BHUBANESWAR: Like Kazi Nazrul Islam of Bangla literature, Hindi literature’s Meithilishran Gupta and Suryakant Tripathi, Odisha had poets like Utkalamani Gopabandhu Das, Jatiyakabi Birakishore Das, Sachi Routray, Manmohan Mishra, Radhamohan Gadnayak who greatly influenced the India freedom struggle with their compositions.
Speakers said this at a seminar on ‘Contribution of Odia Literature in Freedom Movement of India’ organised by the Sahitya Akademi in collaboration with the Odia department of Utkal University on Thursday. It was inaugurated by author Bibhuti Patnaik.
PG Council chairperson of the university Nabanita Rath discussed about the contribution of Odia literature in the Indian freedom movement while secretary of the Akademi K Srinivasa Rao spoke about women writers and freedom fighters in Odisha.
On the occasion, writer Gaurahari Das said literature had always played a significant role in the freedom fight and has been a source of social change. The two-day seminar will conclude on Friday.