Even as the birthday of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was celebrated on Monday, 49-year-old Zakir Hussein Hazari remembers his grandfather’s association with the iconic leader in his village Korei in Jajpur district.
“My grandfather Abdus Sattar Hazari was first associated with Subhas Chandra Bose when the dreaded disease cholera was spreading its tentacles in 1910 in many rural areas and hundreds of people had perished in the deadly disease.”
“My grandfather died in 1970. My father three years back donated the wooden box of Netaji to the Netaji Museum in Cuttack. He also donated a lantern and stone glass of Netaji to a Kendrapada lawyer Mohammed Mustaque, who preserved these items in the museum in his house”, said Zakir.
The member of a zamindar family, his family members are well-known in the region. late Fakira Hazari Sattar was a friend of Netaji as both were studying in Ravenshaw Collegiate School at Cuttack for which Netaji used to come to their house many times during his stay in the State. Subash and Abdus’s father had treated many cholera affected patients in the nearby villages.
Subhas Bose had brought bleaching powder and some medicines in a wooden box to treat the patents. Netaji during his stay in the Sattar’s house used to drink water in that glass, said Zakir. Subash Bose had stayed a week in the house of Sattar when he was treating the patients.
In 1920s, Netaji had also visited the house of Sattar and spent two days. At that time the area was covered with hundreds of trees, Subhas used to take bath in a bath tub in middle of the house for which the Sattar family is keeping the bath tub in a perfect manner even after so many years.
Each year, the villagers observe Netaji’s birthday on January 23 in the village by hoisting the flag of the Indian National Army.
“My great grandfather during lifetime believed that Netaji had not died in the air crash. But few persons know about his work in Korei and his long association with our family” said Zakir.