Paika Bidroha: BJD presses for 1st war of independence tag

BHUBANESWAR: The BJD on Monday reiterated its demand for grant of first war of independence tag on the 1817 Paika Bidroha, terming the Centre’s refusal to do so is an insult to the rich history and culture of the state and massive damage to Odia self-esteem.
A delegation of BJD MPs met Union minister of state for culture, Arjun Ram Meghwal, in Parliament to press for the demand while also raising the issue inside the assembly and staging dharna near the Mahatma Gandhi statue. The move followed Union culture minister G Kishan Reddy, in a written reply to Rajya Sabha on December 3, saying that Paika Bidroha can’t be called the first war of independence according to the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR).
Pinaki Mishra, the BJD leader in Lok Sabha said people of Odisha were shocked, anguished and pained at the Centre’s refusal. “This is a massive damage to Odia asmita (self-esteem), itihaas (history), sanskriti (culture), sabhayata (civilization), ayitiha (heritage) and parampara (tradition). The 4.5 crore people of Odisha as well as proud Odias across the world are aggrieved by this grievous injury to their identity and history,” said Mishra.
Even as the Union minister in his reply had said that a decision has been taken to include Paika Bidroha as a case study in Class VIII NCERT history textbook which deals with the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny, the BJD said it is painful that the momentous rebellion has been made just a footnote to the 1857 event.
Citing a statement that former human resource development minister Prakash Javadekar had made in the city on October 23, 2017 that Paika Bidroha will find a place as the first war of independence against the British rule in the history books and that students shall learn factual history of 1817, BJD said the demand should be met immediately.
The BJD said Paika Bidroha had taken place 40 years before the revolt of 1857, which was later termed as the first war of Indian independence against British rule. The Paika rebellion too place under the leadership of Baxi Jagabandhu, who continues to inspire Odias since, the party said.
With the state government celebrating the bi-centenary celebration in 2017, the cabinet had approved a proposal to move the Centre demanding first war of independence tag for Paika Bidroha, following which chief minister Naveen Patnaik had written to the Centre demanding the same.
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