The Paik Rebellion, also known as Paika Bidroha, of 1817 was the first armed rebellion against the British in Odisha. The Paikas rose in rebellion under their leader Bakshi Jagabandhu, projecting Jagannath as the symbol of Odia unity.
The Paikas were the traditional militia of Odisha. They served as warriors and were charged with policing functions during peacetime. They were trained in the paika akhada. The paikas were exempted from paying taxes in lieu of their services. Their heroics have been mentioned in books by many historians, but they are hardly remembered by the people. Many Indians are not aware of the sacrifice made by the paikas in the first war against the British.
The paika akhadas (place of practice) are falling into disuse. But Subash Chandra Jena, a paika of Badajhada in the Krushna Parasad block of Puri district, has been fighting for the last 40 years to keep these akhadas alive.
Fifty year old Subash, who stands six feet tall, travels across the state to train youth in the traditional martial art. “At one time, other than war, the paikas were engaged in enforcing law in the state, and the paika akhadas were used to keep them physically and mentally fit. But these akhadas have become defunct now with fitness centres mushrooming in every nook and corner of the state.”
Traditionally, the people of Khandayat (warrior) caste used to conserve the akhadas and display their skills every year. This has continued to the present day. However, the akhadas are becoming scarce in the state with the artistes struggling to earn a living.
Subash, son of Sachhi Dei and Chandramani Jena, was born in a Paika family. He says, “My father was a paika who trained many in the state and I am only following in his footsteps. I was ten years old when I entered the akhada, which was no less than a place of worship for me. Along with my friends, I used to take part in different social and cultural activities in our village and make people aware of our culture. Although my family was not financially sound, my parents never discouraged me from working out in the akhada. Often I had to go to other villages along with my father and other members of my village to popularise this martial art. We commonly organise paika workshops and hold competitions like sword fighting and martial arts among the paikas in these villages.”
To retain the rich heritage of the state, Subash met many government officials and social activists like Dr Murali Manohar Sharma, Banabihari Behera, and the descendants of Bakshi Jagabandhu, the commander of the forces of the Khurda king, among others. Subash has also fought for the cause of paikas who were affected by Phailin, a cyclone that devastated the Chilika area five years ago.
He says, “It’s not easy to keep all the paikas of the state united but I have been working hard in this direction. Along with some of my associates, I train others so that they can carry forward the legacy. To keep the art alive, we formed a paika organisation ‘Sri Sri Akhandaleswara Deba Paika Akhada Sangha’ in 2008. I am the president of the organisation. We have so far enrolled 85 paikas as members. We practice at our akhada every day after work. Every year we induct new paikas in the organisation and train them in paika warfare. We organise various social and cultural activities across the state showing the dance and martial art of the paikas. Programmes are held every year on the occasion of Dussehra and other festivals in our village. The grounds are first prepared with soft earth and sprinkled with oil and water. Our members stand in two rows with wooden swords and shields, as real swords are not allowed. They approach each other slowly before the tempo of the music increases, at which point they engage in mock combat which looks like they are engaged in a real war.”
Subash led 30 paikas from Chilika in a performance in the capital city Bhubaneswar. They also performed along with 50 other paikas at Sorana in Khurda district recently. Subash is regularly invited to perform, along with his team, at the birth anniversary celebration of Dr Harekrushna Mahatab, a noted figure of the Indian independence movement. In fact, they have given several performances in the state, including at Rabindra Mandap and Bhanjakala Mandap in Bhubaneswar. Subash, who has been awarded for his contribution in reviving the akhada culture, also performed in New Delhi along with his team on the eve of the completion of 200 years of the Paika rebellion. He always narrates how the heroes of the state fought against the British till the end. He asks the youths in the audience to join him to carry forward the legacy of the state.
This year, Subash has managed to unite 112 small paika organisations of the state to popularise paika culture across the state. He expressed his resentment against the Centre for not installing a statue of Bakshi Jagabandhu, who led the uprising in 1817, on the Parliament House premises.
However, Subash thanks the state government for doing its bit to promote the martial art. The state has proposed to establish a Paika Akhada Academy in the Gajapati district. Also, the art is performed during the annual Kalinga Mahotsav, a festival organised by the state government at the Vishwa Shanti Stupa.
Seeking financial aid for the elderly trainers of paikas, Subash says that the history of the Paika rebellion should be included in school text books in the country.
He adds, “The paika training programme is becoming popular among the girls too. There is an organisation that trains the girls. This sort of training not only keeps the body fit, it helps a person fight all odds in life. On my part, I will try my best to keep these akhadas alive till my last breath and hope others will keep the efforts going after me. We realise that we have a long way to travel. But I am optimistic that a day will come when people will come forward to learn this art to earn their livelihood from it.”
SOYONG, OP