Angul: The Bamur dak-bungalow in Angul district had housed Mahatma Gandhi for a night during the days of India’s freedom movement. The dilapidated house still keeps the traits of Gandhiji abreast.
Raniguda field, where he had delivered his speech to freedom fighters at a public meeting May 6 1934, has been renamed in the meanwhile. However, Gandhiji’s call for wearing Khadi, de-addiction from alcohol and being self-reliant are still in the air here.
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Gandhiji had been to the district once on his way back from Jharsuguda to Cuttack. He reached Angul just a day before the public meeting. Being deeply moved by congregation of thousands of local residents in the wee hours before his public meeting he had to address the gathering then and there itself.
At the Bamur dak-bungalow, Gandhiji ventilated his noble ideas on adversities of casteism and social difference to the people who had come to catch a glimpse of him. He highly appreciated three people who committed to give up alcohol before him. Later, he had a meeting at Raniguda. He had collected funds from Banarpal for harijans.
On the other hand, Angul district administration has shown very little interest for the development of the dak-bungalow. A road connecting Raniguda, which is presently known as Similipada, was named as Gandhi Marg on the occasion of his150th birthday.
A statue of Gandhiji put up at Similipada is in open air. Angul denizens have demanded development of memorial sites associated with Gandhiji on the occasion of India’s 74th Independence Day.
Notably, hundreds of freedom fighters from Koshala village of Chhendipada area had sacrificed their lives during India’s freedom movement. The revered freedom fighters from Koshala are Antaryami Pradhan, Sarbeswar Pradhan, Bisweswar Pradhan, Ganeswar Sahoo, Rasananda Pradhan, Ananda Chandra Sahu, Brundaban Sahoo, Lokanath Pradhan, Balkrushna Sethy, Hrusikesh Gadnayak, Maka Pradhan, Beda Sahoo, Dibakar Pradhan and Birabara Pradhan.
PNN