ISSN 0970-8669 Review

The Odia Identity Movement and Maharaja K. C. Gajapati Narayan Deo

Dr. Sarat Parida

disha became a separate province Krushna Chandra Gajapati Narayan Deo Oindependent of Bihar on 1st April, 1936 due was born on 26 April, 1892 at Parlakhemundi in to the untiring effort and endeavour of some great the ruling family of Parlakhemundi estate, one of sons of the soil of Odisha. Among those great the prominent zamindari estate of the then sons, one distinguishing figure, christen as one of Agency. His early education was affected as at the makers of ‘Modern Odisha’ and hailed for the tender age of 12, he lost his father Goura his selfless service to the people Chandra Gajapati Narayan Deo. was the former Maharaja of However, he pursued his higher Parlakhemundi, Sree Krushna education in Newington College, Chandra Gajapati Narayan Madras; a preferred college of Deo. A champion of Odia the time for the education of the identity, language and culture, he sons of the landed aristocrats of remained at the forefront of . After Odia identity movement and led completing education in the the struggle to a successful college, he returned to conclusion. After the formation Parlakhemundi and assumed the of the province, he assumed the charge of affairs of his zamindari reins of administration of the estate on 26 April 2013; the day nascent province and working coincided with his birth day. within the limits of colonial Prior to this, the Parlakhemundi control endeavoured his best to zamindari was under the Court serve the people. A life of Wards owing to the death of orientated for the good of the his father. public, he was instrumental in the setting up of the To his utter dismay, the Maharaja found Utkal University, the SCB Medical College, and that the Odia territories had been dismembered the Rice Research Institute at , all and attached to different neighbouring provinces institutions of repute and reminiscent of his far- for administrative convenience. Deeply moved by sighted personality. the plight of the Odias in the outlying areas, he

12 APRIL-MAY - 2020 Odisha Review ISSN 0970-8669 realised the need of amalgamating the Odia- such arrangements. In 1924, a Committee speaking territories. Encouraged by the enchanting consisting of C. L. Philip and A. C. Duff known idea of the creation of a province on linguistic as the Philip-Duff Committee was appointed to basis, an idea espoused by and ascertain the views of Odia-speaking people in others, he joined the mainstream of Odia the Madras Presidency on the question of their Movement spearheaded by . merger with Odisha. At the behest of K.C. With a crusading zeal, he worked for realising his Gajapati Narayan Deo several delegations of Odia cherished objective; the unification of Odia- people met the Committee and pleaded that there speaking tracts especially transferring Ganjam was a genuine desire among Odia people in from Madras Presidency to Odisha. Madras for amalgamation with Odisha.

In 1913, he invited the Governor of The visit of Simon Commission in 1928 Madras, Lord Pentland to Parlakhemundi and in created great controversy and uproar in the a memorandum presented to him urged for the country as it was an ‘all white Commission’. The merger of Odia-speaking territories including Commission was appointed to review the working Parlakhemundi with Odisha. The 10th annual of the Government of Act, 1919 but it was session of the Utkal Union Conference was held boycotted by the Indian National Congress. In at Parlakhemudi for two days in the last week of line with the decision of the central organization, December 1914. This was organised under the the Odisha unit of the Congress Party too personal care and supervision of the Maharaja maintained its distance from the Commission. with the intended objective of giving a lease of However, to convince the commission regarding life to the Odia movement in the region. Some the genuine demands of the people Madhusudan notable figures of the Odia movement including Das and Krushna Chandra Gajapati Narayan Madhusudan Das, , Fakir Deo, the two front leaders working for the Odia Mohan Senapati, and others attended the movement met the Commission at Patna and Conference. It reiterated the demand for the Madras respectively, and appealed for the creation of a separate province by unifying the formation of a separate province. The Maharaja Odia-speaking areas under one administration. also appealed to the Odias to put up their case The leaders also extolled Krushna Chandra before the Commission and to cooperate with it. Gajapati for extending all help and cooperation in organising the Conference. On the basis of Simon Commission report, the British Government convened the first During the First World War, like Round Table Conference at London in 1930 to Mahatma Gandhi he helped the British in its war solve the Indian problem. The Conference was effort and for this, the British conferred on him boycotted by the Indian National Congress but the title of ‘ Saheb’; this was made hereditary unperturbed by the development; the Maharaja in 1922. On the demand for formation of provinces on linguistic lines, apparently stemmed travelled to London and tried his best to impress from the Odia movement, the Montague- the delegates, the British authorities on the need Chelmsford Committee nodded the idea in and rationality of a new province for the Odia affirmative and Mahatma Gandhi too preferred people. In London, he met Sir Samuel Hoare,

APRIL-MAY - 2020 13 ISSN 0970-8669 Odisha Review the Secretary of States for India and convinced enlarged the boundaries with the addition of him about the genuineness of the demand of the and Parlakhemundi estates. On the basis Odias. The O’ Donnell Boundary Committee of the report of the Joint Parliamentary appointed in September 1931 to demarcate the Committee, the British Parliament passed the boundary of the proposed province was largely Government of India Act, 1935 and in this Act, the fruition of his labour during the Round Table Odisha was given an independent administrative Conference. However, the report of the status as a province. Thus, the new Odisha Committee was not to the liking of the Maharaja Province emerged comprising six districts viz., as it excluded Jeypore and Parlakhemundi from Cuttack, , , , Ganjam and the proposed province. Koraput. This was largely due to the ceaseless In the aftermath of the O’ Donnell work of the Maharaja who reminded the Odias Boundary Committee report, the Odia movement not to be complacent with the achievement but to became more orientated towards amalgamation work hard for the development of the state. of Parlakhemundi and Jeypore with Odisha. The Following the formation of the province, rd 23 Session of Utkal Union Conference met at the scheme of provincial autonomy as provided under the presidentship of the in the Government of India Act, 1935 was put in Maharaja and demanded the integration of to practice. The Maharaja got elected to the estates of Parlakhemundi and Jeypore with provincial assembly and at the invitation of Odisha. A deputation of Odias under his Governor of Odisha, Sir John Austin Hubback leadership met the Viceroy Lord Wellingdon at formed the ministry on 1st April 1937. His ministry Simla and drew his attention to the injustice done resigned on 13th July 1937 after the Congress to the Odias in the O’Donnell Committee report. On the basis of discussions at the Round Table Party decided to allow Congressmen to accept Conferences, the British Government offices in the provinces. The Maharaja heading published the ‘White Paper’ on 17th March 1933 a coalition ministry assumed office for the second th containing the proposal for creation of two new time on 24 November, 1941 after the Congress provinces viz., Odisha and Sind. However, it ministry resigned in protest against the British excluded the estates of Jeypore and decision of making India a party to the Second Parlakhemundi from the proposed Odisha World War. He remained in office for more than Province. The ‘White Paper’ was referred to the two and half years but resigned on 30th June 1944 Joint Parliamentary Committee for consideration. owing to internal differences within the ministry. Krushna Chandra Gajapati again travelled to During his short tenure in office, he adopted certain England to plead for the inclusion of the estates epoch making measures. The Utkal University of Parlakhemundi and Jeypore with Odisha. established on 27th November 1943, later Heading a delegation of seven members, he met emerged as a premier institution in the field of the Secretary of States on 3rd July 1933 and higher education in the state. In fact, showing rare submitted a representation. The Joint example, he donated his entire salary drawn as Parliamentary Committee finally recommended the the Prime Minister to the Utkal University Fund. constitution of new province of Odisha, but The fruits of his labour and initiative culminated in

14 APRIL-MAY - 2020 Odisha Review ISSN 0970-8669 the setting up of Odisha High Court on 26 July Maharaja Krishna Chandra Gajapati 1948. Narayan Deo was one of the doyens of Odia movement who played a crucial role in the Besides working for the unification of Odia- unification of Odia-speaking areas and the speaking tracts, he devoted his time and resources formation of the province. On many occasions, for the promotion of , literature and he travelled to England to convince the colonial culture. He made generous contribution for the authorities the genuineness of the demands of development of Sakhigopal School founded by Odia people. In his eventful career, spanning from Pandit Gopabandhu Das, and the Utkal Sahitya assumption of charge of Parlakhemundi zamindari Samaj, an institution for promotion of Odia in 1913 to his death in 1974, he dedicated himself literature. He made monetary contribution for the in the service of the state and its people. In fact, publication of Purna Chandra Odia Bhasa his indomitable will, persuasive nature and Kosha of Chandra Praharaj. He also leadership helped a great deal in giving a final established a printing press named as Gajapati shape to the dream and desire of people for a Press for disseminating awareness among the separate province. A path finder for the Odia people. A champion of female education, he people in many aspects in the crucial phase of converted his palatial mansion into girl’s school. nation building, he embodied the virtues of an He was not only an acclaimed leader and organiser organiser, an administrator, and a philanthropist. in Odisha but had considerable clout in the politics of Madras Province. In 1930, he was elected to References: the Madras Legislative Assembly from the Ganjam Constituency. He was a member of the 1. B.B. Jena, Orissa, People, Culture, and Polity, Ludhiana, 1981. Royal Agriculture Commission which was appointed in 1927 under the chairmanship of Lord 2. P. Sankar Narayan Patro, Krushna Chandra Gajapati Narayan Deo: The Maharaja of Linlithgow. Krushna Chandra Gajapati improved Parlakhemundi, Berhampur, 1981. the irrigation system by planning and digging many water reservoirs such as Ramasagar, Sitasagar 3. S. Ghosh, Orissa in Turmoil (A Study in Political Developments), , 1979. and Krishnasagar etc. Far-sighted and progressive in his outlook, he realised the necessity 4. S. Parida, Politics and Agrarian Changes in Post- Colonial Odisha, Bhubaneswar, 2014. of improving communication facilities and constructed 57 mile long railway track from 5. S. C. Patra, The Formation of the Province of Orissa, Calcutta, 1979. Nuapada to Gunupur. The Viceroy and Governor General of India, Lord Wellingdon as a mark of distinction awarded him the title of ‘Maharaja’ Dr. Sarat Parida, Asst. Professor in History, Government in 1936. (Auto) College, .

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