Bhubaneswar, July 18: The Odisha government today urged the Union government to declare Paika Bidroha (soldiers' rebellion) - fought in 1817 - as the first war of Independence.

"On the occasion of the bi-centenary of the Paika rebellion (1817-2017), the Odisha government earnestly requests the Government of India to declare it the first war of Independence," said state culture minister Ashok Chandra Panda after a meeting of the state cabinet. It was the sole agenda before the cabinet meeting today.

Panda said the rebellion, which took place 40 years before the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny (called the first war of Independence), was an "organised and well-structured" rebellion that posed a threat to the East India Company. "The nature of the revolt was widespread with participation of all sections of people. It played the role of a torch bearer and catalyst in shaping the future of the freedom movement," Panda argued.

The Odisha government's decision to appeal comes ahead of a special programme being held by the Union government at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on July 20 to mark the completion 200 years of the rebellion. Today, a group of descendants of Paika rebels left for New Delhi to attend the programme where they will be felicitated.

Competitive politics has ensued between the BJD and the BJP to make political mileage over the Paika rebellion.

The state government had announced a drinking water supply scheme named after Buxi Jagabandhu, one of the leaders of the Paika rebellion, in the 2017-18 Budget placed in the Assembly on February. In March, a gallery dedicated to the revolt was opened in the State Museum. The government also held a programme at Khurda to mark the bi-centenary celebration and urged the Centre to name a train after Buxi.

The BJP has not lagged behind. On the sidelines of the party's national executive meet in Bhubaneswar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi felicitated the ancestors of Paika leaders at Raj Bhavan on April 16.

The Union government has constituted a committee headed by home minister Rajnath Singh to celebrate the bi-centenary of the rebellion.

The composition of the committee had stirred a controversy as chief minister Naveen Patnaik was put next to Union minister of state for petroleum and natural gas Dharmendra Pradhan.

The official panel had BJP leader Biswa Bhusan Harichandan as a member, while there was no representative from any other political party.