Utkal Ratna Biswanath Mishra : the Forgotten Pioneer of Oriya Movement

Orissa Review * August - 2008 Utkal Ratna Biswanath Mishra : The Forgotten Pioneer of Oriya Movement Dr. Shridhar Charan Sahoo Pangs of poverty and fetters of society often stand it were, took an organized and definite shape in as stumbling blocs on the path of a man's growth early twentieth century with the formation of Utkal and evolution. But even then there are some who Union Conference (Utkal Sammilani) in 1903 courageously transcend their poverty and by Sri Madhusudan Das. resolutely defy the fetters of society. Through their Utkal Gaurav Madhusudan Das was the sheer will power and staunch determination they prime -mover and the god -father of the Oriya grow and evolve into greater heights of personal movement. But along with him, there were also excellence and even carve out a niche for them many others who under his overall leadership and in the public life of their country. direction did their very best to actualize the dream Biswanath Mishra born in the 19th century of the Oriya movement. Biswanath Mishra was Orissa belongs to that rare breed of individuals one such forgotten pioneer of the Oriya movement who even though born in a poor family could not who represented and epitomized the early wave only dream but even actualize his dream of of Oriya nationalist consciousness or as has been becoming the first Barrister of Orissa with requisite said "Jatiprana Sindhura Adya Taranga". qualification acquired from England. He remained Biswanath Mishra was not only the first steadfast in his determination and defied also all Barrister and a pioneer of Oriya movement , he social fetters the backward looking and had also many other feathers to his cap. He was, conservative forces of the time who frantically as it were, a sober and liberal social reformer, a sought to hinder his education either in the Puri learned and efficient lawyer, a torch bearer of Zilla school or even when they tried to checkmate women's awakening, a well- wisher of student his ambition to visit England and acquire the community and an advocate of education, an Barrister qualification. Apart from becoming the effective parliamentarian and a matured politician. first Barrister of Orissa- a rare feat of the time, he Leaving aside all this, he was over and above, a also played a dedicated role in the Oriya very good man, a nice person, and an adorable movement for amalgamation of Oriya - speaking and lovable personality. tracts scattered under different provinces under one administration and in the formation of Orissa The life and struggle of Biswanth both for as a separate province. This Oriya movement, as his personal a growth and evolution and with 45 Orissa Review * August - 2008 regard to his role in the public life of Orissa in the It was in this social terrain, Biswanath had Oriya movement makes an interesting reading. The to traverse and fight a battle royal to become the story of his life is, in a way, quite thrilling and first Barrister of Orissa. inspiring. It is more so when one thinks of the b) The Political Scenario present society and crippling social ethos in the 19th century where he sought to grow and evolve Biswanath, as has been said, was born in in the midst of all odds. the latter part of the 19th century on 18.10.1878. At the time of his birth Orissa did not have a SOCIO - POLITICAL SCENARIO distinct political identity of its own. What was The life and struggle of Biswanath and his called Orissa division at the time consisted of role can perhaps be better appreciated if one only the three districts of Cuttack, Puri and keeps in mind the socio - political scenario of the Balasore which were tagged with the province time. of Bengal.2 a) The Social Scenario The Oriya country which Biswanath saw under British rule during his time was a Biswanath was born on 18.10.1878 in new dismembered Orissa with Oriya people being Someswarpur Brahman Sasan under Sakhigopal "territorially fragmented."3 and tagged on to the police station in the Puri district. It was a time tail ends of different provinces. As regards this when society was heavily caste-ridden, outlook dismembered Oriya country, it has been said: extremely narrow - superstitions and blind beliefs "Orissa was conquered by the British in a 1 ruled the behaviour pattern of people. In those piecemeal manner by 1803 and kept politically days the highest ambit of educational ambition divided under three provinces, the Orissa Division was up to middle vernacular level. Beyond this, consisting of the coastal districts (Balasore, higher English education in the matric level was Cuttack and Puri) in Bengal, the Ganjam and more or less a forbidden zone frowned upon in Vizagpatnam districts in Madras and the the Brahmin sasans of Puri in general and new Sambalpur district with adjacent feudatory states Someswarpur in particular. It was considered to in the Central provinces."4 be sinful, ignoble and defiling by the conservative Brahmin Pundits and it was religiously enforced This political dismemberment had by them. When anybody ventured to violate this disastrous effect on the homogeneity of the Oriya norm he was put to stringent social boycott and race and prejudicially affected the culture, 5 ex-communicated. Over and above those who language and its all round development. ventured to cross the seven seas and visit England As a matter of fact, the hostile attitude of for higher education were treated as a set of the Bengalies in Orissa division, Hindi-speaking sinners, a fallen and unholy lot to be abandoned people in Sambalpur, the Telgus in Ganjam and by the society. It was considered to be a great Vizagpatnam placed the Oriya language and sin beyond redemption. Though the present culture in jeopardy. 'This was the political scenario generation may possibly look at his with a sense of Orissa which Biswanath Mishra was exposed of amused smile, it nonetheless was the social to when he grew and evolved. In view of this sad reality of the time. scenario, the problem that agitated the minds of 46 Orissa Review * August - 2008 enlightened Oriyas was the amalgamation of expressed the desire of their people to be Oriya- speaking tracts into one administrative amalgamated in a common administration.8 unit and then the formation of a separate province On the 2nd of April 1903 a meeting of the of Orissa. Orissa Association was held at Cuttack under It led to an organized movement a sustained Madhu Babu's leadership which resolved to constitutional struggle for many years to achieve submit a memorial to the Governor General of the said objective. The agitation for amalgamation India praying him to transfer to the Orissa Division, of Oriya- speaking tracts aroused and moulded the Oriya-speaking portions of the districts of public opinion in the province and helped much Ganjam, Vizagpatnam, Sambalpur, Chota for the growth of political consciousness of the Nagpur, and Midnapore so far as this could be 9 people in the early decades of the twentieth done, having regard to territorial contiguity. century.6 In 1903, the Utkal Union Conference or the Utkal Sammilani which was the brainchild of A birds eye of the main contours of the Madhu Babu and the foremost national institution Oriya movement is submitted below keeping in of the Oriya race met at Cuttack on December, view our objective to mainstream Biswanath's 30th and 31st with representatives from role in the movement. Midnapore, Sambalpur and Ganjam along with Two years before Biswanath's birth in the feudatory Chiefs of Talcher, Keonjhar, and 1876, Raja Baikuntha Nath Dev of Balasore and Dhenkanal. The first resolution related to the Sri Bichitrananda Patnaik possibly for the first time administrative union of the Oriya tracts10 apart memorialized to the British Government for Union from many other resolutions in the said of all the Oriya-speaking tracts under a single Conference. administration. This was the scenario of the Oriya During the latter half of 1902, a memorial Movement when Biswanath was a youngman of signed by hundreds of Oriyas was submitted to 25 years. Influenced and inspired by Madhu Lord Curzon , the then Governor General of India Babu, the architect of Oriya nationalism and wherein the memorialists prayed the government impelled by his own urge and dedication of India to bring together the scattered divisions Biswanath played his part in the Oriya movement inhabited by Oriya-speaking peoples i.e. Ganjam until his death in 1933 in far off Simla. But in Madras, Sambalpur in the Central Provinces unfortunately, he was not there to see the separate and Orissa in Bengal, under the government of Orissa Province which came into existence on Bengal or under anyone government.7 Early in 1st April, 1936. 1903, a small band of enthusiasts gathered in the Biswanath Babu and His formative years of town of Rambha established the Ganjam Jatiya life and struggle. Samiti (National conference). It held its first Formative Years roughly refer to the period meeting at Berhampur in the ensuing Easter with from early school days up to the college level by participation of persons from Orissa and other which time one's personality is formed, shaped Oriya Speaking tracts. The meeting unitedly and moulded. 47 Orissa Review * August - 2008 Biswanath Babu was born in a poor and Biswanath's father Sri Kulamani Mishra ordinary Brahmin family and his father Kulamani inspite of his poverty was an enlightened man of Mishra of Someswarpur Brahman Sasan was a his days with an independent and fearless mind. priest of small means and limited income, Otherwise he would possibly not have been able Biswanath's early life started with this to defy the aforesaid dictate and dictat of the background.

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