Freedom Movement in Koraput district

The people of Orissa lost their independence from the sixteenth century, but could not fully express their dissatisfaction against the aliens throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Only when a foreign trading company began to rule through exploitation and oppressed them socio psychologically the people wake up from their slumber and began to raise their first decades of the 19th century. Rising of voices in the forms of resistance, protest, rebellion, dharana, hartals etc. against the authorities were to be treated as freedom struggle of the people.
Orissa has a very high concentration of tribal population in the country. A notable feature of freedom movement in Orissa was the participation of tribal people. Tribals provided the backbone of the resistance movement against British authority in Orissa as well as in other parts of India.
The tribal people of Koraput are by nature freedom loving and do not like the idea of subjugation. Koraput district of Orissa has played a significant role. In the beginning, the people were not very much aware of the objectives of the movement. A drive to enroll primary members to the National Congress was undertaken in 1929 as the first step to popularize the congress movement.
Only after the formation of Orissa as a part separate state in 1936. The freedom struggle gained momentum in Koraput district. More and more people joined the congress and the programmes of the congress reached the interior parts of Koraput district. The congress workers moved to different parts of Koraput to spread the message of khadi and to influence the people to take part in the programmes of the congress. Radhakrushna Biswasray of Koraput was a prominent congress leader at that time. On the advice of Gopabandhu Choudhury, Radhakrushna Biswasray resigned from government service and joined in the national movement. During the salt movement in 1930, many people joined in the movement and courted arrest under his leadership.
Orissa became a separate state in 1936 and Koraput was made a district thereof. Since that time the congress programmes were followed and implemented on an extensive scale because of the strong organizational leadership of Radhakrushna Biswasray. Radhakrushna Biswasray, Radhamohan Sahu and Sadasiva Tripathy played a significant role in Koraput district. Laxman Naik and other tribal leaders have also played significant role to popularize the congress. Laxman Naik was a true patriot and freedom lover. This made him the president of the primary congress committee of his native place Tentuligumma.
Congress committee at Koraput:-
For the first time, Koraput district congress committee started functioning under the presidentship of Radhakrushna Biswasray. Radhakrushna Sahu was the secretary of the district congress committee. There were various committee constituted at Koraput district such as;
I. Nabarangpur congress committee:- The members of the committee were Laxmi chandra Das, Anaji Rao, Mahammed Baji, Harekrushna Majhi and Madhav Pradhan.
II. Kotpad congress committee:- The members of the committee were Biswanath Mahapatra, Kapil Patro, Gopal Pattnail, Damburu Majhi and Sadasiva Tripathy.
III. Umerkote congress committee:- The members of the committee were Rabi Singh Majhi, Balaram Kalar, Sarabu Gauda and Guru Gauda.
IV. Digasalpa congress committee:- The members of the committee were Ananda Behera, Balaram Naik and Santha Dishari.
V. Nandaput congress committee:- The members of the committee were Bhagban Khemundi, Gangadhara Jhola, Madhu Sethi, Keshav Naik and Gopi Krishani.
VI. Dabugaon congress committee:- The members of the committee were Sonu Majhi, Sunadhar Majhi and Raidhar Jani.
VII. Gunupur congress committee:- The members of the committee were Prahallad Panigrahi, Bhagaban Senapati, Biswanath Pattanaik and Surinarayan.
VIII. Jeypore congress committee:- The members of the committee were Radhakrushna Biswasray, Radhamohan Sahu, Nilakanth Patra, Damodar Santa and Krushna Santa.
There are so many congress committee in the district.
Congress training Centre:-
Constructive work palyed an important role in the Gandhian strategy of the Indian National Movement. It was primarily organized around the promotion of Khadi, spinning and village industries, National education, struggle against untouchability and social uplift of the Harijans and Tribals and boycott of foreign cloth and liquor. In December 1937, a training camp was inaugurated at Nuaput near Jeypore by a senior congress leader Gopabandhu Choudhury. Arrangements had been made to impart training to some 350 congress workers belonging to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. Various programmes were prepared for the physical and mental development of the workers. Acharya Harihar Das, Godabarish Mishra and Gokulananda Mohanty visited Nuaput, stayed there and supervised the training programmes on the request of Gopabandhuy Chudhury. Laxman Naik also attended the training camp. These trained workers became the chief coordinators between the Orissa congress and the residence of Koraput. By October 1938, the congress had as man y as 50048 persons enrolled as primary members. In entire Orissa, the Koraput district occupied the second position in this matter.
Sir John Sustin Hawak was the first governor of Orissa province. A tour was fixed by Hawak to Koraput district. The tour of Hawak was very much affected the poor tribal people because the British officials forcibly collected money and other useful things from the poor tribals.
Congress raised their voice against this injustice; meetings were organized by the congress to give justice to the tribals.
The Quit India Movement in Orissa developed in vehemence towards the later part of August 1942. This revolution took a very remarkable form in the Koraput district. On 2nd August, 1942, the district Congress Committee met in full session and decided to start a movement in the lines of civil disobedience under the guidance of Mahatma Gandhi. But the government declared the congress an unlawful organisation and arrested all leaders as a result of which the popular outburst in the district directed towards violence. Due to arrest of congress leaders in the district, several movements were rised. They are Umerkote and Raighar movement, Gunupur movement, Padwa Movement, Nandapur Movement, Nabarangpur Movement, Jeypore firing and Malkangiri movement.
The impact of National Movement stirred the tribals in various parts of Koraput and generated patriotic sentiments in their mind. In the history of India's freedom movement, Laxman Naik occupies a very distinguished place. He was among the few tribal leaders in the country to organise the tribal people for making revolts against the Biritish empire against the various forms of exploitation. On 21st day of August 1942, Laxman Naik took the leadership to heist congress tricolour flag on the Mathili Police Station. During this time, police had started lathi charge among crowd. Laxman Naik was hit by a police on his face and was lying in a small drain in front of Police Station. According to government Report, five persons were killed and 17 injured in the police firing. In this incident the forest guard G. Ramaya was found dead. Laxman Naik was falsely accused of beating the forest guard to death. Laxman Naik was arrested and sentence to Koraput district Jail and thereafter sent to Berhampur Jail from 16.11.1942 to 28.03.1943. Due to lack of proper conduct of the case the punishment was confirmed. Laxman Naik was not worried for this punishment and said "I know Swaraj will definitely come, but I feel sorry that I shall not be able to see Swaraj". On 29th March, 1943 at about 5:30 A.M. Laxman Naik was hanged to death in Berhampur Central Jail. All these serving life sentences were released in 1946. But Laxman Naik sacrificed his life for the freedom of his country. Next to Mathili firing, Papadahandi firing is a mementoes event in the history of National freedom Movement at Koraput district. The unforgettable massacre at Papadahandi by the British Government had a wide ranging repercussion in the freedom of Koraput district. The modern historians have truly compared this Papadahandi massacre with the Jalliawalabagh masscore. The patriotism of Adivasis of the Koraput, the fighting spirit of the congress workers and the fearless leadership of the district leaders will be remembered for ever. Our country achieved independence and tri-colour flag was unfurled on government building on 15th August, 1947.
(Gopinath Pradhan)
COATS, D.N.K Road,Koraput