Annapurna Devi, the Real Idealist

January - 2013 Odisha Review

Annapurna Devi, The Real Idealist

Prabodha Kumar Ratha

Indian women have always played a vital role in public life, education and in social sector. They enjoyed equal status at par with men in the ancient period. Their status gradually declined in the medieval period. But the 19th Century showed a different picture. The spread of English education and the pioneering efforts of great socio-religious reformers like Raja Ram Mohan Ray, Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar, Swami Dayananda Saraswati, Keshab Chandra Sen and Mahatma Gandhi contributed a lot for the awakening of Indian women. After the great famine of 1866 there was a rapid growth of political consciousness among Odia women but it was not widespread in comparison to Odia men. Perhaps that was the reflection of slow progress of women’s education and intense conservation of 2. To bring political awareness through the people. A galaxy of social reformers like Sadhu Congress and participate in the Charan Das, Bhima Bhoi, Madhusudan Rao, movements and at the same time also Gouri Sankar Roy, Fakir Mohan Senapati and played an important role in the others made courageous efforts to improve the constructive activities coined by Gandhiji. lot of women. During the Non-co-operation movement Gandhiji's inspiring speeches in various 3. To associate and dedicated with the places gradually created an awakening among the constructive activities as per Gandhiji’s traditionally home centred women of Odisha. The guidelines. They also continued the co-workers of Gandhiji were of three types- constructive activities after independence and never associate with power politics. 1. To achieve political freedom and to plunge in the freedom struggle through Annapurna Maharana belonged to the Congress. third category of Gandhiji’s Co-workers. She

73 Odisha Review January - 2013 dedicated her whole life for eradication of poverty, Gandhiji had to address the public, Annapurna illiteracy, superstitions. Annapurna Maharana went there a day before to study the situation and better known as Chuni Apa was born on 3rd accordingly submitted a report to him about the November 1917 to Gopabandhu Chaudhury and problems of the people of that area which was Rama Devi at Bakharabad, Cuttack. She reflected on his speech. In this way Annapurna belonged to a family of freedom fighters where worked as the private reporter of Gandhiji. her parents, uncle – Naba Krushna Chaudhury, Gandhiji founded the Harijan Sevak Sangha in aunt – Malati Chaudhury and brother Manamohan Odisha and Annapurna joined that organization Chaudhury all were great freedom fighters. Her and engaged in education of Harijan children, life was highly influenced by stalwarts of Odisha cleaning of Bustees. She associated with like Utkal Mani Gopabandhu, Utkal Gaurav Gandhian Padayatra from Puri to Bhadrak. Madhusudan, Acharya Harihar and others. She Gandhiji started basic education in the Berboi did not go to school in protest of English education, Seva Sangha in 1938. Annapurna went to Wardha so she received education at home. Bira Kishore to receive training on basic education. She also Das was her home tutor. participated in the Tripura Congress Session in 1939. During the Civil Disobedience Movement of 1930 one of the remarkable features was the She married to Sarat Chandra Maharana participation of teenage girls in the Banarsena or a well known Congress worker on 17th March Monkey Brigade that was the children’s voluntary 1942. This marriage generated a great attention Army which played an important role in this as it was an anti caste marriage. movement. Annapurna participated in the Salt Satyagraha on 12 March 1930. She performed In the final phase of freedom struggle a wonderful job by popularizing Khadi, collecting good number of Odia women joined the Quit subscriptions for the Congress Fund, cooking India Movement under the leadership of Malati food for the Congress workers, pasting posters, Devi and S. N. Diwedi. Annapurna plunged into carrying secret letters, distributing Congress that movement and was arrested for breaking bulletins known as Bidrohi among the Congress police order and mobilising the people not to pay workers and followers. On one occasion they taxes but later on released. She took the went even to the extent of hoisting a Congress leadership at Kaipada and strongly demanded the flag on the Collectorate office. It was a release of all political prisoners. When it was not remarkable incident. She was arrested for selling fulfilled, at her instance the people broke the police of countrymade salts and was punished financially. cordon. The situation became so tense that the She was associated with Gandhian constructive police had to open fire resulting 4 deaths and activities in 1934 at Bari (Seva Ghar) along with Annapurna was arrested and put in Cuttack Jail. his parents. While in Sevaghar Ashram she was engaged in imparting education to Girls and Communal riot broke out in Harijan leaders, anti-liquor campaign, plantation Biranarasinghpur in 1940. Annapurna went there etc. When Gandhiji started his famous Harijan at the instruction of Rama Devi to pacify the Padayatra from Puri on May 9 to eradicate situation. She worked there under the guidance untouchability. Annapurna actively participated in of Acharya Harihar. She established closeness that movement. During that Padayatra where with Muslim ladies. She engaged herself in reciting

74 January - 2013 Odisha Review

Quran, teaching Muslim children and arranged Apart from this she also published various meeting with the males of Muslim community. articles. She contributed regularly to ‘Sucharita’ Gradually the situation turned normal. an Odia monthly. Bhoodan movement started in 1951 Binoba Bhave started his Padayatra in Kasturba Gandhi died inside the four Odisha in 1955. Annapurna actively participated walls of jail in 1944. Indian leaders arranged and in the Bhoodan movement. She joined the donated 1 crore 30 lakhs to Gandhiji to utilize Padayatra of Binova in 1960. They moved from the money in the memory of Kasturba. With that village to village and collected lands and money Gandhiji started “Kasturba Gandhi distributed them among the landless people. Memorial Trust”. The office-bearers of the trust During the Bhoodan movement she was engaged were ladies and it worked for the welfare of in relief work in flood affected areas, collection women. Annapurna became its active member in of Sarvodaya Sahitya and contributions. Her 1945 and was engaged in promoting self- active role in Akhila Bharatiya Sarvodaya Samaj sufficiency among women by providing basic education. She continued in this Trust till 1950. Sammilani at Angul in 1950, Puri in 1955 and Cuttack in 2003 made these tremendous success. She was a great scholar without any formal education. She dedicated the period from Annapurna took a leading role during the 1951 to 1956 to the field of literature. She Hindu-Muslim riot which broke out in 1964 in translated many Gujurati, Bengali, English and Rourkela. She took the leading role in pacifying Hindi books to Odia language. Among these the the tense situation arising out of a great student followings are noteworthy:- Snakhipta strike in 1964. Due to her tireless endeavour Atmakatha, Taruni Kanya, Guna Adi Siksha, peace restored between the two communities. Gita Prabachana,Veda Anuchinta, Siksha When famine occurred in Kalahandi area in 1966 Tatwa, Ram Rajya, Sarvodaya Patra, Sthita and took a heavy toll of life, she dedicated herself Prangya Darshan, Bhagabat Dharma Sara, in the relief work. Kendrapara district was Nari Shakti, Sapta Shakti, Acharya Kula, severely affected by cyclone in 1966. She went Rastriya Yojanara mulakatha, Santisena, there and dedicated herself in relief work. In Karagara Kahani, Gramalaxminka 1966, 8 districts of Odisha were seriously Aradhana, Gramadana Kara Kahinki, affected by drought. Rama Devi sought help from Sarvodaya Sidhanta, Hind Swaraj and many the Central Government to help the affected others. people. Annapurna activity helped her mother to provide relief to the affected people. Due to the She also composed valuable books in hard labour of the great mother and worthy mother tongue to enrich the Odia language and daughter many valuable lives survived. Her Odisha history. These are – Godavari Devi, dedicated work during the cyclone of 1971 and Sarala Devi, Darsue Hrudayara Devata, Suna super cyclone of 1999 still remembered. Mani, Odisha Swadhinata Andolanare Nari Mananka Bhumika.Lunara Guna, Amruta In 1970 conflict started between the Anubhava (Autobiography), Sabuluna Odias and Bengalis in Jambu area. She rushed lokankara, Malati Chaudhury, Rama Devi, Stri there with mother Rama Devi and amicably Purusa maryada, Buniadi Siksha, Dakhina resolved the crisis. During the Bangladesh Africa Satyagraha Gandhi Charita, etc. Liberation Movement, Cholera broke out among

75 Odisha Review January - 2013 the Bangladeshi refugees. Annapurna engaged service of motherland as a Vanar Sena and herself in the vaccination and purification remained in the service of the motherland and programme to prevent cholera. In 1973 she went society till her death on 31st December 2012. For to Chambal area, at that time that area was her relentless service to the society she received dominated by dacoits. She went there along with honorary D.litt from Utkal University, central Padmabhao Sir and Saroj Kumar Gupta. They university, Koraput. She was honoured by the moved in bullock cart in that area and worked President of India as freedom fighter. For her hard to change the mind and temperament of the autobiography (Amruta Anubhav) she received dacoits. She engaged herself in making interactions the prestigious Sarala puraskar. She was with their family members and educating their honoured with Prananatha Samman by P.N. children. She made every attempt to know their College, Khurda. She was also specially honoured philosophy. She was successful in bringing by Ravenshaw College for her outstanding social changes in their minds and brought many of them contribution. She was also awarded with Utkal to the social mainstream. Rama Devi passed away Ratna, Hemalata Samman, International Rotary in 1985. Annapurna shouldered the responsibilities Samman, Ajibana Sevika Samman, Radhanatha of the organisations founded by her mother till Samman by different organizations. her last. Some of these organisations are She was really a polestar among the galaxy Kasturaba Trust, Rama Devi Seva Samiti, Sisu of leaders of Odisha history. Today women no Vihar, Gopalbadi High School, Akhila Bharatiya longer want to remain confined to the four walls Santi Sena school. She established Annapurna of their houses. They are marching on equal Chhatri Nivas at Gopal badi near Rayagada for footing with their male partners. Annapurna Devi the education and all-round development of took a leading part in the freedom struggle as well Adivasi students and she personally looked after as in other social problems of the time. It formed it’s management. She strongly protested the a brilliant chapter in the history of social and imposition of National Emergency in 1975 and national progress in Modern Odisha. actively participated in the movements generated against it. She was a great critic of government Reference : decision to hand over salt manufacture to private companies on the plea of iodised salt 1. Gopal Krushna Srichandan, Odisha Netri (Odia) Bhubaneswar, 2008. manufacture. She was against the policies of privatization, liberalization and globalization. So 2. Haramani Mohapatra, Odishara Mahiyasi Mahila she participated in it’s protest movements. So also (Odia), Jagatsinghpur, 2007. she actively joined the POSCO movement in the 3. Surendra Nath Dwivedi, August Biplab (Odia), district of Jagatsinghpur. Cuttack, 1972.

The heroic lady of this soil who dedicated 4. Sarat Chandra Moharana, Mukti Sangramare Bari her entire life for the socio-political welfare of our Anchal, Koraput, 1991. society, but never joined the power politics. She belonged to a family which totally dedicated to the service of motherland, people and Gandhian Prabodha Kumar Ratha, 184, Paikanagar, Bhubaneswar constructive work. She started her career for the - 751003.