down to Bhadrak in the last week of March 1921, being impressed with the nationalistic fervor and fighting spirit of the people. In 1922 started the historic mass rebellion of Kanika which for the time being was suppressed with the help of British troops stationed at Bhadrak but ultimately the popular upsurge, under the leadership of Chakradhar Behera, the doyen of Kanika tenant’s movement triumphed. With the mass civil disobedience movement launched in 1930, Bhadrak once again became vibrant with patriotic zeal, hearts throbbed with the urge for freedom, and salt law was defied, a shake up given to the Govt. and success achieved. Dr. Harekrushna Mahatab's role in steering this movement to a crowning success is so great and spectacular that it has become already a part of Bhadrak psyche and history of modern India. Mahatma Gandhi who visited Bhadrak again in 1934 stayed in Mahatab's residence at Nuabazar. Gandhiji addressed a meeting of the Harizan workers in Jibaram Ashram (Nuasahi, Ashram, Garadpur). It was by this time that Banchhanidhi Mohanty of Eram was shaping, stimulating and sensitizing the national consciousness among the people by his patriotic songs.
In the historic Quit India Movement of 1942 Bhadrak played a leading role. It was under the leadership of Muralidhar Panda that on the 22nd Sept.1942 at Lunia, Katasahi the movement flared up to immortal flame with Nidhi Mohalik and eight others laying down their lives at the altar of freedom. Fittingly the place has been hallowed as Sahidnagar. At Eram on the 28th Sept. 1942 in an enclosed place like jalianawal Bagh nearly forty persons bared their chests to British Bullets for the cause of freedom. The congregated leadership, which guided the quit India Movement, constitutes many luminous figures including Dr. Harekrushna Mohatab, Md. Hanif, Muralidhar Jena, Gokulananda Mohanty, Nilamani Routray and others.
Since independence, the history of Bhadrak has been the history of multifarious
