Baji Rout

Baji Rout (1926-1938) was the youngest Indian freedom fighter and martyr, having been killed at the age of twelve. He was born on 5 October 1926.[1] Rout, who was a boat boy, was shot by British police when he refused to ferry them across the Brahmani River on the night of 11 October 1938 at Nilakanthapur Ghat, Bhuban, Dhenkanal district.[2]

Baji Rout
ବାଜି ରାଉତ
Portrait of Saheed Baji Rout
Born(1926-10-05)5 October 1926
Nilakanthapur, Dhenkanal, Odisha
Died11 October 1938(1938-10-11) (aged 11–12)
Nilakanthapur, Dhenkanal
NationalityIndian
Other namesBajia
Known forYoungest Freedom Fighter
Youngest Martyr of India

Baji Rout was the youngest son of a boatman on the Brahmani river.[3] As an active member of the Banar Sena of Prajamandal (Party of People),[4] he had volunteered to keep watch by the river at night. The British Police force ordered him to cross the river by his boat which he denied. The police force then fired upon Baji Rout along with Laxman Mallik and Fagu Sahoo.[5]

Baji Rout Samman

In memory of the youngest freedom fighter and martyr of India, Utkala Cultural Association at IIT Bombay honors one Odia youth with 'Baji Rout Samman' each year on Utkala Divasa (Odisha Day) as an emerging talent in different fields like arts, science, social work, entrepreneurship etc.

List of recipients

  • 2016: Miss Sniti Mishra, Bollywood Singer
  • 2017: Mr. Shakti Prashana Mishra, Music Composer
  • 2018: Mr. Asit Tripathy, Bollywood Singer
  • 2019: Miss Rajasmita Kar, Dancer, Dance India Dance (DID) Season 3 winner

Bibliography

Sachidananda Routray, Jnanpith Award winning poet has written a poem Baji Rout. The poem starts like this:

" ନୁହେଁ ବନ୍ଧୁ, ନୁହେଁ ଏହା ଚିତା , ଏ ଦେଶ ତିମିର ତଳେ ଏ ଅଲିଭା ମୁକତି ସଳିତା। "

Which in English means:

"It is not a pyre, O Friends! When the country is in dark despair, it is the light of our liberty. It is our freedom-fire."

Films
  • Baji Rout : India's youngest freedom fighter - a documentary which portrays Baji Rout's entire life journey as a freedom fighter and ultimately his encounter with the British.

This Hindi short film on Baji Rout titled : "Baji Rout:India's youngest freedom fighter", has been made by a group of students, directed by Riyyan Farooq and Diksha Nayak, produced by Candid Cinema. 15 September 2018. [6]

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2 January 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2020.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. "Baji Rout; The Youngest Freedom Fighter of Dhenkal district, Odisha". eOdisha. Archived from the original on 22 March 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
  3. Mr, Reginald Massey (3 January 2014). Shaheed Bhagat Singh and the Forgotten Indian Martyrs. Abhinav Publications. pp. 192–. GGKEY:HCZLGL7521K.
  4. Bhagaban Sahu, State Level Vyasakabi Fakir Mohan Smruti Samsad. Cultural Heritage of [Orissa]: Dhenkanal. State Level Vyasakabi Fakir Mohan Smruti Samsad.
  5. "List of some Freedom Fighters". Dhenkanal Administration. Archived from the original on 13 August 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
  6. "Ravenshaw University students make film on Baji Rout". Odisha Television Ltd. 30 September 2018. Retrieved 5 May 2020.


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