Laxman Nayak was a tribal activist of the Bhumia tribe of Odisha. Unfortunately, he is one of the freedom fighters forgotten by the people of our country.

Laxman Nayak, popularly known as Gandhi of Malkangiri, was born on November 22, 1989, in Boipariguda block’s Tentuligumma village in Koraput district.

In 1942, when Mahatma Gandhi called for the 'Quit India' movement, he along with 400 tribal people, conducted a peaceful agitation in front of the Mathili Police station and refused to obey their prohibitory orders. In this agitation, he was beaten brutally by the British colonial oppressors. He got unconsciousness and found himself in the house of the congress worker after a long hour when he regained consciousness. When he returned to his home, police falsely implicated him in the murder case of Forest Guard, G. Ramayya, who was deployed at Mathili Police station to drive away the demonstrators. He was sentenced to death by a judge under IPC 302, and on March 29, he was hanged.

Image Courtesy: India Post