Bhubaneswar: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will watch a special screening of “Excerpts from popular teleserial ‘Vidrohi’, based on the life and times of Buxi Jagabandhu Bidyadhar Mohapatra Bhramarbar Ray, the chief architect of the Paika Rebellion in Odisha’s Khurda in 1817, at 8 pm on Monday.
The screening will be held around 8 pm at Film Division Auditorium, New Delhi.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who is also a native of Odisha, will accompany Shah.
The series on this revolt, which the Odisha government has been pushing to be declared as the First War of Independence, also has another Odia connect – Sulagna Panigrahi, who is playing the role of Radhamani, the first wife of Buxi Jagabandhu.
Also Read: Want To Shoot ‘Vidrohi’ Buxi Jagabandhu TV Series In Odisha: Sulagna Panigrahi
Sharad Malhotra has played the titular role in the series, which was telecast in October last year and streamed on Disney+ Hotstar.
THE FREEDOM FIGHTER
Set in 1817, the series depicts the great Paika Rebellion which was led by Buxi Jagabandhu. He was the commander of the forces of the King of Khurda. He organised scattered and demoralised forces and youth after facing defeat in a fierce battle against the East India Company led by Colonel Harkot, who had arrested King Mukunda Dev II.
Buxi Jagabandhu trained them in guerilla warfare. He developed the skill to fight in the dense forest as well as to attack from deep water. He trained his men in indigenous warfare like shooting arrows from trees with bows. He and his army fought heroically against a superior force equipped with powerful weapons.
All the Daleis, Dalbeheras and Paik Sardars of Khurda joined with Buxi to fight against the Britishers and to drive them out from Khurda soil. The rebel Paik leaders mercilessly killed the British supporter and traitor Charan Patnaik of Rathipur village under Khurda. The rebellion spread like wildfire to all parts of Khurda, including Panchagada and Bolagada.
Buxi Jagabandhu entered the dense forest of Ghumusar and later went to his father-in-law’s house at Shergad, and again hide in the deep jungle of Boud and Daspalla. The British announced rewards to nab Buxi Jagabandhu either dead or living.
To compel him to surrender, the British rulers imprisoned the two wives of Buxi Jagabandhu, his minor son, his Gumasta and his personal home servant in Barabati fort in 1819. They, however, were released in 1820.
Lastly, British Commissioner T Pakenham sent a letter to the king of Nayagada for convincing Buxi Jagabandhu to surrender. They offered a monthly pension of Rs.150 for his maintenance and he could stay at Cuttack with his family members.
As there was nothing offending in the conditions, the king of Nayagarh advised Buxi Jagabandhu to surrender and he did so on May 25, 1825. He died on January 24, 1929.
