Bhadrak: A daily labourer from Bhadrak area, working in Mumbai, has erected a 22-ft fibre statute of Nataji Subash Chandra Bose in front of his alma mater in his native village.
Somnath Behera of Andeipalli spent his savings on the statue. His work has received wide applause from various quarters.
Collector Laxminarayan Mishra, SP Ranjan Das, BDO Sambhunath Panigrahi, administrative officials and people’s representatives were present on the inaugural ceremony of the statue Friday.
Somnath walked down the memory lane and explained the reason for erecting the celebrated freedom fighter’s statue.
“Year ago, may father used to sit at this very place, sold groundnuts to manage the family with his meagre earnings. Lightning struck him dead, leaving my family helpless,” he rued with tears rolling down his cheeks.
He added that after death of his father he dropped his Plus-II studies as the family was completely broke. “So, I had no option left but to sell groundnuts. Like this, most part of my childhood and youth has been spent at this place. To perpetuate the memory of the struggle of my father, I preferred to set up the statue of Netaji at the place,” he said.
A large number of villagers and administration officials attended the inaugural function. PNN
