Rich tributes paid to Laxman Nayak

The freedom fighter was hanged in Berhampur circle jail on March 29, 1943 

BERHAMPUR: Shahid Laxman Nayak, during his last hours of life in Berhampur circle jail, had a lone regret that he would not be able to see the freedom of his mother land. Veteran freedom fighter and former State minister Dolagobinda Pradhan, who happens to be one of the few living persons in Orissa who have come across Laxman Nayak during his time, was in the city on Monday to pay tributes to the great tribal freedom fighter and martyr on his 68th martyrdom day. Laxman Nayak was hanged in Berhampur circle jail on March 29, 1943.

Mr. Pradhan along with two other freedom fighters from Bhadrak district -- Brajakishore Raut and Bailochana Jena -- came to the city to attend the programme in memory of the martyr. These freedom fighters along with dignitaries of the city and Ganjam district Collector V.K. Pandian paid their tributes to the martyr on the Berhampur circle jail premises.

Mr. Pradhan, while in teenage, was lodged in the Berhampur jail during 1942-43 as a political prisoner. Laxman Nayak was also in the condemned cell of the same jail as a prisoner awaiting death sentence. He remembered how the senior Congress leaders used to describe Laxman Nayak as a true Gandhian, who was ready to give up life for truth and peace. He described the martyr as a man who was calm till his death. The last wish of the martyr was to spend his last day of life with the other freedom fighters in the jail. He had attended a community feast along with the other freedom fighters and had also discussed his dreams of free India during the last hours. “He said he was totally satisfied with his life but had regret that he would not be able to see the freedom of his motherland,” Mr. Pradhan said.

Mr. Prdahan said all inmates of the jail had raised slogans against the British government and in honour of the martyr when he was marched to the gallows.

In the evening, the freedom fighters also attended a meeting organised in the Town Hall by the Information and Public Relations Department of the State government and the Berhampur Municipal Corporation. The martyr was also remembered at the Shahid Laxman Nayak community hall in the city by the members of the People's Trust, which played a major role in the preservation of memory of the martyr in the State. His statue was garlanded and a meeting was held.

Source: The Hindu