Rakta Tirtha Eram (Odia: ରକ୍ତତୀର୍ଥ ଇରମ) is a small village in Bhadrak, Odisha which is also known as the second Jallianwala Bagh of India plays an important role in the history of the Indian Independence movement.
Eram is around 40 kilometers from Bhadrak and 8 kilometers from Basudevpur. On way to Eram, you have to go on Gabhei or Gamoi (Gamei) River, which played an important role during the Independence movement.
Eram village was remote, inaccessible, and far from the cities. It's surrounded by the Bay of Bengal and two rivers named Gamoi and Kansbansa and thick jungles which makes the place was sleepy and silent to reach.
From 1920, Eram was a secret place for Utkal Congress meetings, Gopabandhu Das, Harekrushna Mahatab, and other Congress leaders used Eram as a place for public meetings to share the messages about the Quit India Movement or Non-cooperation Movement of Mahatma Gandhi and to propagate the Gandhian ideals of freedom struggle among the villagers.
On 1942 September 28, there was a huge gathering at Eram to protest against British Raj and to prepare a course plan of action to fight against the British. Under the leadership of Kamala Prasad Kar, a crowd of 5000 people gathered at Eram Melana ground.
Afraid of this gathering a police force from Basudebpur police station, led by DSP Kunjabihari Mohanty march towards Eram. As like Jaliyanawala Bagh here, DSP Kunjabihari Mohanty acted as General Dyer and opened fire on the huge gathering at 6:30 PM, within few minutes 304 shots were discharged against the crowd, who were performing the agitation against the British rulers in a peaceful way.
Since the field was bounded on three sides, therefore, no one was able to get escape from the field. Within some minutes 29 persons were dead on the spot and 56 were injured.
Among the dead of Eram massacre includes one woman named Pari Bewa, who is regarded as the only lady martyr of Odisha. For this incident, Eram is popularly known as Rakta Tirtha Eram (The Pilgrim of Blood).
- Content Source: English Wikipedia
- Photographs: Sangram Keshari Senapati
- Photo rights: www.gapuphotography.com (but you are free to use with proper credit.)
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