Bhubaneswar: At a time when the entire nation is observing Children’s Day and the Odisha governemnt making a slew of announcements for school students to ensure their bright future, former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag, recalling a glorious past of Odia martyr Baji Rout's sacrifice, paid homage to the youngest martyr of India’s freedom struggle.

Taking to microblogging site Twitter, the 'Sultan of Multan' in a series of tweets narrated about the inspiring bravery of Baji Rout, who at the tender age of 12 was courageous enough to fearlessly face the bullets of British force.

The fateful night:

British police in the midnight of October 10, 1938 attacked Bhuban village in the district, arrested some persons and leaders without any reason and took them to Bhuban police station. Several villagers gheraoed the police station and demanded release of the arrested persons.

The cops did not listen to the demand of the agitators and fired at them during which Raghu Naik and Quri Naik were shot dead and many persons were injured.

Apprehending their lives at risk, policemen wanted to go to Dhenkanal through Nilakantapur Ghat as it was the shortest way to Dhenkanal.

On the night of October 11, 1938, the cops reached Nilakanthapur Ghat of Brahmani river while it was raining. Baji Rout, a member of the children’s wing of the Prajamandal Andolan, was in charge of a country boat at the ghat. He was asked by senior activists to keep a vigil on the ghat to ensure that policemen won’t be able to ferry through the river.

The Britishers ordered him to carry them across the river through his boat, to which he denied fearlessly. The police force fired at Baji Rout along with two other boatmen Laxman Mallik and Fagu Sahoo killing them on the spot.