KHAIRADIHA FIRING

The Tudigadia area under Khaira Police Station was very active during the Quit India movement. Local Congress leaders like Krushna Chandra Jena, Chintamani Panda, and Purushottam Padhi played a key role in spreading anti-British sentiments among the villagers. Baidyanath Rout, a student from Khairadiha who attended Ravenshaw College in Cuttack, left his studies to lead the movement. Others, like Suryamani Tripathy from Dhamnagar and some Soro High School students, also joined. On 27 September 1942, a police inspector, along with armed forces, was sent to arrest those involved in an attack.

Upon reaching Khairadiha, the police encountered a crowd of around 400 villagers armed with sticks and blowing conch shells. More villagers joined in, refusing to surrender. They warned the inspector that they would rather be arrested or shot than allow him to take the accused. The inspector declared the gathering unlawful and ordered the crowd to disperse. When the villagers did not back down, the police fired nine rounds. Surprisingly, no one was harmed. Despite the firing, the crowd did not move, and the police withdrew to their camp without interference.

Interestingly, both the inspector and the Sergeant Major who accompanied the police noted that the constables didn't aim properly during the firing, possibly on purpose. As a result, emergency forces from Cuttack were sent to reinforce the police at Khaira.

The next day, on 28 September 1942, the inspector, along with officers from Khaira and Soro, attempted to arrest more people. As they moved, conch shells were blown to alert the villagers of the police movement. In Panisiali, they searched the house of Puria Naik but found nothing. They then proceeded to Khairadiha, arrested some individuals, but couldn’t locate Baidyanath Rout.

When the police searched several closed houses by breaking down doors, the villagers set fire to the homes, hoping to trap the police inside. After the search, as the police moved toward Dantur, they were followed by a large mob armed with sticks, sickles, bows, and arrows. Despite police warnings to disperse, the crowd advanced. Fearful, the police opened fire. Raghu Behera of Badhi and Makar Jena of Badapokhari were killed on the spot, while others were seriously wounded. The villagers then retreated.

The police searched Khairadiha again but found nothing. They looted the house of Siba Rout, Baidyanath's father, before returning to the camp at Tudigadia with the dead bodies. Later that day, around 3 PM, a large crowd led by Baidyanath Rout, Chintamani Panda, Krushna Chandra Jena, and Suryamani Tripathy surrounded the police camp, trying to recover the bodies and free the arrested people. The police responded by firing again, killing Kelu Sahu from Delang. The crowd dispersed, and the police arrested 19 individuals.

Following this, the police took strict repressive actions. Many people were arrested, and the homes of prominent leaders were raided and their properties seized. On 30 September 1942, Baidyanath Rout, the young leader of the movement, was arrested. Additionally, a punitive tax of Rs. 2000 was imposed on six villages: Khairadiha, Harekrishnapur, Delang, Chhatra, Panisiali, and Mallikpur.


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