Pravir Chandra Bhanj Deo

Who was Pravir Chandra Bhanj Deo?

Pravir, King of Bastar was the first Oriya ruler and 20th Maharaja of Bastar state who was killed in 1966 by then Congress government of Madhya Pradesh for championing the cause of his subjects. He fought for rights of the tribal people. He represented Jagdalpur Vidhan Sabha constituency of undivided Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly by winning General election of 1957.

The Last Kakatiya ruler of Bastar was adored by his subjects. He was born in 25 June 1929 and was educated at Rajkumar College, Raipur. He succeeded to throne on 28 October 1936.

He was immensely popular among his people, as he took up the cause of the local tribal, and provided political leadership against exploitation of natural resources of the region, and corruption in land reforms, thus he was perceived a threat by the then ruling congress people. On 25 March 1966 he was killed in police firing at the steps of his own palace at Jagdalpur along with many of the royal court. Officially the death toll was twelve including the king and wounded were twenty; the police had fired sixty one rounds.