By Our Correspondent
SAMBALPUR:Union Education Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan today participated in the ‘Veer Abhisal Sai Smriti Padayatra’ organized at Kudopali, Sambalpur, one of the holy sites of the 1857 freedom struggle. On this occasion, he paid deep tributes to Veer Surendra Sai’s brother Abhisal Sai and 57 immortal martyrs and called for developing Kudopali as a great cultural pilgrimage site.
Joining the march organized in Kudopali on Monday, Union Minister Shri Pradhan said, on December 30, 1857, 53 freedom fighters were martyred in the Kudopali battlefield. Later, four more freedom fighters were hanged. Thus, 57 freedom fighters were martyred. Among the martyrs were the great hero Veer Surendra Sai and Udantha Sai’s brother Veer Abhilash Sai. It is a matter of fortune and pride for me to come to this land of heroes. The history of Kudopali is not just a movement, it is a story of the blood and self-sacrifice of thousands of heroes. It is the responsibility of all of us to pass this glory on to the new generation.
The importance of Kudopali is no less than Jallianwala Bagh. To make this glorious history known to the whole world, the National Book Trust (NBT) under the Union Ministry of Education has written books in Odia, Hindi and English and in the coming days books will be published in other mother tongues. This place will be developed as a major cultural site with the support of the district administration. By 2047, when India completes 100 years of independence, Kudopali is set to become a major militant pilgrimage site.
The Minister visited the ‘Veer Surendra Sai Adarsh Anganwadi Center’ at Sri Pradhan Kudopally and distributed fruits to the children. He also visited the ‘Martyrs’ Museum’ and paid homage at the memorial pillar.
