Post News Network
Mathili, August 13: Even as it has been 68th year of Independence, Tentuligumma, a tribal dominated village of undivided Koraput district, famous for producing Saheed Veer Laxman Naik, a hero of India’s freedom struggle, is still plagued by a slew of woes.
Nayak, responding to the call of Mahatma Gandhi, had led a rally August 21, 1942 and peacefully demonstrated at Mathili police station. The British police, however, opened fire at the protestors. Forty people died and over 200 were rendered critical in the indiscriminate firing. Shockingly, Nayak was implicated in the mass killing and given death sentence November 13, 1942. He was hanged March 29, 1943 in Berhampur jail. Not only Tentuligumma village, but the entire state plunged into depression following his execution. He had predicted that Swaraj was round the corner which came true in next four years.
His village is 37 km from Mathili in Malkangiri district. Academy of Tribal Language and Culture has set up a statue of the tribal leader in the village. While village needed special attention from the administration, unfortunately a couple of low-ranked officials routinely visit the village twice a year – once on his birth anniversary and on the day he was hanged. They disappear after hurriedly garlanding Nayak’s statue, locals said. Leave alone addressing the issues, the officials don’t even bother to speak to the villagers, they said.
There are 11 villages under Tentuligumma panchayat with a population of about 1,500. The martyr’s descendants and his relatives reside in a village alongside the main road of the panchayat. While the government has been pumping in huge funds to provide free electricity to the BPL families, Tentuligumma village is still deprived of it. The condition of roads leading to the village is pathetic. The villagers are yet to get proper healthcare service and safe drinking water. No government assistance has been provided to the family of the martyr.
In 1978, an ashram school was set up in the name of the departed leader. At present 355 students from Class I to VII study in the school. However, only three teachers take care of such large number of students. This has affected the quality of teaching. There are no lady teachers for the girls while students have to attend the classes in the open.
Madhu Nayak, the grandson of Saheed Laxman Nayak is any how managing his family of two daughters and a son with his meager pension amount.
When contacted he said, “Despite so many years of freedom, our village still lacks basic facilities”.
Another relative of the freedom fighter, Nanda Pujari said no government officials ever visit the village to preserve the memory of a great leader. The villagers only unfurl tricolour during Republic Day and Independence Day, he said.
The villagers recently apprised KBK administrator Taradutt of their plights. As the village is the native place of a famous warrior of Indian freedom struggle, locals demanded immediate intervention of the government to sort out the problems.