Left parties oppose naming Phulbani Medical College after Laxmanananda

Stepping up its opposition to the Odisha government’s proposal to name the state-run Phulbani Medical College and Hospital after Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, four Left parties on Tuesday demanded that the institution instead be named after eminent tribal freedom fighter Chakara Bisoi.

A government medical college and hospital is a public institution that serves people of all religions, castes, communities and social groups alike. As such, it should be named after a personality who commands universal respect and whose life embodies the ideals of humanity, social harmony and public welfare, the Left parties said in a joint statement.

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They argued that Chakara Bisoi, who symbolises Odisha’s history and the tribal community’s struggle for freedom, dignity and self-respect, would be a more fitting choice.

Naming a government institution after Laxmanananda Saraswati would revive memories of the long-standing communal tensions in Kandhamal and other parts of Odisha, the parties said. They alleged that associating a public institution with a figure perceived to have been linked to religious polarisation and communal divisions would run contrary to the secular values enshrined in the Constitution, undermine social harmony and amount to using history for political ends.

The Left parties also questioned the state government’s decision to sanction Rs 13 crore for Laxmanananda Saraswati’s ashram, school and girls’ hostel (Kanyashram). They argued that spending public funds in support of a particular ideological or communal agenda was inconsistent with the constitutional principles of democratic and secular governance.

Describing Chakara Bisoi as one of the foremost heroes of Odisha’s freedom struggle, the statement said he mobilised the Kandha tribal community in the Ghumusar-Kandhamal region and led a prolonged armed guerrilla resistance against British colonial rule. He devoted his life to defending the land, forests, water, culture and dignity of his people. His struggle, the parties said, was not only central to the tribal resistance but also remains a defining chapter in Odisha’s freedom movement.

The Left parties further said Chakara Bisoi shared a deep historical association with Phulbani and the wider Kandhamal region. Naming the medical college after him, they argued, would not only pay fitting tribute to a valiant freedom fighter but also recognise the history, contribution and self-respect of Odisha’s tribal communities.

The parties urged the Odisha government to immediately withdraw its proposal to name the Phulbani Medical College and Hospital after Laxmanananda Saraswati and instead dedicate the institution to the memory of Chakara Bisoi.