Baji Rout was shot dead by British troops in 1938.
Former cricketer Virender Sehwag on Thursday shared the photo of a 12-year-old boy, one of the youngest freedom fighters of India, to mark Children's Day. Baji Rout was shot dead by British soldiers after he refused to ferry them across a river.
"At the age of 12 ,this young boy was on guard of a country boat and was ordered by the British troop to ferry them across river Brahamani," Virender Sehwag wrote on Instagram, describing the details of Baji Rout's killing in 1938.
"Baji who had already heard details of the brutality of the troops which had killed innocent people in the village understood if the British troops were to be obstructed ,then they needed to be stopped from going across to the other bank. He therefore refused to ferry them across," the former cricketer wrote.
The child was shot hit on his head by a solider with his gun, resulting in a fractured skull. Virender Sehwag describes: "A soldier pierced his bayonet into the soft skull of Baji. Another British soldier started firing ruthlessly."
On this #ChildrensDay it's time we know about Shaheed Baji Rout ,from Nilakanthpur in Orissa ,the youngest Martyr of India's freedom struggle. At the age of 12,this young boy was on guard of a country boat and was ordered by the British troop to ferry them across river Brahamani . Baji who had already heard details of the brutality of the troop which had killed innocent people in the village understood if the British troops were to be obstructed,then they needed to be stopped from going across to the other bank. He therefore refused to ferry them across. The troop threatened to kill him if he did not ferry them across immediately. Baji however rejected their orders. One of the British soldiers hit Baji's head with his gun butt that fractured his skull severely. Baji collapsed,, but he rose again gathering whatever little strength and courage was left with him, and raising his voice to the highest pitch beyond even his strength, warned the British troops not to ferry them till alive. A soldier pierced his bayonet into the soft skull of Baji, Another British soldier started firing ruthlessly. While one of the bullets hit Baji and he lay dead, his other friends Laxman Malik,Fagu Sahoo, Hrushi Pradhan & Nata Malik were also killed. India's youngest martyr definitely deserves more recognition.Salute to one of he bravesrt child.
A post shared by Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) on
Virender Sehwag had shared a similar post on Baji Rout two years ago.
Baji Rout was born in October 5, 1926 in Nilakanthapur village in Odisha's Dhenkanal district in a poor Khandayat family. He lost his father at a young age and his mother worked in different houses to earn a living, according to an Odisha government website.
On the young freedom fighter's birth anniversary last month, Odisha-based sand artist Sudarshan Patnaik paid him tribute with a sand scutpure on the Puri beach. "His story of courage , selflessness and valour needs to be known to every child. Superhero," Mr Patnaik had tweeted.