The 79th death anniversary of freedom fighter Boga Pujari, the first martyr of Nabarangpur district, was observed at his native village Bodobhorondi under Umarkote block on Monday with Minister of Handicrafts Padmini Diyal as chief guest.
Former Minister and president of the Sahid Boga Pujari Smruti Sansad and the martyr’s grand daughter Parama Pujari remembered the days the martyr had spent at Wardha with Mahatma Gandhi in the year 1941.
After coming from Wardha, Boga Pujari visited village to village barefoot crossing the hills and terrains of Nabarangpur district spreading the messages of Mahatma Gandhi in the time of the Noncooperation Movement. Day by day thousands and thousands of people of the region participated in the movement under the leadership of Boga.
So, the British Government issued an arrest warrant against Boga, who then went to forests to hide himself and kept the struggle alive. Later, he was arrested and sent to the Koraput jail, where he was subjected to mental and physical torture finally leading to his death in 1942. Among others, Jharigam MLA Prakash Majhi, Umarkote MLA Nitya Gond, working president of Sahid Boga Pujari Smriti Sansad Kajam Madani, Dr SN Das and senior advocate Srinibas Patnaik were present.