Laxman Nayak Nirvanadin


 Laxman Nayak (22 November 1899 – 29 March 1943) was a tribal civil rights activist from southern Odisha in eastern India.

 He belonged to the Bhumia tribe of Odisha. Nayak was an Odia folk-hero from Koraput in southern Odisha and a cult figure among his tribes. He was born in Tantuliguma village in Koraput district and his father Padalam Nayak was a tribal chief and 'Mustadar' under 'Jeypore Santhanam' in the then Madras Presidency.

  The local administration functioned as a subsidiary of the British Government. The tribals were ill-treated and tortured by the revenue officers, forest guides and police constables under his administration.

  Nayak successfully organized the rebels against the exploitation by Jeypore Santhanam officials. This earned him recognition as a potential tribal leader and the Indian National Congress inducted Nayak into their fold.

  During his training at Naupuri Training Center for Congress Workers, Nayak had the opportunity to meet and interact with several zonal and state level leaders, which broadened his horizons.

  His training instilled in him a sense of nationalism and imbued him with the Gandhian principles of truth, non-violence and peaceful non-cooperation with the British government.

 He brought about a complete change in the rural landscape with the use of the Charkha, along with imparting education and abstinence to every tribal family in his area.

  He became the leader of the Congress campaign in the Koraput sub-division during the first elections held in 1936.

 Responding to Mahatma Gandhi's call, Nayak led a procession on August 21, 1942 and demonstrated peacefully in front of the Mathili Police Station.

 However, the police fired indiscriminately at the demonstrators, killing forty people and injuring busloads more.

 * The administration found Nayak guilty of murdering a friend and on 13 November 1942, Nayak was sentenced to death.

 He was hanged on 29 March 1943 in Berhampur Jail.