Bhubaneswar, 11 October (H.S.)Tributes were paid to Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan on his birth anniversary and young freedom fighter Baji Rout on his martyrdom day at separate programmes in Bhubaneswar on Sunday. The events were organised to commemorate their contributions to the nation and their enduring ideals of sacrifice, social justice and public service.

At a programme held near the Odisha Legislative Assembly to mark the martyrdom day of Baji Rout, Assembly Speaker Surama Padhy and other dignitaries paid floral tributes to his statue. The programme was jointly organised by the Information and Public Relations Department and the Shaheed Baji Rout Memorial Foundation.

Among those present were Foundation president Dr Krushna Chandra Aich, secretary Kishore Kumar Mishra, Pujyapuja Sansad president Pradyumna Satpathy, Girija Shankar Mohapatra and Information and Public Relations Department Joint Director Sucheta Priyadarshini.

The dignitaries also garlanded Baji Rout’s statue near DAV School Square in Unit-8, Bhubaneswar.

Remembering the young martyr, the speakers said Baji Rout was an unforgettable symbol of service, courage and sacrifice. His supreme sacrifice at the age of just 12 inspired thousands of freedom fighters to intensify their struggle against British rule.

They observed that his martyrdom generated unprecedented enthusiasm among people across the country and gave fresh impetus to the freedom movement amid the political and social conditions of the time.

Baji Rout’s courage and determination in the struggle for India’s independence, they said, would remain an enduring and glorious chapter in the history of Odisha.

On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan, the Information and Public Relations Department organised a separate programme at his statue near Master Canteen Square in Bhubaneswar. Departmental officials and several distinguished persons attended the programme and offered floral tributes.

The speakers recalled that Jayaprakash Narayan’s lifelong struggle against injustice and exploitation earned him a special place in modern Indian history. He was a great freedom fighter, a prominent advocate of socialist ideals, an astute political thinker and a committed leader of the people who championed social justice.

The Total Revolution movement, launched under his leadership, awakened the country’s youth and inspired them to seek social and political change.

Jayaprakash Narayan’s life, the speakers noted, continues to convey the message that truth, ethical conduct and public service are the highest principles of political leadership.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda