An engineer by training but a social worker by choice, Akshay Samal is a cassandra of an exceptional order straining his every nerve for bringing social and cultural awareness among the various strata of our society. Animated by the strongest national spirit being intersperse with patriotic fervour and enthusiasm, his meticulously-designed ‘Saheedon Ko Salam’ programme has stolen limelight across the country during various national cultural ensembles. Having had an advanced diploma in Production Engineering & Industrial Management from a reputed Government institute from Sonepat in Haryana and Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the Manipal University in Customers Relationship Management; he has gathered 20 years’ rich industrial experience from reputed auto industries in India in Planning, Coordination, Business Development & Customers Relationship management & logistics. “But I have switched over to social work and cultural mission,” says Samal with nostalgia and strongly vouchsafes, “This is my passion”. He has now become an indispensable link in uniting Odia communities throughout the country for ushering in an Odia cultural revolution that has a glorious past. Till now, he has united fourteen lakhs of Odia people along with people of Odishan diaspora living in various parts of the country and abroad. At present, he is the president of Prabasi Odia Parivar in New Delhi and NCR (National Capital Region) having more than 50 organisational branches spread across the country. He is also the general secretary of Utkal Jyoti Charitable Organisation in New Delhi and NCR. Besides, he is the founder-president of Kalinga Bharati Foundation, a pan-Indian socio-cultural organisation with its headquarters in New Delhi. He has been organising assemblies of scholars, historians for disseminating details of the Paika Rebellion of Odisha with the patronage of the Union Ministry of Culture and strongly believes in continuing such activities till the rebellion gains its due status as the first organised War of Indian Independence prior to the commencement of the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. In an interview to The Pioneer, Samal spoke to Sugyan Choudhury at his Kalinga Bharati Foundation office in Bhubaneswar.
What are the aims and objectives you want to achieve through your Kalinga Bharati FoundationIJ
It is a voluntary organisation and associated with many civil society partners and corporate houses which are foster-based and run completely by its volunteers. The basic aim of Kalinga Bharti Foundation is to unite people of Odisha spread across different parts of India and abroad and to appraise the young generation about the culture and tradition of Odisha. We actively participate in organising various activities in the fields of health and hygiene, education, literature, environment protection, traditional food festivals, community development, sports and cultural heritage. Through these activities, we intend to achieve our objective of preserving the tradition, culture, literature and, overall, the rich heritage of Odisha for years to come.
What are your plans to propagate Odishan culture in the national scenario and the international arenaIJ
We have plans to organise similar events as earlier enumerated throughout India and abroad to propagate Odisha culture.
How do you think to attract outsiders to the cult of lord Jagannath through the Kalinga Bharati FoundationIJ
We are reaching out to people from the Odia community across India and abroad. We have been organising Rath Yatra of lord Jagannath since many years in Delhi NCR. Our plan is to render all kinds of support to the best of our ability to others for enabling them to organise it at their respective places. This not only helps appraise our young generation about the Jagannath culture but the other people in and around the society/place/city also get acquainted with the same.
How far have you been able to unite Odias living outside the StateIJ
The objective of the Kalinga Bharti Foundation is to help various Odia organisations, groups, communities unite under the one umbrella of Prabasi Odia Parivar. Till now, we have been able to unite 52 such organisations in Delhi NCR and the count and efforts are on to include more from other cities of India and abroad.
What’re your social activities in regard to women, children, youths and SC and ST communitiesIJ
As shared above, though one of our primary objectives is to propagate Odia culture, literature, tradition and heritage, we are not confined to this only. We also extensively work in the fields of health, education, environment protection, traditional food, community development, hygiene, women safety and empowerment, sports and cultural heritage. We target these programs/activities with a special focus on children, women, youths and people from backward communities.
What’s the secret behind the success of your much-published programme ‘Saheedon Ko Salam’IJ
The secret behind the success of ‘Shaheedon Ko Salaam can only be attributed to a very strong sense of nationalism and patriotism amongst all our members, associated organisations and, above all, the citizens of India. We stumbled upon the idea of the programme after the Uri attack on our Jawans in Kashmir. We held the first ‘Saheedon Ko Salam’ at Gurgaon in Haryana, wherein we invited Saheed families from across nine States, including Rajasthan, Odisha, Bihar, UP, Jharkhand and honoured them. It was held in December 2016. The same event was repeated at the Rabindra Mandap, Bhubaneswar, wherein nine Saheed families were honoured and felicitated with financial assistance. Such programmes are aimed at arousing patriotism and an overwhelming sense of national integration. Such programmes of ours have been received with aplomb along with active participation of our countrymen.
You have been enacting the heroic tales of the Paika Rebellion countrywide. What steps are you contemplating to see that it is recognised as the first War of Indian Independence prior to the Sepou Mutiny of 1857IJ
We have been partnering with various organisations and stakeholders in bringing the tales of the great Paika Rebellion to forefront and educate people about the importance of this rebellion in the history of freedom movement of India. Our efforts so far seem to have made some implacable impact resulting in our former President Pranab Mukherjee acknowledging the Paika Rebellion of 1817 to be the first War of Indian Independence against the British rule. We will not rest till the Paika Rebellion receives its due recognition in the Indian history.