Report by Badal Tah; Rayagada: 142nd birth anniversary of Utkalamani Pandit Gopabandhu Das was observed in Gandhi Park, Rayagada in a lucid manner. Gopabandhu, who is fondly known as Gandhi of Odisha, was a freedom fighter, a social reformer and an educationist. He did not even take care of his ailing son to serve the severelyflood affected of Odisha. He was an alumnus of Ravenshaw College and left a lucrative law practice to serve his motherland Odisha.
“In spite of his great sacrifice for Odisha, he is hardly remembered in a bordering district like Rayagada. It is a good sign that Gandhi 150+ is celebrated with pomp and ceremony in each nook and corner of Rayagada by the district administration alongwith some Gandhians and other persons believing in Gandhian principles; but forgetting the Odisha Gandhi is certainly a matter of concern. The state must take resolutions in this regard. Let’s not wait till his 150th anniversary”, said octogenarian Sri N N Padhi, advisor of the District Senior Citizens Association, Rayagada
“Though his contribution to journalism is well known to everybody in Odisha and centenary celebration of Samaj news paper, which he established by him, is going on, absence of local administration and journalists is not expected at all”, lamented Sri Jayaram Jena, President of Zilla Sarvodaya Mandal, Rayagada.
Sri Jayaram Jena, Sri N N Padhi, Dr. D K Mohanty, Sri Gopi Sahu, Sri Satyabadi Pati, Sri Badal Tah, Sri K K Jena, Sri Dambaru Panda paid their floral tribute to Pandit Gopabandhu while Sri Rajesh Kumar Padhi, Director of Centurion University-Rayagada moderated the entire event.
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