Rayagada: A secret meeting place of freedom fighters and the Samagra Vikash Prayog Kendra (SVPK) at Gopalbadi village under Kolnara block in this district are lying in a state of neglect and in dilapidated condition due to lack of proper upkeep and maintenance. Even though the country celebrated its 78th Independence Day, Thursday, nothing much is being done for the upkeep of the SVPK and the meeting place of the freedom fighters by the district administration. The celebration of Independence Day reminds us of the sacrifice by freedom fighters for the country to free it from British rule. The SVPK was established with an aim to bring in all-round development of tribals in the area through education, agriculture, health and livelihood initiatives and make them self-reliant.
However, now it lies in ruins. Local intelligentsia has alleged that these two places are not even decorated on special occasions like Republic Day and Independence Day. They blamed the officials of various departments of the district administration for the dilapidated condition the two places are currently facing. Locals also blamed officials of the Utkal Khadi Mandal (UKM) for the rot that has set in. The Utkal Khadi Mandal was established in 1920 to promote the use of Khadi which was a symbol of self-reliance and a way to boycott British goods. Incidentally, SVPK is a subsidiary of Utkal Khadi Mandal which has its office in Bhubaneswar.
However, officials of UKM rarely have time for SVPK. No funds are allotted for the development and upkeep of SVPK. The secret meeting place of freedom fighters was on a 27- acre land surrounded by hills at Gopalbadi village under Kolnara block. As the place is not easily accessible, the freedom fighters used it as their secret rendezvous. Eminent freedom fighters like Gopabandhu Das, Nabakrushna Choudhury, Jay Prakash Narayan, Rama Devi, Nana Saheb and Malati Devi used to frequent the place regularly. They used to hold meetings to inspire the young freedom fighters. At that time, the freedom fighters used the SVPK to make people in the area self-reliant through poultry farming, agriculture, livestock farming and weaving clothes. Freedom fighters like Mukteshwar Beuria, Annapurana Moharana and Biswanath Pattnaik contributed a lot in developing the area. ‘Bhoodan’ leader Vinoba Bhave also visited this place during his visit to this district in 1951. After India became independent in 1947, people in the area took up livestock farming and used to sell cow milk.
However, due to lack of maintenance, the centre now remains locked. Roofs and walls of many of the rooms are in dilapidated conditions while wild shrubs have grown all over the verandah and in adjoining gardens. The historical importance of the place has faded into oblivion. Headmaster Bijay Kumar Nayak of Utkal Khadi Mandal Madhyamika Vidyapitha said that the centre was built with a noble purpose. Hence it should be renovated immediately to keep the memories of the freedom fighters alive. Locals have asked the district administration to again launch programmes like livestock farming which will help in empowering the people financially. Prabhas Chandra Sethi, assistant secretary of Utkal Khadi Mandal in Bhubaneswar said plans for the establishment of a school and hospital in the area are underway. They are likely to be set up in the next couple of years, Sethi said. He added that measures will be taken to preserve the land where freedom fighters met during the struggle for independence.