BJD MP wants museum for tribal freedom fighters

Bhubaneswar: BJD MP Sujeet Kumar on Friday demanded the establishment of a museum dedicated to the tribal freedom fighters of Odisha.
Raising the issue in the Rajya Sabha, Sujeet said, “While government efforts to set up such museums in 10 other states to mark ‘Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav’ are commendable, I would like to express the displeasure of the state of Odisha, as it has been excluded from the states chosen to establish a tribal museum.This despite the fact that Odisha has a substantial tribal population.”
The RS MP pointed out that 22.8% of the state’s population are tribals, which is more than Gujarat’s ST population, where such a museum has been proposed to be set up. Gujarat has a 14.8% ST population, he said. To drive home the point, Sujeet drew the attention of the Upper House to the freedom fighters from Odisha, who made a significant contribution to the freedom struggle. Nirmal Munda, an agrarian leader, mobilised the tribals of Gangpur and made them refuse the payment of exorbitant taxes and fight for people’s rights.
Kamala Lochan Dora Bisoi took the commanding charge of Kandha Uprising in 1836. Though the British suppressed this rebellion, arrested Dora Besoyee in 1837, destroyed many Kandha villages and imposed martial law, they could not kill it completely.
The uprising was carried forward by Chakra Bisoi, another notable tribal figure.
“There are many other noble and notable contributions from Odisha. Denying them a chance to be etched into history will be doing injustice to the tribal population in Odisha,” he said.