It was the year 1980. The small town of Anandpur teemed with political party members and activists. Then, the standing chief minister, Nilamani Routray, planned to visit Anandpur for a political rally. The opposition party resisted the rally, deeming it not conducive to its cause. A storm awaited the CM when he decided to attend a rally. He was unaware of the situation brewing.
Maa was in college then, preoccupied with exams and other concerns. She was not bothered by the events unfolding in the town. A bunch of friends and college gossip were the only things she was concerned about. Maa and her friends did not know what was about to happen. They went to the market to collect errands for the household.
As planned, CM Routray arrived in Anandpur by helicopter from the capital, Bhubaneswar. He attended the meeting and got to know the people of Anandpur. Still, some opposition supporters were prepared to stir up trouble and disrupt the rally. At first, they shouted slogans against the CM and threw eggs toward the podium. A few eggs hit the guests sitting on the podium, causing pandemonium. The security team got into action. They chased down a protester on the ground. A few got away and ran to the town.
As Maa and her friends roamed the market, they saw a vast crowd rushing toward them. They were at the rally and fleeing the scene. Every person in the market, including pedestrians, political enthusiasts, and partygoers, ran to save their lives. The CM security and the police were ruthlessly searching for the miscreants. They were authorized to shoot on sight, as their superiors had directed. As there was a danger to the life of the CM, the police were very harsh in their approach without considering the civilian casualties. They were marching in the streets with armed rifles and hunting down the miscreants.
Maa and her friends panicked. They also ran alongside the crowd toward safety. The whole stretch was a battleground. As they were running in the street, the police fired a bullet at the crowd. A possible miscreant was gunned down. Maa and her friends took shelter in someone’s home to avoid the shooting. They were trembling in fear. But they were safe in that home. A panic-stricken Anandpur town froze in fear as a person was gunned down due to the political turmoil. They hid in that home for almost 4-5 hours before the situation got under control. Afterward, they went home and recounted what had happened on the streets to their anxious parents.
It was one of the scariest incidents in Anandpur. Due to the political unrest, the commotion was the first of its kind in the town’s history. The matter was resolved after receiving hefty compensation and assurances from the CM. Yet, the incident stayed with Maa for a lifetime. It left an impression of what it feels like to face political backlash and its consequences.
The Witty Stride 