SAMBALPUR: The Kudopali killings of 1857 in Sambalpur is in no way less than the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, said Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan here on Sunday.
Launching ‘The Saga of Kudopali: The Unsung Story of 1857’ at Sambalpur, Pradhan said he was grateful for the opportunity to unveil the English version of the book during the ‘Shradhanjali Sabha’ organised to commemorate Veer Chhabila Sai and 57 other freedom fighters who were martyred at Kudopali Ghat.
He said many families of Khinda, Kolabira, Ghens, Lakhanpur and other areas contributed to the freedom struggle and even sacrificed their lives during the Kudopali battle. But these revolutionaries continue to remain unrecognised.
The union minister said he came to know about the Kudopali battle last year. He immediately commissioned the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) and National Book Trust (NBT) to conduct research on the history of Kudopali and compile it into a full-length book.
The union minister further announced that there is a plan to launch the Hindi version of the book.
The Hindi version will be launched at the largest book fair of NBT at New Delhi in the coming days. He advised NBT to publish the book in 10 major Indian languages including Odia.
“With the launch of the book’s English version, Kudopali’s sacrifice and legend will reach every corner of the world. This book will bring national recognition to Odisha’s glory which has not been explored in the pages of history,” he added.
On December 30, 1857, 53 freedom fighters were martyred after fighting bravely with the Britishers at Kudopali Ghat in Sambalpur while five were later sentenced to death.