(OT webdesk)A wave of discontent has swept across Odisha following the NCERT’s decision to remove the Paika Rebellion from its textbooks.
Former Chief Minister and current Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik condemned the move, calling it a “huge dishonour” to Odisha’s historical legacy.
In a social media post, Patnaik emphasised the rebellion’s significance, stating that the 1817 uprising led by Buxi Jagabandhu predates the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny and deserves recognition as India’s first war of independence.
He urged Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to intervene and restore the rebellion’s rightful place in the curriculum.
Historians and citizens alike have voiced concern over the exclusion, arguing that it undermines regional history and the valour of Odisha’s Paikas, who resisted British colonial rule.
The Paika Rebellion remains a symbol of early resistance against imperial oppression, and its omission has reignited calls for inclusive representation in national education policy.
