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Gopinath Das

Bhadrak, Odisha

December 09, 2022 to December 09, 2023

Gopinath Das, the younger brother of Harekrusha Mahtab, the former Chief Minister of Odisha was born on 27 January 1915 in Agarpara, Bhadrak to Krushna Charan Das and Tohfa Bibi. After completing his primary education in his village primary school, he came to Balasore to study at Mission High School. During this time he came in contact with Nanda Kishore Das, Biswanath Hota, Sardar Surendra Nath Das, Bhairab Chandra Mahapatra, and Nilambar Das besides his elder brother Harekrusha Mahtab from whom he was inspired to take part in the freedom struggle. In 1930 he took part in Salt Satyagraha in Balasore and was arrested. But as he was a minor at that time he was released. After his release his father Krushna Chandra got him admitted into Bhadrak High School, but he took more interest in the constructive program of the Congress and freedom struggle. Because of his anti-government activities, he was arrested in 1933 and sent to the camp prison of Patna where his elder brother and sister–in–law was lodged. After his release in 1934, he stayed for some time with Nabakrushna Chaudhury and Malati Devi in Swaraj Bhawan, Cuttack on whose instruction he engaged himself in some constructive works of Congress and farmers’ organization in Balasore. Though he himself did not participate actively in Quit India Movement in 1942, he, however, set out to complete all the incomplete works of Dr. Mahtab initiated by him relating to the constructive program of Congress at the time of his imprisonment in Ahmednagar fort from 1942 to 1943. He managed the high school, hospital, charkha center, and ‘Gandhi Karma Mandir’ in his village Agarpara which were started by Harekrushna Mahatab by donating half of the revenue collected from his zemindari. Gandhi Karma Mandir played an important role in training many swadeshi workers and freedom fighters. After independence, he was sarpanch and did many development works in his panchayat from 1950 to 1956. He was so popular that he was not only elected uncontested but also elected to many ward members of his choice uncontested. He was also elected to the State Legislative Assembly in 1977 from the Khaira-Simulia constituency. He passed away on 1 September 1999.

Source:

  1. Mahtab, Harekrushna, Sadhanara Pathe, Vol 1, Cuttack, 1918 
  2. ‘Training Ground For Swadeshi stir faces neglect’, Orissa Post, 2 January 2020 
  3. Sahoo, Nrusingha Charan, Ame Odia, Vol III( Biographical encyclopedia of freedom fighters), Bhubaneswar, 2017

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