On 19th July 2017 CM Naveen Patnaik wrote a letter to then Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh requesting to declare Paika Bidroha as the first war of Independence. On 18th July 2017 the Odisha Cabinet of Ministers led by Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik passed a resolution to declare Paika Bidroha as First War of Independence.
The Paika Bidroha led the path in energizing and mobilizing the people of India and created strong resistance against the British raj, which ultimately led to the British having to leave India and India gaining its independence from foreign rule.
It is time, that this struggle and sacrifice by a generation of Odia people got its due place in the annals of history. The legend of the heroics of Baxi Jagabandhu as well as the valiant Paikas of Odisha continues to inspire the 4.5 crores Odias since the last two centuries. This battle was fought under the leadership of Baxi Jagabandhu of Odisha.
This was the First War of Independence for India which was 40 years before the revolt of1857, which was later termed as the 1st War of Indian Independence against British Colonialism. The MPs submitted a memorandum which read: ” “Paika Bidroha” also known as the Paika Rebellion took place in 1817, which was India’s first organized armed rebellion against the British raj. Bhubaneswar: A delegation of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MPs on Monday met Union Minister of State for Culture, Arjun Ram Meghwal, and demanded to declare Paika Bidroha as the First War of Independence.