Oriya poet dead
"Eminent Oriya poet and freedom fighter Satchidananda Routray died Saturday, his family said.
He was 89.
The end came in a hospital in his home city of Cuttack, where he had been admitted last week.
A Jnanpith winner, Routray, was inspired by Marxism in his youth, but had chosen Lord Jagannath as the theme of his works in his later life."
One of his best-known poems commemorated Baji Rout, a 12-year-old boy often cited as the youngest freedom fighter in India. There's a solemnly ungrammatical but sincere and oddly moving description of Baji Rout's role in the freedom movement that bears quotation:
"In the midnight of 10th October 1938,the Police Forces attacked the village Bhuban and arrested some persons without any reason. They took them to the Bhuban Police Station. The Conch of the Prajamandal was sounded by the village leaders. The people woke up and Gheraoed Bhuban police Station with a loud noise to release the arrested persons and leaders of Bhuban. The Police Fauza did not listen the demand of the agitators and fired at them. Raghu Naik and Quri Naik were shot dead by Police force and many persons were injured. The police force thought that their lives were not safe. So they wanted to come Dhenkanal through Nilakantapur Ghat. That was the shortest way to Dhenkanal. At the end of the night on 11th October 1938 while it was raining, they reached at Nilakanthapur Ghat.
Baji Rout a young boy of 12 years was in charge of country Boat in the Nilakanthpur Ghat of Brahmani river. The Force ordered him to cross the river by his Boat which he denied fearlessly. The police force became revengeful and fired Baji Rout along with Laxman Mallik , Fagu Sahoo. The Young boy was the real patriot of the country who had much more love for the country and he died for the country. He is the youngest Freedom Fighter of the Country."