Photo: Ashoke Chakrabarty

UP IN ARMS:Paikas demonstrating before Raj Bhawan in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday.

BHUBANESWAR: Asking the State government to safeguard their vanishing martial art, over 50 `paika' youths and children on Tuesday staged a demonstration outside Raj Bhawan here.

Attired in traditional colourful costumes, `paikas', a warrior community of the yesteryear that strongly fought against the British Army, exhibited their martial exercises to draw attention to their problems. The existing `akhadas', their training centres, should be recognised and `paika' trainers be paid monthly allowance by the government for their contribution to keep the traditional martial art alive, they demanded.

The setting up of two `paika' training academies in the State was also demanded by them.

`Paikas', who successfully kept their tradition intact till date, also demanded that the government take adequate steps for protection and conservation of two historical monuments -- Khurdagarh, a fort, and Barunei, the religious place where `paika' fighters used to worship before setting out for war.

Strong population

The `paikas' were perhaps the first group to revolt against the British Raj.

They revolted against the foreign rulers in 1817, much before the Sepoy mutiny. "The State government must take some concrete step to protect the interests of successors of the fighter tribe," Dillip Srichandan, president of Khurda Aitihya Surakshya Samiti, said here.

Mr. Srichandan said that a population of over 15,000 `paikas' living in the districts of Khurda, Dhenkanal and Ganjam was still practising the martial art. "The youth of the community should get priority in recruitment of police and defence. The youths who have got training from `akhadas' should be issued certificates equivalent to the certificate of NCC." Though the government launched a programme to make the martial artform a tourist attraction, the idea found a few takers among the `paikas'. "Unless people who practise the martial art are bought under social security cover, the programme will not succeed."

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