Jajpur,16/01(PPT):Celebrating 1st Death Annversary Freedom fighter Nilamani Samal of Balipadia village in Jajpur On Wednesday. Former finance minister Prafulla Chandra Ghadai paying tribute & He Said Samal Born on February 23, 1923, Samal had joined Quit India Movement in 1942. He was imprisoned for three years by the British during the freedom struggle. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed deep grief and said, “Samal’s sacrifice for the freedom movement will be remembered. Ghadei Said Freedom fighter Nilamani Samal was felicitated by the Prime Minister and the President in New Delhi on August 9. Samal was arrested during the 1942 Quit India movement and spent three years in jail at Cuttack. Describing his eventual meeting with Gandhi as one of his proudest moments, Nilamani has tears in his eyes and his voice catches in his throat: “Bapu had come to Bairi near our village in May 1934 during his Padayatra throughout the country. When I tried to get close to him, a volunteer stopped me but Gandhiji let me through. He asked me what I wanted, and I bowed and said, ‘I wish to join in Congress.’ Gandhiji said, ‘Theek hai. I folded my hands, thanked him and left,” said Samal. “Nilamani Babu is a pride of our district. His sacrifice during the freedom movement would always be remembered, “ said Ghadei. Former Minster Amar Prasad Satpathy,Sunanda Das ,Journalist Birupakhya Tripathy,Priyanath Mohapatra and Others paying tribute.