Post News Network
Balasore, August 8: The district played a remarkable role in the country’s freedom struggle. Many plunged into freedom movement especially during Inchudi Labana Satyagraha and movement against Pituni tax at Srijang.
One of the freedom fighters is 94-year old Sanatan Patra, who had taken a lead of Banarsena. The government has, however, forgotten him. Patra along with his wife Josada is leading a miserable life in a thatched house in Srijang area.
Let alone paying him respects, he has not been given a freedom fighter’s pension.
Born January 4 in 1923, Sanatan had lost his parents in his childhood. He was born and brought up by his aunt. Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi and other freedom fighters like Goura Mohan Das and Dharanidhar Das of his locality, he plunged into freedom movement when he was only 13. He was made Senapati of Banarasena. Recalling those days, Sanatan said he had inspired many children to take part in the freedom movement. He along with others used to move in villages and sing patriotic songs.
The British government had then levied Pituni tax on people for various things including for walking on the road.
Rebels like Goura Mohan and Dharanidhar had first opposed the tax. They persuaded people not to pay it. In 1938, British police entered the village and forced the people to pay tax. The freedom fighter duo strongly resisted it. Angry over it, the British police dragged the duo onto the street. The duo was brutally attacked at Achuyta Sagar.
Enraged, local people launched an offensive on the police, he recalled. Sanatan said the police had kept him in Remuna area and forced him to do hard work. From there, he escaped and carried on his Banarsena activities.
“When the country was freed from the British, there was euphoria everywhere. But that joy is no longer existent,” he lamented. The way the country is ruled today is no different from that of British when people did not get justice, he rued.
Sanatan has been honoured at different forums, but the government has allegedly let him down.