New Delhi, Jan 10: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday said India must reclaim and globalise its forgotten freedom struggles, as he inaugurated the New Delhi World Book Fair (NDWBF) 2026 at Bharat Mandapam and unveiled a multi-language edition of “The Saga of Kudopali: The Unsung Story of 1857.”

Addressing the gathering, Pradhan described Kudopali in Odisha’s Sambalpur district as “not just a geographical location, but a blazing symbol of India’s resistance against colonial oppression.”

“On December 30, 1857, the battlefield of Kudopali was soaked in sacrifice,” Pradhan said. “Fifty-three brave freedom fighters were martyred in battle, and four more were later executed. In all, 57 sons of the soil laid down their lives for the nation.”

He said the initiative to publish the book in 13 languages, including Spanish, was aimed at taking Odisha’s unsung history beyond regional memory and into global consciousness.

“For decades, the story of Kudopali survived only in local folklore and oral traditions,” Pradhan said. “Today, through this book, that forgotten chapter is being restored to India’s national narrative and introduced to the world.”

The minister said the release would help young Indians connect with their heritage. “Our younger generation must know that India’s freedom was not won by a few well-known names alone,” he said. “It was built on the sacrifices of countless local heroes whose courage shaped our civilisation.”

Pradhan highlighted the role of Veer Surendra Sai, under whose leadership Kudopali emerged as a major centre of resistance during the 1857 uprising.

“After his release from Hazaribagh jail on July 30, 1857, Surendra Sai returned to Sambalpur and organised a people-led resistance using guerrilla warfare,” he said. “Kudopali, just four miles from Sambalpur, became the nerve centre of this movement.”

He recalled how freedom fighters repelled an initial British assault on December 17, 1857. “They rolled massive stones down the hills to defeat the enemy,” Pradhan said. “Though the British later attacked through deception, the sacrifice at Kudopali only intensified the freedom struggle.”

Calling the book’s release “a civilisational responsibility,” Pradhan said, “This effort gives India’s freedom struggle a new identity on the global stage. It ensures that the blood-soaked soil of Kudopali receives the recognition it deserves.”

The book, previously available in Odia, English and Hindi, has now been released in 10 additional languages by the Indian Council of Historical Research and the National Book Trust. Plans for a martyrs’ memorial at Kudopali were also reiterated.

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The event was attended by Qatar’s Culture Minister Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani, India’s Ambassador to Qatar H.J. Al Jaber, and Spain’s Director General of Books Maria José Gálvez.