Gandhi freedom fighter of tribals Laxman Nayak

about 200 India got freedom from the British Raj after years of continuous struggle and sacrifice of lakhs of its young brave sons. Some of the bravehearts who laid down their lives in this freedom struggle got due recognition, while many others remained almost in complete oblivion. Don’t know how many countrymen sacrificed themselves in the fight for the freedom of the country. From the royal family to the common man, you will find stories of freedom fighters from every nook and corner of India. Similar stories of courage and dedication are also hidden in the forests of our country. Odisha born martyr Laxman Nayak is one such freedom fighter who unfortunately has been forgotten by the present generation.

Nayak worked for the rights of tribals in South Orissa. Laxman Nayak was born on 22 November 1899 at Tentuliguma in Malkangiri, Koraput district. His father was Padalam Nayak, who belonged to the Bhuyan tribe. Lakshmana spent his childhood days playing, hunting and swimming with his friends. Laxman never believed in casteism and untouchability. The people of his gotra were not allowed to eat with other community yet he often dined with his best friend Bear without consulting his father. He was a social reformer in the truest sense, who made constant efforts to help the tribals in his area to rid themselves of their deep-rooted superstitions. Tentuligumma, located near the Kolab River, was a remote village with no school or hospital and almost every villager was illiterate. Despite all this, Laxman’s father taught him to read and write.

At the age of 19, he married Mangooli, the 17-year-old daughter of Kashiram of a nearby village. He was blessed with a son, Raghunath, only a few years later. Laxman’s heart was never at peace at the sight of the murderers being unleashed on the poor tribal villagers by the local British police and officials. These British police and officers lived a lavish lifestyle by looting money from poor people through heavy taxes. They also forced poor and weak tribals to work for free in their palaces, fields. With the passage of time Laxman mastered the art of tribal witchcraft herbal medicine and started working as a tribal priest. He also learned to shoot a gun from Chandra Kutiya, a friend of the Koya tribe. After his father’s death in 1930, he was appointed as Pradhan. As a village head, he always stood by his people in every difficult situation, which increased his popularity even more. The people of the villages around him often sought his help to cure diseases and worship him. Nayak fought against the British to save the resources of his people, water, forest and land. The Nayak single-handedly opened a front against the British Government for himself and his people. When the increasing repressive policies of the British government reached the forests of India and the claimants of the forest started collecting rent on their property, the hero started a campaign to organize his people. Nayak formed his own revolutionary group against the British. He emerged as a leader for the common tribals. Because of his works, he came to be known all over the country. Seeing his growing fame, the Congress also contacted him and joined him. Now he started attending Congress meetings and training sessions and came in contact with Gandhiji. He was impressed by the work being done by Gandhiji for the freedom of the country. The feeling of nationalism started awakening in his heart.

After this he started thinking not only for the tribals but for all the countrymen. Gandhian non-violence policy impressed Laxman so much that he started strictly following all his principles in every area of ​​his life. She also learned spinning after joining a Congress-run training center in Nuaput village near Jeypore in 1937. Now the tribal society also started taking part in the campaigns of the Congress. Taking Gandhiji’s spinning wheel along with him, he started motivating people for unity and education in tribal villages. He played an important role in bringing change in the rural areas. Due to the social welfare works being done by him, many people started calling him ‘Gandhi of Malkangiri’. Due to the growth of the tribal movement in this area, an unprecedented mass awakening was born. Being a part of the Quit India Movement that started in August 1942, he was responsible for organizing programs in many areas. In this sequence, a massive procession was planned on 21 August 1942, which was to end with the hoisting of the tricolor on top of the Maithili police station in Koraput, but as soon as the procession led by Nayak reached the police station, the police force Started indiscriminately beating the peaceful protestors and then opened fire on them, in which 5 people were killed and 17 others were injured. Laxman Nayak was also seriously injured in the indiscriminate beating of the police on this procession. The police not only beat him mercilessly but also burnt his moustache, which rendered Laxman unconscious.

When he regained consciousness after hours, he reached Jaipur after walking several kilometers and stayed at a Congress worker’s house. From here they went to Ramgiri hills to escape from the police but returned to their village after getting the news of repeated attacks on the villagers by the police. On 2 September 1942, the authorities made him Forest Guard, G.I. Falsely implicated and arrested in the murder of Ramaiah who was deployed at the Maithili police station to stop the protestors. Though Laxman told the court that Ramayya had died due to bullet injuries sustained during police firing, Koraput Additional Sessions Judge V Ramanathan relied solely on the false evidence produced by the police, to the public’s dismay. Convicted of inciting arson, rioting and beating up Ramaiah. The judge sentenced him to death under section 302 of the IPC. He was hanged on 29 March 1943. In his last time, he just said this – If the sun is true and the moon is also, then it is equally true that there will be freedom in India. In 1989, on the 100th anniversary of his birth, a postage stamp was issued in his honor by India Post.

Suresh Kumar Goyal