VEER SURENDRA SAI THE UNSUNG MARTYR
Surendra Sai tops the list of the countless martyr who has laid down their lives with a smile to free our motherland from the clutch of the British rule. Veer Surendra sai is better known as Veer Surendra Sai rechristined in the British tongue, the reason better known to them. The history of our nation is yet to pay the deserving tribute to this immortal hero who not only languished for a long 37 years in the jail but also died in the captivity.
As goes in the annals of British history Sambalpur was the last part in India won by the East India Company. In the year 1804. In those days of uncertainties and instabilities. Surendra Sai was born on January 23rd 1809 in the royal family as the eldest son of mother Rebati Devi and father Dharma Sai. He displayed his rare talent and extraordinary skill in horse riding and martial arts. He enjoyed the unconditional support of all of his six brother Uddant, Dhrub, Uijjval, Chhabil, Jajel and Medini all along his life. He was hardly 18 years old when he took up the leadership of building up the force of resistance in and around Sambalpur.
Our hero Veer Surendra Sai rose as the leader of the masses as well as the chieftains (Zamindars). Under his able leadership the resented lot got united and posed a great threat to the British army. As a matter of fact British reached out to Sambalpur in 1804, the very previous year they found control over the coastal Orissa, but it took a long 15 years to lay hand on the reins of the throne here.
They could place Maharaja Sai as the ruler of Sambalpur in 1820, who was their stooge, after the demise of the then ruler Jayant Singh. Such a move was not acceptable to the then Gountias (village chieftains), Zamindars and even the common men. Then all of a sudden Maharaja Sai died in 1827 and as per the tradition his queen Mohan Kumari took up the rein of the throne.
That very year Surendra raised up as a local center of power with immense peoples support to stand up against the hegemony of the British interference. Obviously the local resentment extended the desired support LO him. Incidentally Mohan Kumari died issueless and it could provide the British a chance to place their yesman Narayan Singh, the Zamindar of Barpali, on the Sambalpur throne. And then Surendra came forward with strong objection to such a decision with claiming himself as the actual successor of the throne.
By such a move he also became a personal enemy to Narayan Singh, who occupied the Sambalpur throne then. With his declaration of war against the king and his supporter British power, Surendra became vulnerable, but he was able to unite the local forces to form an army to face the challenge. He had to fight many a battles against the throne and the British forces but his army always placed him as the Winner. In 1840 the British force could lay its hands on him by arresting his alongwith his brother Udant and uncle Balram Sai at Rampur near Barpali.
They were framed charges as the murderers and sentenced for imprisonment. It was a golden opportunity for the British forces, who were then in the verge of taking up the rein of Sambalpur throne. They sent Surendra and his two associates to a far off prison to Hazaribagh and kept under very tight security. The chance of getting free from that captivity was very remote But Surendra had something else in his luck. He remained in that prison for 17 years, from 1840 to 1857.
THE PRESENT
VSS Medical College Hospital,Burla is the only medical institution which caters to the need of the districts of western Orissa, a part of Jharkhand and Chhatisgarh. It was established in 1959 after which expansion has taken place in different phases. The total population of the districts of Sambalpur, Nuapara, Bargarh, Bolangir, Deogarh, Sonepur, Angul, Boudh,J harsugura, Kalahandi, Sundargarh of Orissa, four districts of Chhatisgarh and two districts of Jharkhand depend on this hospital.
In the college & hospital the under graduates, house Surgeons,post graduates and paramedical training courses are delivered. Besides, training to the nurses and pharmacists are also being imparted.
So far 28 departments are operating and further facilities like Burn Care Unit, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology & Plastic Surgery are in the pipeline.
The main building houses the College block along with the nonclinical and paraclinical departments. The OPD block, the IPD of major departments,the Blood bank,etc. are located in the main campus in the hospital block.The Psychiatry ,Paediatrics, Radiotherapy and Pulmonary Medicine are placed at a short distance from the main building. The newly built Casualty ,Orthopedic and the Super Specialty Wing are dedicated to the public by Honorable Chief Minister Sri.Nabin Pattanaik near the Gynaecology ward .Construction of Trauma Unit & Mega Laundry of this hospital is on progress.
THE FUTURE
The future looks bright with the following projects peeping in the not so distant horizon.
V S S Medical College,Burla Entering Into The golden Jublee Year
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