Subbarao Panigrahi was a lyricist and poet in Oriya, Telugu, Bengali, etc. He also knew English. He was tied with a tree in Odisha border and shot at a point blank range on December 23, 1969. According to ‘Liberation’ Magazine, January 1970 issue, hirteen comrades were martyred between November- December 1969 ) Subbarao died a Martyr’s Death, Asok Chattopadhay , frontierweekly.com)
We still remember
The wailing of standing tree
When you were tied
And brutally murdered
The air mingled with blood
Smelling the ‘scent’ of martyrs
The water reflecting
Workers hard lives
The land holding
Immortal thoughts of revolution
Children like leaves
Swinging gently
Singing emotional lyrics
‘Some are afraid at the thought
Of red color
Even children are far better
Than those elite’
This revolutionary tree
Spread its tentacles
Far and wide
Making capitalists shiver
This tree
Witness to the bloody murder
Is still growing
Inspiring
Millions
Fifty years ….
And the struggle
Continues
Sheshu Babu is a writer who often contributes to Countercurrents.org
