BHUBANESWAR: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Narasingh Mishra on Monday urged the Centre to confer Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award of the country, on Utkala Gauraba Madhusudan Das for his exceptional contribution to freedom struggle and development of Odisha.In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mishra also requested for introduction of a train from Bhubaneswar to New Delhi with the name ‘Utkala Gauraba Express’.
Describing Madhu Babu as the symbol of Odia nationalism, Mishra drew the attention of the Prime Minister towards the former’s role in the struggle for independence. “He was a multi-faceted personality who dedicated his whole life for the uplift of Odisha. Due to his untiring efforts Odisha became a separate state on linguistic basis,” Mishra said.
Madhu Babu’s struggle against the British to free India is significant and this brought him closer to many contemporary freedom fighters including Mahatma Gandhi, who held him in high esteem and sought his advice on many critical matters, the letter said.