Berhampur: Social activists from Odisha’s Ganjam district Wednesday urged the Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC) to install a new life-size statue of social reformer Sashibhusan Rath, who played a key role in the formation of the state.
Rath was one of the pioneers to bring out the first Oriya newspaper, Asha, in 1913 and English daily, ‘The New Orissa’, in 1933 from Berhampur. The government women’s college here was named after him by the state government.
Currently, a small statue of Rath is located at the Old Bus-stand area in dilapidated condition, and another is on the premises of SBR Government Women’s College, the activists said.
On the occasion of Rath’s 141st birth anniversary, representatives of different organisations paid floral tributes to him at the Old Bus-stand and recalled his struggle for creating a separate state and for bringing out the newspapers.
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“We have repeatedly urged the BeMC to install a life-size statue of Rath in a prominent public place in the city to inspire the younger generation,” said Bhagaban Gantayat, former vice-chairman of Berhampur municipality.
“Rath’s present statue is dilapidated. The civic body needs to give proper respect to him by installing a life-size statue,” said Sagar Ranjan Tripathy, a literary activist.
Besides his contribution in the freedom struggle and movement for separate state, Rath also tried hard to stop animal sacrifice before the deity at Tara Tarini, a famous Shakti shrine in the district, said Pramod Kumar Panda, secretary, Tara Tarini Development Board.
“We will take a decision after discussion in a corporate meeting,” a senior officer of the BeMC said.
PTI
