
In the year 1940-41, Satyagrahis Shyam
Sundar Sahu, Rusi Saraf, Jasobanta Bhoi,
Chamru Parida, Dibya Sundar Sahu, Dhananjaya
Pradhan and others were arrested for giving slogan
against British Government. Likewise Fulsar
Pradhan, Shankar Pradhan, Fakira Behera,
Dhansingh Pradhan, Dhanu Sahu, Chaitanya
Sahu, Prabhakara Pradhan, Minaketan Saraf,
Jitendra Pradhan, Purna Chandra Pradhan,
Kanheilal Sahu, Madan Bhoi, Sunakar Sahu,
Gokula Chandra Nayak, Manmohan Pradhan,
Harihara Bhoi, Dasaratha Nayak, Kaira Sahu and
Sukasaran Bhoi went to prison. In 1942
Mayadhar Purohit of Purena organized meeting
at Soda, Amti, Chheliamal, Kutna, Jharbandh and
As many as thirty-two persons of Panimara
joined the freedom movement by sacrificing their
happiness, pleasure, life and property. They
belonged to the common family of farmers. They
participated in the Quit India Movement of 1942.
They forgot about their home, occupation and
education for the cause of their motherland. They
welcomed jail, jorimana, lathi charge and selftorture for the cause of independence of our
country. To participate in the Quit India
Movement, forty-two persons were selected
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Orissa Review * January - 2006
overwhelmed. The map of India drawn by
phulishar Pradhan was carried by the villagers in
a procession around the village with great
enthusiasm. The tragic death of Gandhiji created
a sense of immense loss to the people of Panimara.
There is a Gandhi Smruti Pitha established to
remember the freedom struggle. The names of
thirty-two freedom fighters have been engraved
on this Stambha. Besides this, the names of
veteran Congress leaders of Panimara, Bhagirathi
Pataik of Barpali, Ghanashyam Panigrahi of
Manpur and Prahallad Ray Lath of Sambalpur
have been written on a marble stone.
Sakti. Under his leadership people destroyed
liquor shops at Soda and Amti. For this he was
imprisoned for one year and two month.
As a result of the absence of its thirty-two
worthy sons, the small village Panimara felt a
tremendous sense of emptiness. Some left their
sons who were ten to twelve years old, newly
married wives, some people's marriage ceremony
was held-up and cooking was very often stopped
at homes without their earning sons. In addition
to this to avoid police atrocity and torture the
remaining villagers used to do their work at night.
At that time of freedom movement the police was
also afraid of the villagers of Panimara. For that
reason some 200 police personnels camped at
Kulthia Tikra. Their duty was to create a sense of
fear in the minds of the people of Panimara.
The people of Panimara participated in the
Bhoodan movement which started under the
leadership of Acharya Binoba Bhave. Binobha
Bhave, Gopabandhu Das, Rama Devi, Malati
Devi, Harekrushna Mahatab and Annapurna
Moharana came to the village Panimara and
organized meetings to promote donation of land
(Bhoodan). The village Panimara was declared
as gramadan village by the arrival of Sarvodaya
leader Binoba in the year 1963.
After Quit India Movement was over, the
Congress workers organized a political meeting
in the village Panimara. The Satyagrahis sang a
song "Ame Aethipayeen Ta Gariba" and Tulsiram
Giri was arrested in the meeting. In that year Khadi
Seva Kendra and Nayeetalim Centre was
established. Shyam Sundar Sahu joined the state
custom movement in the year 1945 at Bolangir
by the direction of the Congress workers.
The women of Panimara played an
important role in the freedom movement. Ketaki
Parida, the mother of Chamru Parida was a daring
woman. It is known from a fact, that once police
personnel entered into the home of Ketaki Parida
without her permission and showing a brave face
she threw hot Peja on the police. The women
like Indu Pradhan, Jambubati Sahu, Sebati
Pradhan and Lelabati Pradhan occupied
important place in the pages of history for their
organization work.
Chamru Parida of Panimara participated
in the Prajamandal Movement which was
organised at Binka. Biranchi Narayan Pradhan
had go ne to Dhenkanal and joined the
Prajamandal movement. At that time Congress
workers decided to enter into the Jagannath
temple of Puri. The leader of Harijans of Bargarh,
Bishi Bibhar went to the Jagannath Temple and
gave flowers and Chandana to the high-caste
people, as a protest. Nruparaj Pradhan, the
conservative Gauntia left the village forever and
started living at Ghanapali.
In the list of freedom fighters of Panimara
not only Gountias like Purna Chandra Pradhan
from Samanta family but also poor peasants like
Dhansingh Pradhan, cowherds like Sribatsa Naik,
landless people like Dayanidhi Nayak and Suka
Saran Bhoi took part in the national frenzy of
When the villagers got the news of
Independence on 15th August 1947 they were
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Orissa Review * January - 2006
freedom struggle. Many of them suffered a lot in
prison. They sacrificed all their personal comforts
and pleasure for achieving the freedom of the
country.
Now, only three freedom fighters of this
village are alive. The freedom fighters of Panimara
have contributed a lot for our motherland. They
were inspired by the Gandhian ideology and
philosophy. By dint of their dedication and sacrifice
they are immortal in the pages of Indian History.
3.
Sradharpana (Oriya), Nabin Kumar Pardia, 1985.
4.
Smaranika 2005. Freedom fighter and their
Successors Conference held at Sambalpur on
13th and 14th January,2005, Bhagirathi Pattnaik
Smurit Committee, article presented by
Mukteswar Pradhan "Eka Sangrami Puspa
Chamaru Parida".
References :
1.
Kumar Hasan, Freedom Movement in
Sambalpur, published by Sambalpur University.
2.
Amar Garba O Gouraba (Oriya), Nabin Kumar
Parida, 1997-98, Panimara.
Saraja Kumar Panda is a Lecturer in History, Parbati Giri
College, Mahulpali in the District of Sambalpur.
Hon'ble Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik unveiling the statue of the great leader
Biju Patnaik at Chandrabhaga, Konark on 10.12.2005. Shri Surendra Nath Naik,
Minister, Agriculture is also present.
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