Bhubaneswar/Dhenkanal: Odisha Monday paid tributes to martyr Baji Rout, who sacrificed his life fighting against the British at the age of 12 in Dhenkanal district, on his birth anniversary, with Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi remembering his indomitable courage and contribution to protect oppressed people.
Among the patriots who sacrificed their lives in the country’s freedom struggle, Rout was the youngest, the CM said.
“At the mere age of twelve, Baji Rout sacrificed his life in the fight against injustice and oppression – his indomitable courage and fearlessness remain immortal in history. His sacrifice will forever serve as a source of inspiration,” Kambhampati said in a social media post.
CM Majhi said Rout had courageously confronted British soldiers and laid down his life to protect the oppressed people and the motherland from the clutches of a tyrannical ruler and British colonialists.
“Baji Rout’s supreme sacrifice inspired the entire nation to serve the motherland and struggle for independence,” the Chief Minister told reporters after paying floral tribute to a statue of the freedom fighter.
The life of martyr Baji Rout – characterised by fearlessness, patriotism, and courage – serves as a profound source of inspiration for today’s youth and students, he said.
The state government has taken initiatives to honour the state’s illustrious sons and freedom fighters. Last year, the birth anniversary of Rout was celebrated as a state-level event in his native village, Nilakanthapur, he said.
Rout’s village has been declared a ‘Model Village,’ and a sports complex is being constructed in Dhenkanal at a cost of Rs 120 crore in his memory, the chief minister said.
BJD president Naveen Patnaik said, “On the birth anniversary of the country’s youngest freedom fighter, martyr Baji Rout, I offer my heartfelt tribute to the epitome of courage and fearlessness. At just 12 years of age, the bravery and valour he displayed in service to the nation remain an eternal source of inspiration.”
Born on October 5, 1926, in Nilakanthapur village of Odisha’s Dhenkanal district, Baji Rout was the youngest son of Hari Rout and Rania Debi.
In his fight for justice, young Baji Rout joined the Banar Sena, the youth wing of the ‘Prajamandal’ movement founded under the leadership of revolutionary Baishnav Charan Pattanayak, popularly known as Veer Baishnav.
