Odisha Review April - May - 2014

Madhusudan Das : Icon of Odia Pride

Rabindra Kumar Behuria

“The last phase of the 19th century and activities of Madhusudan were found to be the first phase of the 20th century witnessed a great expressed through the powerful national bodies awakening in . It was the phase of New like Utkal Sabha and . In many Odisha in - making. The Odias during this phase respects he was the prophet of Odia nationalism” got an identity consciousness. This identity needed (Dash, K.C. Odisha Review. April – 2013, p- to be asserted. Many persons and institutions 45) were responsible for this Born on 28 April, 1848 resurgent trend in Odisha. from his father Raghunath Dash Among them Madhusudan Das in the village Satyabhamapur, was very significant. His career , he was converted to in Odisha at least from the Christianity that caused him 1880’s till his death was entirely boycotted in the village which he dedicated to the making of had to quit to erect a small house modern Odisha. He took a very at the end of the village. The prominent role in the house was known as amalgamation of different Odia- ‘Madhukothi’ or speaking tracts lying scattered ‘Balipokharikothi’, later on used in different neighbouring as the state office of the provinces into a great political Kasturba National Memorial entity. At the same time he Trust, in a part of which was attempted socio-economic and running the Anganabadi, Balbadi. cultural progress of the Odias which would stabilise his In 1864, he passed political Odisha. He articulated many more Matriculation from Cuttack and thereafter he was problems of Odisha and asserted the identity of inclined to become a teacher and began his career Odias in that crucial phase. In order to establish as a teacher at Balasore for three years. The year the identity of the Odias he closely connected 1866 was the year of a acute famine in Odisha, himself with many elites and associations which called the “Naanka Durviksha” When more than demanded the reconstruction of Odisha. The one lakh people died of hunger. In 1866 he passed

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F.A. This year he converted himself to Christian Zamidaries Estates in Odisha, especially after the and changed his name as Madhusudan Das from promulgation of the Sunset Law. In order to his earlier name of Gobinda Ballav Choudhury. perpetuate their hold over property, jobs and He stayed at Calcutta and obtained his hence access to power, the Bengali elite wanted degree of M.A and L.L.B from Calcutta to valourize the Bengali Language and marginalize University. In no time he became a famous the local language Odia. Writing about the State advocate. In 1881, he became a part-time lecturer of affairs, Mr. Nolan, Collector of Cuttack (1879) in Law Department of and wrote: “It may be doubted whether the Odia is thereafter started Law Practice. He was much holding his own in the struggle for existence. The disheartened at the attitude of the British Bengali is ousting him from the land and service; Government to make Odias economically weak the Bengal is the Marwaris and the Europeans, and uneducated. In this context, he inculcated the from trade; the Telugu from the rougher kinds of idea of political consciousness in the mind of the Labour.’ people. In 1885, Mr. Das became the Secretary In 1896 Mr. Das Was elected a member of 'Utkal Sabha.' In the same year Richard of a Legislative Council of Bengal for two years Temple, the Lieutenant governor of Bengal came to Bengal-Bihar-Odisha State. In 1897 he went to Cuttack. Mr. Das appealed him with a to England to raise his demands before the British memorandum to annex Sambalpur and Ganjam Government. In1902 the first Ganjam Sammilani districts in Odisha. In the same memorandum he was convened under the active support and demanded to set up Railways, Artisan education cooperation of Rajendra Narayan Bhanja Deo, and various industries in Odisha. In 1888, A.C. the king of Kanika, Ramachandra Bhanja Deo, Belly, the Lt. Governor of Bengal was given the king of Mayurbhanja Ramachandra Mardaraj, another memorandum for the unification of all the king of Khallikote and Maharaja Krushna Odia speaking regions, spread of women Chandra Gajapati Dev, the king of Parala to education, smooth management of the temple of discuss about the issues relating to the Odia- Lord Jagannath and adequate aid to the acute speaking people. In 1903 the king of king of famine-stricken people of Odisha. Khallikote and the king of Kanika highly praised The quelling of the Paik Rebellion of 1857 Mr. Das for this Utkal Union Conference which demoralised the Odia Community. The East was formed under his leadership. In every sphere Company subsequently made some constructive Mr. Das raised the affairs of Odisha. gestures and tried to establish a semblance of rule The basic objective of Utkal Union of Law. For example, it ushered in institutions of Conference was the merger of Odia – speaking ‘modernisation’ like the school, the judiciary and Tracts. This objective was thus defined in the land reforms. However, many Odias could not proceedings of the first session held at Cuttack in participate in the civilizing mission of the British December 1903: “This Conference is called because of their lack of will, poverty and state of Utkal Sammilani (Utkal Union Conference). This demoralisation. Conference will adopt and implement measures In fact, Bengalis started manning most of for the welfare of all Odia-speaking tracts. The the Government jobs in Odisha. They spread their boundary of Odisha has been greatly reduced sub-colonizing tentacles by appropriating the under the present Government. It is found that

35 Odisha Review April - May - 2014 predominantly Odia-inhabited areas like organisation. The Indian National Congress was Sambalpur, Chhota Nagpur, Medinipur, Ganjam established around this time. Utkal Sabha was etc. are outside Odisha. Therefore all Odia- represented by Madhu Babu till 1908, so much speaking tracts have been designated as ‘Utkal’ so that it was considered to be a branch of INC. and this conference has been called Utkal Union He was also able to get a proposal passed in the Conference. Now Utkal Union Conference has Congress against the salt tax imposed by the been founded for the welfare of Odias.” British. His next effort was to bring a resolution in Madhusudan took due note of the fact the INC to unite the Odia-speaking areas in that in spite of the differences in religion and Madras, Bengal and Madhya Pradesh. After this nationality those who were the inhabitants of move was opposed by Bengalis - Tamils, Odisha spoke Odia, and that there were many Madhubabu got himself detached from the domiciled Bengalis who had been identified Congress. themselves with Odisha, and that some of them In 1907 Madhusudan Das was elected a like Gouri Shankar Ray, Ram Shankar Ray, Pyari member of Legislative Assembly again. In 1908 Mohan Acharya, and Radhanath Ray had he went to England and raised the demands of rendered services for the upliftment of Odia uniting all the Odia-speaking areas together before language and literature. Madhusudan intended Lord Curzon who supported him whole heartedly. Utkal Union Conference to be a national body in In 1911 being separated from Bengal, Bihar- a regional setting. He observed in its second Odisha became one state that disheartered and session, “In this conference representatives of aggrieved Mr. Das. In 1914 he became the editor various nationalities, such as Odias, Bengalis, of the English paper "The Odia". In 1919 Mr. Telgus, Rajputs and Marwaris are present. If this Das demanded a separate state before the is not to be treated as an All India Body, Congress Montagone - Chelmsford Reformation Act, and (National Congress) can not also be called a (the reafter) before O'Donnel Committee. On 8 national body." Utkal Conference was the product March 1923, Mahatma Gandhi came to Odisha of "the fertile genius" of Madhusudan who, by the and became the guest of Mr. Das at his home. In force of his personality, could bring together the 1925, he observed the "Headless Day" of Odisha. princes, zamindars, gentry and the poor, and In 1930 he took much strain to fix up the state different communities such as Hindus, boundary line between Bihar and Odisha. Next Mussalmans, and Christians." year he acted as a member of administrative Madhusudan Das (1848-1934) - had council of Odisha. He took all out efforts from three 'firsts' to his acclaim. He was the first Odia Odisha to England to make a separate State, but graduate, the first M.A. and the first one to hold it is a matter of great regret that he passed away a degree in law. His return from Calcutta after on 4 February 1934 before Odisha became a finishing studies unleashed a series of actions to separate state on 1st April 1936. rejuvenate the sagging Odia spirit. It was through Madhusudan was the pioneer of a deeper insight that Madhubabu decided to fill industrialisation and economic nationalism in up vacant political space. He realised that the Odisha. In 1897 he founded Odisha Art ware formation of Utkal Sabha in Odisha was not works, and in 1905 he set up Utkal Tannery to enough; it has to align with a pan-national produce shoes and other leather products. He

36 April-May - 2014 Odisha Review viewed development indigenous industries as the allowed to form Provincial Congress Committee key to economic regeneration and real self rule on linguistic basis, (As for example, though not a keeping in tune with the times and availability of separate province in 1920-21, was allowed to resources, he reorganised the filigree works at form a Provincial Congress Committee). (2) a Cuttack. Madhusudan wrote a number of articles constructive programme was adopted by the on industrialisation and economic regeneration Congress to add a positive dimension to anti- such as "Industrial Development" Industrial colonial movement. Last but not the least, to call Awakening, "War is Business and Business is War" him just an 'icon of Odia pride' is not enough. He and "Freedom from Industrial Captivity" which was much more than an icon - a man of immense were published in his English mouthpiece "The self-esteem. Odia". Regarding the commercial exploitation of Bibliography : India by England, Madhusudan observed in his presidential speech in Utkal Union Conference, 1. Das, N.K. Utkal Gaurav Madhusudan (Odia). Utkal University, 1951, p.151-52. held in 1913 : "when the English nation first came to India for trade in Bengal and Odisha, Pipili and 2. Mohanty, N. Oriya Nationalism : Quest for a United Balasore were the centres of their trading activities. Odisha - (1885-1936), New Delhi, 1982, p.97. At that time, they were inporting from Odisha and 3. Mahatab, H.K. Dasavarsare - Odisha (Odia), India, goods manufactured by indigenous artisans. Cuttack, 1977, p.2-3. As a result, sufficient wealth was flowing to this 4. Parichha, B. Odisha Review, August-September, country. Now the situation is just reverse. If you 2013, p.99-100. go to the drawing room of any well educated 5. Pattnaik, M. Odisha Review, April-2013, p.71-2. person, you will find that almost all the articles 6. Pradhan, A. Orissa Review April, 2010, p.41-7. kept there are foreign." 7. Amrit Bazar Patrika, 9 Jan., 1904. Madhusudan aimed at the merger of Odia 8. Utkal Dipika, 25 December 1886. tracts through Utkal Union Conference. He 9. Utkal Dipika. 4 Feb. 1888. carried on his nation-building activities within a regional framework and pleaded for harmony 10. Utkal Dipika, 14 December 1901. among the various communities and linguistic 11. Utkal Sammilani Sabha, 1903, p.5. groups and loyalty to mother India. He virtually 12. Two Bachelors of Arts. The Oriya Movement, dissociated himself from the Congress after the (Aska), 1919, p.12-3. formation of Utkal Union Conference. When Gandhi started the Non-cooperation Movement, Madhusudan was neither in Utkal Union Conference nor in Congress. But the Gandhian Congress movement proceeded by accepting two important aspects of Madhusudan's paradigm on nationalism (1) the various provincial nationalities Rabindra Kumar Behuria, Retired Lecturer, Chandbali, or linguistic groups were given due weightage and Bhadrak-756133.

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