Brahmapur is all set to celebrate the centenary of Gandhiji’s first visit to the heritage city on March 29-30 in 1921. The second preparatory meeting for celebration of the event was held here on Sunday.
A Centenary Celebration Committee has been formed consisting of the sitting and former MPs and MLAs of Ganjam and Gajapati districts, intellectuals, educationists, and others. The chairperson of the Centenary Celebration Committee MP Chandra Sekhar Sahu presided. It was decided to organise a rally on March 30 from Brahmapur railway station via Madhu Mahal where Gandhiji had a night halt in Old Bus Stand area to the Brahmapur Stadium where a public meeting will be held. During the 2km long procession, Loka Nrutya and Adivasi Nrutya will be performed by reputed artists of both Ganjam and Gajapati districts. Besides, a well decorated vehicle displaying Gandhi posters, his ideals, preaches and thoughts will follow the rally to the meeting venue.
A souvenir under the chairmanship of Prof Bishnu Chowdhury will be released on the occasion, Committee convenor Rabi Rath said. NSS, NCC students of different colleges and Nehuru Yuva Kendra will join the grand celebration.
Brahmapur MLA Bikram Panda is the working president of the committee. Among others, former Deputy Speaker of Assembly and former Member of State Planning Board Rama Chandra Panda, former MLA Harihara Sahu, Prof Dr PC Sahu, Prof R Padhi Sharma; Prof Maj Rama Raman Padhi, Krushna Chandra Tripathy, Dr Damburudhar Sahu, Dr Subash Sahu, Ratan Mishra, Lok Sevak Mandal Member Rajendra Jena, ISRD Director Sudhir Sabat, educationist Ananta Narayan Mohanty, Dr Sagar R Tripathy, Kapil C Mohanty, Jaganath Sabat, Suresh C Tripathy, Secretary of Chamber of Commerce V Santosh Kumar, Jagan Mohan Mahapatra, Dr Banamali Panigrahi attended. Notably, Gandhi had visited eight times to Odisha between 1921 and 1946 including to Brahmapur on March 29, 1921 by train.
There was a huge turnout of people at Brahmapur railway station to catch a glimpse of Gandhiji which had thrilled him. Gandhi was taken in a rally from Brahmapur railway station along with Pandit Gopabandhu Das and other leaders to Brahmapur Stadium where he addressed public.
