Orissa Review
birth is known as tribals are mouth of the bear. The bear
never careful about recording being afraid of the blow ran
Sandi Sabar these. Nilakantha was the first away into forest and
child of the couple. Bairu was disappeared.
of Kujendri : the Gamang or chief of his
When she was
village. As such Nilakantha and
A Little Sandi were brought up with
nineteen, she had to look after
some minor household works
great care in accordance with
Known Tribal the tribal system. As there were
and helped her parents. She
had to graze cattle and goats in
Lady Freedom no educational facilities, Sandi
was illiterate. Since her
the nearby jungle. She also
helped her parents in planting
Fighter childhood she was brave,
fearless and simple in character.
seedings, weeding etc. in
agricultural seasons and also
She had a pleasant personality
helped them in fetching fire
and was liked by all,
Raghunath Rath wood and water. She also took
irrespective of age and sex.
part in community feasting and
The following story is dancing. Thus she was leading
an evidence of her bravery. In a tribal way of life till the young
Till she was nineteen, she never the last week of February 1940, Satyagrahi Biswanath's arrival
dreamt that she would be a Sandi, with other women of the at Kujendri.
soldier in the country's freedom village went to collect mahua
I would like to mention
struggle nor had she heard flower from the forest at the
a few words about Biswanath
about India's independence foothills near their village. They
Pattnaik unless the episode of
movement. She was leading a had started early in the morning,
Sandi could not be understood.
sparse life surrounded with and as they followed their
Biswanath Pattnaik (1916)
illiteracy, ill health, malnutrition regular pattern of each one
born at village Kumarada near
and hunger like her fellow choosing a particular tree.
Digapahandi in Ganjam district.
tribals. Her wake up call came When Sandi went near her
At the age of seventeen he
when she met Biswanath chosen tree she saw a bear
joined as a social worker and
Pattnaik who had arrived at the eating mahua flower. The bear
was influenced by Acharya
scene at Kujendri in the last part soon turned and lurched
Harihar. He had rendered his
of January 1940. It was after towards her with the intention
services at the car festival of Sri
this meeting that she of harming her. The quick
Jagannath at Puri by serving the
discovered the soul within her witted Sandi gathered her
cholera affected people in the
and set on the path of a courage and picked up a long
year 1934. On the way back
revolutionary. wooden sal pole lying nearby
from Puri, he enlisted his name
Sandi was born to and chased the bear.
in the Congress as a four anna
Bairu Gamang and Lujuri as When the bear member at Berhampur and
their second child in the first half attacked her opening his mouth, purchased a Charkha (spinning
of 1922. No exact date of her Sandi pushed the pole into the wheel) and cotton. From that
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Orissa Review
day onwards he would spin Biswanath and were influenced Rama Devi saw Sandi there and
cotton thread and wore only by his personality. expressed her eagerness to get
khadi cloth. Biswanath single her trained at the Bari Ashram.
He enrolled for getting handedly without seeking any Later Acharya Harihar
training to be a Satyagrahi at the body's help started cleaning the and Prana Krushna Padhiary
Ashram at Bari which was village streets from the very reached Kujendri to encourgae
founded by Sri Gopabandhu next morning. He talked to the Biswanath and give him
Choudhury and mother Rama people and asked them to encouragement for the good
Devi in the year 1938 and cultivate cotton and to spin work that he was doing. On the
completed his training in 1939. thread and weave Khadi. He 2nd of October 1941 they
He was then engaged in some also convinced them not to buy accompnied Biswanath along
official work at the BariAshram. dhotis and sarees made in the with some Sauras and Doms
In the beginning of 1941 he mills. Biswanath propagated and went to the Radha Krishna
was directed by his guru among the tribals Mahatma temple for woership and to
Gopabandhu Choudhury to go Gandhi's doctrines and his eradicate untouchability. This
to Gunupur, now in Rayagada work for the independence of time too Sandi was given charge
district, for extension of cotton India. In his free hours he to gather women from the
cultivation and to promote the started teaching tribal boys and Saura and Dom communities.
Khadi programme. girls. He toured extensively in She successfully managed her
the tribal villages. Gradually the responsibility and helped in
Biswanath stepped
tribals started to believe eradicating untouchability in the
into Gunupur on the first
Biswanath and acted according area.
fortnight of January 1941 and
to his direction. The Saura
stayed with Prahallad Panigrahi To fulfil the wish of
tribals cultivated improved
a prominent Congress worker Rama Devi, Sandi was anxious
cotton seeds and yielded a
and manager of the Khadi Sale to go to Bari. Hence she
good harvest that year. Sandi
Centre. Prahallad Panigrahi prepared herself. Bhagaban
was leader among tribal women
convinced Bairu Gamang to for cultivation and spinning Senapati a Congress worker of
give shelter to Biswanath. thread and Biswanath being village Gulumunda donated her
Accordingly on the last Sunday supported by the Sauras a mat worth of Rs.2.00. Then
of January 1941 Biswanath established some country Sandi wore a Khadi saree and
proceeded to San kujendri with looms for weaving Khadi. started for Bari with Biswanath
Bairu Gamang. Doms were the traditional Pattnaik. They travelledf by the
Biswanath reached weavers of that area. He narrow gauge railway line from
San Kujendri at sunset and trained some Sauras in the Gunupur to Nuapada and then
stayed on the verandah of Bairu weaving technology with the by broad gauge rail line to
and took his food prepared in help of a Dom. Nilakantha and Haridaspur. They then went to
the kitchen of the tribal family. Sandi also learned weaving Bari by foot. At Bari, Sandi was
Nilakantha and Sandi also from him. The Sauras prepared renamed as Shanti and took up
served him. The family of Bairu khadi themselves. After some vigourous training for six
were soon greatly involved with time on the way to Wardha, months. She learned to spin
66 August - 2010
Orissa Review
cott on t hread, weaving, an enquiry into the Kujendri Bairu was standing on a
cleaning of village to eradicate matter. platform holding another flag in
untouchability to speak truth all On receipt of t he his hand. The Collector shouted
the time, believe in non-violence enquiry report from the Sub- his orders to tear the flags. All
etc. She also learned Oriya and Divisional Magistrate, of a sudden Sandi and about
was soon able to read and Rayagada, the Collector of twenty young women rushed
write. She also learned the Koraput programmed a visit to towards the flag post and
ashram way of life, prayers in Gunupur. In order to threaten surrounded it in a circle, joining
morning and evening, flag songs the Sauras he chalked out a hands with each other. Another
as well as leading a routine and plan for a show of strength. The circle was made by the elder
simple life. Collector gathered together a ladies which covered the first
party consisting of himself, circle. They were determined
On returning to
some armed police and forest to protect the flag in exchange
Kujendri she become a role
employees, a few powerful of their lives.
model and torch bearer among
the Saura women of her area. Sahukars, some persons of the About two hundred
She vigoro usly acted to royal family, prominent money Sauras observed the situation
propagate the constructive lenders and a few non-tribal sitting on the verandas of the
work that she had learnt at Bari Oriya landlords. The party street. All of them were
Ashram among the tribals and walked on foot from Bamunihat prepared as they had covered
soon became the leader of to Kujendri, except for the themselves with winter clothing
tribal women. Collector, who rode on a and held weapons hidden
horse. inside.
During his stay at
Kujendri, Biswanath taught flag On the other hand The women encircled
songs to the inhabitants of the Sauras too had made their the flag post and danced
village and used to hoist the programme to protest the vigorously singing the song
Congress flag every morning Collector's visit. It was decided "Jhanda ucha rahen hamara."
and ritually get it down in the that on the appointed day The Collector silently observed
evening. All the inhabitants were Biswanath would remain the situation and looking at the
accustomed to his flag hoisting. absent at Kujendri. Bairu tense situation decided not to
During the absence of Gamang, his son Nilakantha take any action then and there.
and daughter Sandi would play He led the party to the lower
Biswanath, the tribals
the main role with the other primary school to take rest, as
continued to hoist the flag
villagers putting up their efforts. they were tired after the long
without any interruption. This
On the appointed day walk. From there the Collector
news reached the ears of the
in the first part of July 1942 the and his party returned without
Collector of Koraput Mr.
Collector and his party arrived taking any action.
Willcock. He ordered the Sub-
Divisional Magistrate, at Kujendri and noticed that a On 9th August 1942 at
Rayagada, who was also an Congress flag was flying on the Bombay, Gandhiji called for the
English man and the Taluk flag post in middle of the street "Quit India Movement." He
Magistrate, Gunupur to cause and a person named Jhandu instructed all Congress workers
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Orissa Review
"do or die" for the independence On the fixed date protestors were called to the
of the country. Many high level many tribals gathered at police station and aft er
Congress leaders were arrested Kujendri. About two hundred detention for some time they
and put behind bars. Radha men and fifty women assembled were allowed to go. All the
Krushna Baswasray from to go in a procession. The Satyagrahis were released from
Koraput had attended procession marched towards the Police Station at sunset. As
Gandhiji's Quit India meeting at Gunupur. The procession was it was late, they all stayed back
Bombay. When he returned led by Jhandu Bairu who was at Gunupur for the night.
from Bombay, he was arrested walking with a Congress flag. The next morning the
at Sunki in Koraput district. Sandi too led the women, procession went to the nearby
Biswanath got a letter from holding a flag in her hands. villages and propagated the
Radha Krushna Biswasray on Many tribals followed, shouting words of Gandhiji and
the 12th August 1942, where slogans against the British independence. Likewise they
the facts were narrated. Government and Raja of moved around different villages
Jeypore. Biswanath was for four to five days and then
On receipt of the letter leading the mob and the whole
Biswanath prepared some hand returned to Kujendri. They
process was one of non- were sent to Koraput Jail as
written pamphlets and sent violence. The mob made its
them to each and every village they were found guilty under
way from Sankujendri to British Law.
in the Gunupur region. He also Gunupur and on the way
fixed a date for launching of passed through Kaithapadar. Aft er Biswanath's
Satyagraha. He held discussions Badakujendri, Lachhapa, arrest, there was no one to
with the people and told them Gulumunda, Paaka and instruct Sandi. On her own
that they should join the Quit Panasguda. Many men and initiative, Sandi organised
India Movement even at the women from these villages Saura women of twenty five
cost of being put in jail or being joined the procession villages around Kujendri and
shot in police firing. But he also spontaneously. Gradually the trained them in spinning thread.
promised them that after strength of the procession It is known that nearly 1500
independence, the tribals would increased and the crowd was spinning wheels were at regular
not be harrased by the more than three hundred work towards the end of 1942.
employees of the Raja or the persons when they reached the From 1942 to 1945 Sandi
British Government. They bank of the river Bansadhara. dedicated herself to village
would be able to live in peace reconstruction work.
The procession
according to their own accord, crossed the river by boats and Sandi was against
Bethi and veti will be stopped. entered Gunupur town. They getting married till 1945. When
Hearing the words of travelled through each street of asked by the village elders, she
Biswanath many Sauras the town shouting anti replied that her work was not
willfully agreed to join in the government slogans. The local yet done, and she would
movement. They decided on a police had been given consider getting married only
dat e fo r launching the instructions not to obstruct the aft er the country get its
movement. pro cession. Later t he independence. However she
68 August - 2010
Orissa Review
succumbed to the pressure and Madhusudan resigned from his struggle in Kujendri area. Due
agreed for marriage. government service and to her constant effort Saura
Prahallad Panigrahi contested the elections as a women used to spin and were
had suggested a proposal to candidate for Orissa Legislative made aware about independence
Bairu. The boy was Madhu Assembly in the first election and participation in 1942 Quit
Sabar of village Khilipadar. held on 1952. He could not India Movement. She took part
Madhu was then serving in succeed in election. After in the freedom struggle for a
P.W.D Office, Nabarangpur. resigning from service Madhu short span from 1941 to 1946.
Bairu with some of his relatives resided at Kujendri and But within that short period she
went to Nabarangpur and worked as a teacher. On 27th attracted the attention of many
discussed with Madhu and later November 1954 Sandi gave state leaders like Gopabandhu
Madhu also came to Kujendri birth her second son Nandan. Choudhury, Rama Devi, Naba
talked with Sandi. They were After delivery she suffered from Babu, Acharya Harihar and
both willing and the marriage profuse bleeding which could many others due to her sheer
was solemnised in the last part not stopped and she breathed dedication. She will be ever
of 1946. After marriage Sandi her last on the 28th November remembered among the few
went to stay at Nabarangpur 1954. Thus ended the life of a tribal lady soldiers of freedom
with her husband. Her first son great soul. struggle for her selfless work.
Balakrishna was born at Sandi was a freedom
Nabarangpur. Then fighter who never imprisoned.
Madhusudan was transferred But when Biswanath and others
Raghunath Rath lives at
to Koraput. They stayed at remained in Jail, she shouldered Panasapadi, Baliguda - 762103,
Koraput till 1951. all the responsibility of freedom Kandhamal.
August - 2010 69
