Udanta Sai is world’s longest serving political prisoner, claim historians
SAMBALPUR: In a new revelation, historians have claimed that Udanta Sai, brother of freedom fighter Veer Surendra Sai, spent 47 years in jail, the longest period served in prison by any political prisoner in the world. Historian Deepak Panda said many people have the impression that former president of South Africa and anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela was the longest serving political prisoner by spending more than 27 years in jail.
However, Udanta spent 47 years in prison after his brother Surendra who served 37 years in jail. Both of them were categorised as political prisoners by the British Raj then. “We have collected these facts from different archives across the country which could substantiate the claim,” he said.
According to Panda, Surendra, Udanta and their uncle Balram Singh were imprisoned in Hazaribagh jail in connection with a murder case in 1840. However, after spending 17 years in the jail, Surendra and Udanta were freed by revolutionaries in 1857. Later, the British rulers entered into a peace agreement with the revolutionaries.
“However, the Britishers hatched a conspiracy and arrested Surendra, all male members of his family and his associates on January 22, 1864. Though they were acquitted in the court of judicial commissioner, they were detained by police under section 3 of 1818, which empowered the British rulers to detain an individual indefinitely. Subsequently, they were sent to Sitabaldi jail,” informed Panda.
Later, eight revolutionaries including Surendra and Udanta were shifted to Asirgarh jail. They were put under ‘B’ category political prisoners. After spending more than 28 years, Udanta breathed his last in Asirgarh jail.
“Udanta spent a total of 47 years in prison including 17 years in Hazaribagh jail, one year and 136 days in different jails of Sambalpur, Raipur and Nagpur besides over 28 years in Asirgarh jail,” Panda added.