Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Assembly on Wednesday witnessed heated debate on the manner in which the state government celebrated the 125th birth anniversary of freedom fighter and social reformer Rama Devi.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, BJD deputy leader Prasanna Acharya voiced displeasure, stating that the government had failed to commemorate the anniversary in the “befitting manner” as promised by the chief minister earlier this year. “The Chief Minister had announced during the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav in January that Rama Devi’s 125th birth anniversary will be celebrated all through the year. However, the government has failed to organise any programme. This is disrespect to a legendary woman leader, who had donated all her ornaments to Mahatma Gandhi in 1921 for the freedom struggle,” Acharya remarked.
He added that neglecting icons like Gandhi, Gopabandhu, Rama Devi, and martyr Laxman Naik amounts to forgetting the nation’s own history.
Opposition Whip and former Speaker Pramila Mallik drew attention to Rama Devi’s immense sacrifices and mentioned that President Droupadi Murmu and current Speaker Surama Padhy are both distinguished alumni of Rama Devi Women’s University in Bhubaneswar. “It deeply hurts me that the BJP government in Odisha has ignored Rama Devi simply because she was linked to the Congress party. You will not find a single poster or photograph of her in any prominent public square in the capital,” she added.
BJD legislators Arun Kumar Sahoo and Goutam Buddha Das also criticised the government for organising the commemorative event at Kalinga Stadium tennis court instead of a proper auditorium.
Responding to the criticism, BJP legislator Irasis Acharya assured the House that the government would observe Rama Devi’s birth anniversary with year-long celebrations. He informed that the Culture Department has already drawn up plans for photo and painting exhibitions, publication of a book by the Odisha Sahitya Akademi, and staging of plays based on her life. “The state respects her great sacrifices and contribution to the Bhoodan Movement,” he added.
The BJD, however, doubled down the criticism with a press briefing later in the evening. “Today, her birth anniversary was observed in an extremely casual and low-key manner at the tennis court of Kalinga Stadium. It appears the state government had perhaps forgotten her birth anniversary altogether, and the event was organised in a hurried manner after only being reminded about it. It is a matter of deep regret and shame that the state government could not even arrange a proper auditorium for a freedom fighter of Rama Devi’s stature,” said BJD’s state student wing leader and spokesperson Ipsita Sahu.
Quoting some news article, she further alleged that the CM had refused approval for celebrating Rama Devi’s birth anniversary because she was a member of the Congress party. “This clearly reveals the petty-mindedness of the Chief Minister and the state BJP government. The disrespect shown to Rama Devi is nothing less than an assault on Odia Asmita, which the saffron party based its campaign on during the election to come to power in the state,” she added.
