On the occasion of the Kranti Divas, five freedom fighters of Odisha would be felicitated at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on August 9.
President Pranab Mukherjee would felicitate Bhabani Charan Patnaik, Dolagobinda Pradhan, Nilamani Samal, Deshabandhu Das and Rabindranath Ray. Notably, five from each State would be felicitated by the President.
Freedom Fighter Samiti State president Bhabani Charan Patnaik is among the last of the generation of freedom fighters, who were witness not only to the momentous developments during the freedom movement but also to those that took place when Odisha became an independent province.
Dolagobinda Pradhan is from Gatiroutpatna in Cuttack while Nilamani Samal is from Balipadia village in the Badachana area in Jajpur district and Deshbandhu Das is of Pattamundai in Kendrapada district and Rabindranath Ray from Jagatsinghpur.
Each year on August 9, the President hosts an ‘At Home’ reception for freedom fighters to mark the anniversary of the Quit India Movement.