Category : Odisha History

The August Movement in Odisha

The Quit India Movement is also known as August Movement because it started in the month of August.

Odisha too contributed to India’s Freedom Movement on Gandhiji’s clarion call of Quit India Movement.

In September 1942 British Government reviewed the political situation in Odisha – Ganjam, Puri and Sambalpur the situation was Normal. However in Cuttack, Balasore & Koraput violence prevailed.

Congress Ashram at Bari in Cuttack was seized. It was established and managed by Gopabandhu Chowdhury.

There were incidence of violence and in most of these situations, the police resorted to firing killing unarmed people.

Some of these notable incidents were

1. Second Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in Eram, Bhadrak district.

• Under the leadership of Kamala Prasad Kar the people of Eram was running a parallel Government.
• On 28^th September 1942, a mass crowd gathered at Melan field to discuss further strategies where Police entered the ground and resorted to firing killing 29 people and injuring 55 others.
• After this incident Eram was rightly referred to as Rakta Tirtha or Bloody Pilgrimage.

2. Awakening in Koraput –

• Under the leadership of Laxman Naik, the tribals of Koraput started revolting against British Government as a result of which police resorted to firing in Mathili.
• Laxman Naik was arrested and sent to Berhampur jail where he was hanged on 29^th March, 1943.
• Saheed Laxman Naik was the only Odia leader to be hanged during Quit India Movement.