A 12-year-old child who broke the British Empire: The story of Baji Rout
History celebrates the contribution of famous revolutionaries, but the powerful stories often belong to those people who showed unshakable faith in their freedom struggle. One such story is of a young boy, only 12 years old, known as Baji Rout. His bravery inspired millions across the country. This digital copy has been dedicated to showing you the life, contribution, and bravery of this young soldier.
The Early Life Of The Young Boy
Baji Raut was born in Odhisha in a small village. His father was a fisherman, and her mother was a farmer and a labourer. His father died early, and the entire responsibility of raising the child shifted to his mom. His mom worked really hard and made sure that he never missed a meal despite all the hardships that his mom had to face. The young boy grew up with a strong sense of responsibility and never complained about his situation.
The king during that time was Sankar Pratap Singh. He had good relationships with the British and did what was commanded by them. Thus, the villagers were oppressed with forced labour, constant oppression, and heavy taxes.
The Rise Of Local Resistance
The suffering of the people hit rock bottom, and no longer did the people want to live this way; thus, one of the villagers, known as Baishab Charan Patnaik, started a resistance against the British. He was a painter in the Indian railways, but his main motive was to make people aware of the freedom struggle.
Slowly, he started an army known as Praja Mandal. The goal of this newly formed army was to fight against the injustice of the British and assemble teenagers and local people who shared the same vision. Baji Raut was one of the youngest volunteers of this army, but he deeply believed in justice and freedom.
The British Crackdown
Seeing this uproar, the king informed the British Empire, and they sent a troop of 300 men to tackle the issue. The main leaders of the protest were arrested and sent to Bhubaneswar jail. Protestors marched down to the Bhubhanaswar and wanted the release of those imprisoned. The people of Bhubhaneswar also joined the movement. The rebellion was out of control, and the British started firing rounds, were 2 protestors.
Instead of weakening the resistance, it fueled rage among the crowds. The British were outnumbered 300 to thousands of protestors. Fearing for their life they quickly wanted to escape to Dhenkanal via boat. The event took place on October 10, 1938.
The Night That Changed History
The British needed someone to ferry them across to Dhenkenal, but was meet by a young boatman known as Baji Raut. The British soldier demanded that the boy follow orders to cross the river, but the boy refused. He used his conch shell to alert the protestors about the soldiers’ location.
The soldiers told him to stop, but he refused. He was brutally attacked, and then he was shot dead. By the time the protestors came to rescue, the boy had been declared dead. The story of the boy who refused to bow down to the British spread like wildfire across Odisha. The young martyr became an inspiration for many.
His sacrifice deeply moved the people of Odisha; thousands gathered to honour the sacrifice of the young hero. With a massive funeral processional, his body was moved to Cuttack for cremation.
The Legacy Continued
The story of Baji Rout is one of the best stories that has ever been recorded in the history of the freedom struggle. 12 years is an age when most children think of going to school, having good times with their friends, or thinking of the future, but this young soldier showed that the freedom struggle is not limited to adults or soldiers, but all you need unshalkble faith for your cause.
Today, Baji Raut stands tall in India’s freedom movement, reminding us that sacrifice or courage doesn’t need age, strength, or power but to stand for the truth. His story also tells us that even the bravest heroes can be the youngest.
