New Delhi: Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan discussed the plans for 200th year celebrations of Paika Bidroha by Central Govt as announced by FM Arun Jaitely in the Union Budget, with Culture & Tourism Minister Dr. Mahesh Sharma on Wednesday.
As a part of its strategy to promote the state’s heroes, the NDA government has decided to commemorate the 200th year celebration of Buxi Jagabandhu’s Paika Bidroha. The epicentre of mass uprising against the British was Khurda. The uprising was primarily directed against the agrarian policies of the British rulers.
Historians have termed the armed rebellion as the first war of Independence, preceding the Sepoy Mutiny in 1857 by 40 years.
Commenting on the event, English Historian Arnold Toynbee had said its “success had set the whole country in arms against us and seeing the hopelessness of resistance, the whole of the government officers stationed at Khurda sought safety measures”.
The uprising met with popular support and instilled fear in the British mind. It was ruthlessly suppressed thr-ough coercive measures. Later, its leader Jagabandhu surrendered to the British in 1825 and remained their prisoner in Cuttack till his death in 1829.
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