Dhenkanal : The youngest Martyr in the freedom struggle of India. He took to Martyrdom at the age of 12 years.
Bajii Rout a keuta (Boats man) was an active member of the Banar Sena of Prajamandal at Bhuban of Dhenkanal district in Odisha. Prajamandal was an organization in the pre independence era of India. The same used to lead the movement against the oppressive British rule and also against the atrocities of the then king of Dhenkanal. Rout used to ferry his boat on the Brahmani river for a living. He had volunteered to keep a watch on the river as on the other side of the river at Bhuban, a group of freedom revolutionaries of India were to assemble. The British Police got to know about the said meeting of the revolutionaries and a platoon was marched to catch them. On reaching the river the British police ordered Baji to row his boat and to take them across the other side of the river so that the revolutionaries could be nabbed. To this young Baji denied. He did not row the boat across river Brahmani and to ensure that no one could move his boat he threw the rows of the boat into the river. In rage and to set an example for the revolutionaries, on 11 Oct 1938 the British police shot bullets at Baji Rout killing him on the spot.