Orissa Review * April - 2010

A Study of the Formation of the Separate Province of Orissa

Kailash Chandra Dash

I for India, Stafford Northcote to the Governor Oriya quest for a separate province from the last General in Council for India dated 25th July 1867 phase of the 19th century till 1936 constitutes a (Ibid : 18-19). His suggestions for making Orissa significant aspect of the history of resurgent Orissa. and other divisions as independent units in 1867 This period witnessed a remarkable awakening came as an administrative expert¶s advice, but it among the Oriyas who constructed and articulated provided a beginning for Oriya movement for the their identity by a plurality of ways. The print amalgamation of the Oriya-speaking areas. The media became very active during this phase as a role of Utkala Sabha from 1882 in this respect marker of Oriya resurgence. Many distinguished was very significant. (Dash 2001 : 11-19). In the Oriyas in collaboration with some domiciled 20th century the demand for the amalgamation of Bengalees and Telugus started the movement for the Oriya-speaking areas for a separate identity the making of New Orissa. The social, cultural became more articulate. Raja Baikuntha Nath De and economic spheres in Orissa during this phase Bahadur of Balasore in a memorial to Lord got an extra-ordinary projection. Several forces Curzon, the Viceroy of India through Lieutenant and factors made determined efforts for the Governor on 15th December 1902 presented amalgamation of the Oriya-speaking areas lying significant points for unifying Oriya-speaking areas scattered under four different provinces - Bengal, of different administrations into one administration. Bihar, Central Province and Madras, which led (Ray 1941 : 423-428) The formation of Utkala to the formation of the province of Orissa. This Sammilani in 1903 was definitely responsible for amalgamation was a prolonged process and it highlighting the necessity for this unification and passed through many crucial phases. The the continual sessions of this Sammilani persistently amalgamation of the Oriya areas which resulted demanded the amalgamation of the Oriya- in the projection of Oriya regional identity on the speaking areas for the manifestation of an identity. linguistic basis is the major focus of this paper In 1903 a memorial was submitted on behalf of and it is based on reliable contemporary records. the people of Ganjam to the Viceroy of India for this unification. A general meeting was held under II the presidentship of Madhusudan Das at The struggle of the Oriyas to achieve for by the Utkala Sabha to deliberate on this issue of themselves a political identity is an interesting the memorial (Utkala Dipika, 25th April, 1903). reading in the context of Indian nationalism. It was attended by many elites including the (Mohanty 1982:15) The genesis of this movement students. In this meeting several resolutions were was found in the letter of the Secretary of State presented and passed by the members and the

18 Orissa Review * April - 2010 central issue was the unification of the Oriya- (of May 8, 1920). According to that report - ³The speaking areas. The amalgamation of Sambalpur Oriyas have been crying hoarse over this subject with Orissa Division was an important stage of for the last ten years and what is the result of their this process. (Mohanty 1982: 28-39; Mishra crying ? They are told that the Government of the 1979; 18-53; Patra 1979 : 108-139). day has no positive knowledge that the Oriyas The demand for the unification was raised living in the outlying parts are really willing and from different places of Orissa. In 1912 in anxious to be united to their country. We may as Shergarh of Ganjam a great meeting for this union well ask Government whether it had any positive was held (Utkala Dipika, 9th March 1912). It knowledge about the same matter when the was a large gathering of about 700 people from Government of Lord Curzon proposed the same Ganjam, Cuttack, Puri and Baripada. The Oriya amalgamation in 1903. Fifteen years ago president of the meeting was the Raja of Chikiti. our Government did not think it necessary to sound His presidential address was an articulation of the views of the people concerned. The thing is Oriya identity. This meeting paved the way for that we have not been as clamorous in our the formation of Utkal Milan Samaj in Berhampur. agitation as we should have been to attract the For the success of this organization Rajas of attention of Government. What prevents us from Dharakot, Chikiti, Surangi, Shergarh, being more clamorous in our agitation ? We take Bodarasinghi, Bada Khemundi and Manjusa; pride that we Oriyas are loyal and it is not in our elites like Harihar Panda, Balakrishna Mohapatra, nature to be offensively clamorous in political Mandhata Gorachand Pattnaik, Gopinath agitation. The Oriyas have been under British rule Gantayat, Nilamani Parija and many others formed for the last 115 years. The Punjab, Oudh, Bihar, a committee. They wanted this organisation to the and some other parts of champion the movement for the unification of the India have come under British rule for the last 70 Oriya speaking areas. In order to activise the years or so. Have not the people of these parts organisation they were eager to publish a made better political progress than the Oriyas ? newspaper from Ganjam and to spread the Are the Oriyas as a nation less intelligent than the movement for union by Pracharakas. people of the other parts of India ? We do not By 1916 there was an awakened think so. Why then have not the Oriyas been able consciousness of the Oriyas to their needs and to make better political progress ? The real fact wants (Utkala Dipika, 19th February, 1916). They is that the British Government has not been as needed consolidation as the surest means of mindful of the interest of the Oriyas as it ought to national progress. By consolidation they mean the have been because the Oriya country owing to unification of all the areas lying in different regions its peculiar political division and its hilly physical under different political administrations, living features could not be as profitable to its alien under all sorts of difficulties. The Oriyas became master as the other parts of India. The hilly nature disturbed and disjointed. Hence it was pleaded of the country points to its richness in mineral that absolute cohesion was the first and foremost resources but these resources have not been question which required to be worked out. In developed yet, because the greater portion of 1920 the demand of the Oriyas for unification Orissa has been under the rule of semi- under one administration got its intensity. An independent petty native states which owing to interesting feature on this aspect of Oriya their very smallness have been unable to develop unification appeared in an issue of Utkala Dipika their natural resources. No other province of India

19 Orissa Review * April - 2010 is so peculiarly placed as the Oriya country. administration the advantages of responsible Assam is a small country like Orissa, but in order government will do them very little good. The to make the province self-supporting two or three question of forming Orissa into a separate fertile and populous Bengal districts have been administration is a problem which may not be kept annexed to it where as natural Orissa in spite taken into consideration at present, but there can of her peculiar condition has been vivisected and be no reasonable and valid objection to the placed under four different Governments. The amalgamation of all the Oriya speaking tracts benign British Government takes pride in raising under the Bihar and Orissa administration.´ The fallen nationalities. Are the Oriyas the only nation potency of the argument of Dipika cannot be under the British flag who are destined to remain overlooked in this context. for ever a fallen nation ? Do not the Oriyas deserve The Raja Saheb of Kanika in the Central special consideration at the hands of their masters Council delivered an interesting talk on the ? What prevents the mighty British Government unification of the Oriya speaking areas under one to unite all the Oriya-speaking tracts under one administration (Utkala Dipika, 6th March 1920). administration or even adding the Chhatisgarh He strongly projected the demand by several Division of the Central Provinces to Orissa in order congent arguments. The dismemberment of to make the latter an altogether separate and self- Odisa, according to him, was responsible for the supporting administration ? The greater portion paralysis of the respectable race. He also pleaded of the Chhatisgarh Division is inhabited by people for homogeneity. In Ganjam in the 1920s the Oriya who belong to no particular nationality. The demand for unification had gone to the greatest language used by the inhabitants of that division height. Dinabandhu Das in an interesting focus in is Larhia which is a mixture of Hindi, Oriya and the nationalist Oriya weeklyAsha of 20th January Bengali and it has no literature of its own. Before 1920 stated that it was only a complete and united the opening of the B.N. Railway the agricultural Orissa which could give satisfication to the Oriyas products of Chhatisgarh Division used to pass who no longer had tolerated the inequities of the down the Mahanadi to the Orissa ports. The British Government who by keeping them construction of the Cuttack Sambalpur Railway mercilessly in four provinces had blocked the ways would again turn the tide of the traffic to its former of their national progress. He strongly presented channel and the people of Chhatisgarh would be the legitimacy of the Oriya demands for the no loser in this arrangement. As for national affinity unification of the areas south of Berhampur with the Chhatisgadis will be found to have no better Orissa. status than the Oriyas of Sambalpur which till 1903-04 formed one of the four districts of III Chhatisgarh Division. Till now the Indian Empire In the beginning of the 1920s due to the was a commercial concern, so to say, but India spread of Gandhian ideas of Swaraj the issue of has now been positively proclaimed to be really the amalgamation of the Oriya areas under one a part and parcel of the worldwide British empire administration leading to the formation of separate and the people are on the eve of enjoying the Oriya province was not given considerable blessings of actual responsible government. Are attention by many important leaders. After the the Oriyas for their acknowledged loyalty to be spread of the non-cooperation message by the deprived of this blessing ? For unless the Oriya Congress leaders and activists of Orissa the issue speaking tracts are united under one of Orissa union got secondary focus. But

20 Orissa Review * April - 2010 nationalist newspapers like Asha and Utkala The bulk of the people are still politically Dipika articulated the issue of the amalgamation unconscious and inarticulate. But if one thing more of Oriya areas. Asha from Berhampur strongly than another has agitated them during the past denounced the Telugu ascendancy over Ganjam two decades and a half, it is their political (Telugu Adhipatya o Upanibesa) and pleaded for dismemberment which has affected their interests the fulfilment of the Oriya demand for µOdiyan most grievously. The severance of Ganjam from Odisa.¶ The unification of the Oriya-speaking the body politics of Orissa and the political areas of under Orissa exigencies of the Madras Government have led administration became the main point of debate to the influx of a large number of Andhras into in 1924. A committee consisting of C.L. Philips, this district who monopolise different branches Political Agent and Commissioner, and A.C. Duff, of the administration, and form as it were, an Collector of Bellary district was appointed to intermediary ruling race. The natural consequence consider the question of the amalgamation of the of such an anomoly is that in the struggle for Oriya speaking tracts of the Madras Presidency existence the weaker Oriyas are displaced by their with Orissa in 1924. During that time it was also more aggressive competitors. But what is more widely felt that the amalgamation would give deplorable is the artificial barrier that the emphasis on the cultural unity of the Oriya people. Government has, unwittingly we hope, raised Throughout the year 1924 there were large between the Oriyas of Ganjam and those of number of meetings for the amalgamation of Oriya Orissa. Our language in this district is speaking areas. Krupasindhu Hota, a noted unconsciously mingled and mutilated owing to the Congress activist in an interesting article in Asha impact of a Dravidian culture wholly alien to our of 3rd November 1924 pleaded for the unfication race. Our Literature which could boast of a Gopal of the Oriya areas of Ganjam, Jaypore, Krishna, of a Kavisurya and a galaxy of other Medinapur, Singhbhum, Phuljhar with Orissa for equally eminent poets has been during the last Odiya Mulaka. The Oriyas of Vizianagaram century rendered barren. The holy temple of assembled in a public meeting held in the Jagannatha is ours by right and inheritance, but Annapurneswari Ayurvedic Medical Hall on 2nd we are denied the right to call it ours owing to the November 1924 which passed resolutions under provincial barriers. Our interests are woefully the presidency of Suryanarayana Pattnaik. The neglected, our vested rights usurped, and we are resolutions demanded that all the tracts inhabited treated as Cinderellas in our land of birth. The by the Oriya-speaking people under four different desire for the union of the Oriyas of this governments should be placed under one Presidency with their brethern in Orissa has been government as early as possible for the moral, for the past quarter of a century the only disturbing material and the intellectual improvement of all factor in an otherwise placid political life. The rich Oriyas. The Oriyas of Berhampur taluk presented and the poor, the literate and the illiterate, the a memorandum to the Oriya Amalgamation classes as well as the masses all have with avidity Enquiry Committee at a public meeting held on longed for the day of union. Those assembled here 29th November 1924 (Asha, 1st December are drawn from all ranks in life and represent 1924). That memorandum spells out, that ³You different political shades of opinion, and all of us are doubtlessly aware that the Oriyas, unlike their with one voice request you to convey to the more advanced brethern of other provinces, are Government of India the strong desire of the mostly a peace-loving and non-agitating people. Oriyas of this district for their union with Orissa.´

21 Orissa Review * April - 2010

This Address presents the fact of the Oriya The Garjat Chiefs of Ganjam and many mobilization for union and gives an articulation of zamindars were eager for the unification of the Oriya identity and resurgence. Oriya speaking areas of Ganjam with Orissa. But There was another great meeting in the there was considerable opposition to it in some Hanuman Temple premises in Berhampur on 24th areas of Ganjam from the side of the Telugu October 1924 for the purpose of discussing the inhabitants. Ichhapur was the famous centre of potent issue of Oriya mobilization for such anti-amalgamation movement. A Telugu amalgamation. Over two thousand people had gentleman named P.Venkatarameya with the help attended the meeting. Lingaraja Mishra, the of an Oriya named Brundaban Patra had Secretary of the Desha-mishrana Committee, distributed leaflets on the anti-unification issue. In described the necessity of the meeting. The Raja Berhampur some Telugus had revived the old of Surangi was the president. The resolution Gangam Defence League which was opposed passed in the meeting was for the unification of to the unification process (Ibid : 10th November Oriya-speaking areas of Madras Presidency with 1924). Even some Oriyas of Ganjam who were Orissa for the formation of Orissa province. thoughtless and had lacked foresight collaborated with the Telugus for their self-interest. Their In 1924 the number of Oriyas and number was very small and they could not Telugus in Ganjam Mal areas was presented in a understand the national interest. In Ghumsar and list in Asha news weekly from Berhampur. The Buguda there was powerful movement against the list is given below : process of amalgamation on behalf of the Telugus. Area Total Oriya Telugu Tribes The Oriya weekly Asha then very emphatically population demanded the formation of Orissa province on Ganjam Mal Areas the basis of language which was supported in the Udayagiri 78013 16792 37 61189 past by the illustrious Viceroys like Lord Curzon, Ramagiri 148957 53326 3341 92290 Lord Harding and others. In 1924 Bhubanananda Baliguda 105928 37952 34 72942 Das, a noted Oriya nationalist, became a strong Total 332898 103070 3407 226421 advocate of the issue of the amalgamation of the Jeypore Mal Areas Oriya speaking areas for the formation of Orissa. Koraput 56548 36398 912 18038 Maharaja Vikrama Dev Verma of Jeypore and Gunupur 120077 22304 35227 64746 the Yubaraja of Tekkali were also great advocates Parua 100867 30841 43559 22467 of this issue. In a great meeting held in Berhampur Gudari 71779 113 21340 326 in 1924 Vikrama Dev Verma as president strongly Nabarangpur 160492 140350 1291 20851 advocated for the amalgamation of the Oriya areas Bisamkatak 61844 20890 7310 33644 (Utkala Dipika, 22 March 1924). An English Malkangiri 53731 22932 3976 26823 newspaper of Masulipatam called, Janmabhumi Jaypur 162156 140879 3963 17314 under the editorship of Pattabhi Sitarammaya was Rayagarh 128997 18314 14845 95838 Putungi 80864 32808 5895 42161 against the integration of the Oriya-speaking areas of Madras Presidency with Orissa (Ibid : Total 960355 473823 138314 348208 November 15, 1924). The Tribals of these areas could understand Oriya The Philip-Duff Enquiry began in October and speak corrupt Oriya (Asha, 3rd November 1924 and was completed in December 1924. 1924). Many organisations and associations in favour

22 Orissa Review * April - 2010 of union had interacted with this body. The The Simon Commission¶s Report was an Commission in its report stated that there was a interesting step in the articulation of Oriya identity genuine longstanding and deep-seated desire on before the colonial masters. The Sub-Committee the part of the educated Oriya-speaking tracts of consisted of Suhrawardy of the Indian Central Madras for amalgamation with Orissa for one Committee, the Raja of Kanika and Lakshmidhar administration (Mohanty 1982 : 136-138). The Mohanty of the Bihar Orissa Provincial report had kindled hope in the Oriya hearts but Committee with Major Attlee as Chairman. no tangible result was achieved. In 1927, in the According to its report Oriyas living in different Central Council Nilakantha Das presented the zones are like this. proposal for the Union of the Oriya-speaking Distribution of the Oriyas areas. He said that there would be no rest to the Oriyas till the achievement of the unification, and In Bihar and Orissa Province - 4798768 that they would launch widepspread movement Orissa Feudatory States - 2440338 for that purpose. The united effort of the Oriyas, In Madras Presidency - 1566966 according to Das, was necessary for the formation of Orissa province (Utkala Dipika, 19th February In Central Provinces - 190294 1927). Madhusudan Pattnaik, a noted Oriya C.P. Feudatory States - 58578 nationalist, in 1927 strongly pleaded for the In - 142107 unification of the Oriya areas. He requested Lal Mohan Pattnaik, Lingaraj Panigrahi, Madhusudan Total - 9697051 Panigrahi, Brajasundar Das, Brajabandhu Das, Ramnarayan Mishra, Bhubananda Das, The Sub-Committee considered that the Nilakantha Das, Niranjan Pattnaik, Lakshmidhar unification of Oriya speaking areas had deserved Mohanty and other enthusiastic Oriya leaders to symapthy. It also recommended the union of be united at that crucial phase for the unification Oriya areas except Singhbhum and parts of process (Ibid : March 19, 1927). Thus there was Ganjam. It was in favour of the creation of one a strong movement in every nook and corner of province for the Oriyas. Orissa in the 1920s for the assertion of Oriya IV identity by the amalgamation of all Oriya-speaking The 1930s witnessed the most remarkable areas. phase of resurgent Orissa particularly due to the The Simon Commission¶s Report in 1928 widespread Oriya movement for unification. Oriya stressed the need for provincial redistribution. It nationalist papers like Asha and Nabeen from stated ³an urgent case for consideration and Berhampur, Utkala Dipika and Samaj from treatment was that of the Oriya-speaking people Cuttack presented the issues in a forceful manner. most but not all of whom are now included in The Oriyas described it as life and death issue Orissa, because we consider that so close a union (Jibana Marana Samasya) in the 1930s (Utkala as now exists between Orissa and Bihar is a glaring Dipika, 16th January 1930). The most example of the artificial connection of areas which remarkable achievement in this phase was the are not naturally related. We were so much Memorial of Maharaja of Parlakhemundi Krushna impressed with this instance that we arranged, in Chandra Gajapati Dev presented in the Round co-operation with the Indian Central Committee Table Conference in 1930. The Memorial by the to investigate it more in detail (Das 1931 : 6-8). Rajasaheb described the need of the Oriyas for a

23 Orissa Review * April - 2010 separate province. He spoke about the Orissa was their legitimate demand. In that appeal dismembered condition of the Oriyas and stated they sought to mobilize the Oriya-speaking people that the Oriyas had all along been expressing their of Medinpur for amalgamation (Ibid : March 14, desire to remain united. He presented the 1931). Godabarish Mahapatra in a long significance of the past of the Oriyas and their provoking article in Asha of 26th October 1931 economic potency (Nabeen, January-March, stated that the Oriya brothers of Medinpur despite 1931). fierce Bengali influence did not lose their In 1931 there was great awakening in nationality. Mahapatra in Medinpur saw anti- Medinpur, Singhbhum and Manbhum for the union Oriya attitude in a meeting at Nayabasana. of the Oriya-speaking areas with Orissa. He stated that there were 12 lakh of Godabarish Mahapatra, an enthusiastic Oriya Oriyas in Medinpur and for their self-revelation a organiser in 1931 pleaded strongly for the great awakening among them was necessary. He unification of Medinpur with Orissa. was happy to get the support of Biswambhar Das Medinibandhava, the news weekly from Praharaj Mahapatra for the Oriya movement. Medinpur was pro-Oriya since 1915. From 1915 Biswambhar during that curcial phase was ready onwards Oriya advocates of Medinpur like to provide full support for the movement of the Radhanath Pati, Sureswar Pati, Bhagabat Oriya unification (Ibid). In 1930s there was great Chandra Das, Shyamacharan Acharya and movement in Dhalbhum for union with Orissa. On Hemachandra Tripathy had expressed great 4th August 1931 at Gandhaliya (Dhalbhum) there sympathy for the amalgamation movement. The was a great meeting under the presidentship of Oriya zamindars of Baliyabedha, Basudebpur, Purnachandra Das (Asha, 24th August 1931). Mohanpur, Pachetgarh and Khandabhui, About 1200 people attended the meeting. In that belonging to Medinpur area also supported this meeting Dhalbhum was considered as a secluded amalgamation movement. Chaudhuri Oriya area and the members present there Krishnachandra Das Mahapatra (The Zamindar expressed their willingness to be a part of Orissa. of Baliyabedha) was a strong advocate of this Similar meetings were held at Malkudi and movement (Utkala Dipika, 21st August 1915). Narasimhagarh in 1931 for the purpose of the In February, 1931 Radhanath Pati, movement for amalgamation (Ibid). At Lakshminarayan Sahu, Bhagabat Chandra Das, Narasimhagarh the tribal people had an awakening Bhuinya Kailash Chandra Ray Mahapatra, for union with Orissa in 1931. In that meeting Julara Bhubananda Das and Biswanath Kar in an appeal Majhi, Ganesh Majhi, Kalicharan Ramdas Majhi, in Utkala Dipika stated that in the Census the Ganesh Murmu, Gaurahari Sabat, Bhikhari Oriyas of Medinpur should identify themselves Mandal and Chaitanya Majhi gave their speeches as the Oriya-speaking people and not as Bengalis. for union with Orissa. In the meeting a resolution In another joint appeal in Utkala Dipika of March was passed to support the decision of the meeting 1931, Hemachandra Tripathy from Dantun of the people at that place on 26th July 1931 (Medinpur), Chaudhuri Ramachandra Saha, under the presidentship of Pratap Chandra Dhabal Dasarathi Pati Vidyavinod, Surendranath Deb for the inclusion of Dhalbhum with Utkala Mukhopadhyaya, Prabir Chandra Das, Bhuinya (Ibid : 21st September 1931). In 1931 several Mahesh Chandra Das Mohapatra, Satis Chandra Oriya leaders and activists visited the areas of Maity and Janakinath Das stated that Medinpur Singhbhum, Medinpur and Ganjam for the was an Oriya-speaking area and its union with movement of Oriya Union. Jadumani Mangaraja,

24 Orissa Review * April - 2010 a noted Oriya organiser visited several areas of the lack of link with Orissa. He strongly protested Singhbhum and Medinpur in October 1931 for that the Oriyas of Medinpur did not get any help the spread of Oriya movement. He stated that in from the Oriyas of Orissa in times of need. But in Medinpur, Birendra Sasmal had spread anti-Oriya the last stage Godabarish stood to refute the movement by publishing his provoking articles in arguments of Sasmal and convinced the people several newspapers (Ibid : 5th October 1931). about the necessity of amalgamation of Oriya- Bengali editors in Calcutta demanded the speaking areas of Medinpur with Orissa (Asha, Motigunj area of Balasore as a part of Bengal 25th November 1931). In 1931 there were (Ibid.). Mangaraj stated then that the Oriya meetings in Manjusha, Chikiti and Parala on the everywhere could have an awakening by which question of the amalgamation of the Oriya areas they would carry on countrywide agitation for of Madras with Orissa. Orissa union. The Government of British India decided Not only the leaders wanted to mobilize to appoint a committee to examine and report on the people for the purpose of amalgamation of the administrative, financial and other Oriya areas, many poets and writers started consequences of setting up a separate writing on the burning issue of Orissa Union which administration for the Oriya-speaking people. The could provoke the people in many areas. enquiry was entrusted to a small body under the Mayadhar Manasingh on behalf of Pragati Sangha chairmanship of Sir Samuel O¶ Donnell (Report composed a poem entitled Uttistha Utkala of the Orissa Committee, Vol.I and II, 1932). The (Awaken O Utkala) which was published in Asha members of this committee were H.M. Mehta and of 12th October 1931. A part of the poem has T.R. Phookun. The associated members were been quoted here ; Raja of Parlakhemundi, Satchindananda Sinha Uthare Supta Jati and C.V.S. Narasimha Raju. The terms of Nidrabibhora dekhi pratibeshi reference to the committee were - Nebeto anga kati I. If a separate province of Orissa were to Uttare achhi Chatura Vanga Dakshine rahichhi taki Telanga be created - Gudhra samana Katibe anga (i) What would be the boundaries of such a Nebe anande banti. province ? Nilakantha Das from Nayabasana area (ii) What would be the administrative, wrote a letter to the editor of Asha on 26th financial and other consequences in such a November 1931 about the anti-Oriya feeling of province ? Birendra Sasmal of Kanthi. He insisted on the merger of Medinpur with Orissa on linguistic and (iii) What would be the administrative, historical grounds. There was great protest against financial and other consequences in the adjoining the anti-Oriya attitude of Birendra Sasmal in the territories of British India ? nationalist newspaper Asha. In one meeting The committee met for the first time at attended by Godabarish Mishra, Lalmohan Patna on the 7th November 1931 and was Pattnaik and other Oriya leaders at anxious to enlist the assistance and co-operation Gopiballabhpur on November 21 of 1931 of the public. It invited submission of written Sasmal did not hesitate to point out the necessity memoranda from public bodies, organised of the amalgamation of Medinpur with Bengal for associations and leading members of the general

25 Orissa Review * April - 2010 public. During that period the Utkala Union Andhra and they began to oppose the Oriya Conference and Orissa Congress unit were movement for a separate province. The meeting combined and called the United Orissa decided to collect funds from the Rajas of Conference. Nilakantha Das was the president Vijayanagara and Bobbili for the anti-Oriya of this body (Mohanty 1982 : 114-115). On movement in Ganjam and Madras. There was behalf of the Conference the President presented also another meeting at Sitaram Bilas Film Hall in a memorandum on the Utkala Province on Berhampur which was conducted by the Telugus November 8, 1931 to the O¶Donnell Committee. of Ganjam and Vishakhapatnam under the The memorandum was a comprehensive Presidency of V. Ramdas Pantulu, an advocate document of both the Utkala Sammilani and from Madras. The resolutions of this meeting Orissa Congress, and it expressed cogent included the strong protest of the Telugus against arguments for the formation of a United Orissa. the formation of Oriya Province on linguistic basis. The memorandum suggested component parts of The meeting also decided to observe Andhra- the Orissa Province which included the Orissa Vishakhapatnam protest day against the Oriya Division, the district of Singhbhum areas of movement (Ibid; July 11, 1932). During this year Barabhum and Manbhum, sub-divisions of Contai there was great mobilization from the side of many and Jhargram, thanas of Kharagpur, Oriya leaders and activists against the anti-Oriya Narayanagarh, Danton, Mohanpur, Kesiari of movement. Noted Oriyas like Lakshmi Narayan Medinpur district, thanas of Similiapal, Raipur and Sahu, Narasimha Panigrahi and Satyanarayan Khatra of Bankura district, Khariar, Phuljhar and Rajaguru demanded in their articles the strong Bindra Noagarh of Raipur district, Chandrapur, necessity of the formation of a separate province Padmapur, Malkhurda zamindaries and nine Jogni of Orissa. On the occasion of the Odisa villages of the Bilaspur district, district of Ganjam Pruthakikarana Dibasa in October 1932 and Vizagapatnam Agency. The memorandum Satyanarayan Rajaguru in a meeting in stated that the creation of a separate province for Parlakhemundi welcomed the auspicious day of the dismembered Oriyas would be a standing the New Orissa and appreciated the imperishable monument of the vindication of the British sense contribution of the Maharaja of Parlakhemundi of Justice in righting a wrong committed and (Asha, October 24, 1932). continued through indifference. The memoranda The Federal Finance Committee in 1932 submitted by the people of South-West had given its report in favour of the formation of Medinpur, Singhbhum, Central Provinces, Orissa Province (Ibid : 26th December 1932). Ganjam, Parlakhemundi, Jeypore Amalgamation In the Third Round Table Conference the Committee and Utkala Union Committee proposal for the formation of the separate indicated a clear articulation of Oriya identity in a province of Orissa was discussed and the chief phase of the great Indian nationalism. of Khalikote had attended it. There was however While there was a strong movement for no consideration for the merger of the Orissa the creation of a separate province for the Oriyas, Garjats with the proposed separate province(Ibid there was anti-amalgamation movement in : 7th January 1933). A man from Saluru Berhampur in May 1932 in the Andhra Bhasa sarcastically commented on this important issue- Bibardhini Sabha Hall by some of the Telugu ¶the Garjat chiefs would remain as people (Asha, May 9, 1932). The resolutions of Gothakhandia¶ (disconnected from their group) the meeting demanded to retain Ganjam within (Ibid.). Despite the exclusion of Garjat areas the

26 Orissa Review * April - 2010 formation of the separate province of Orissa was a distinctly separate race among the races of the nearing completion in 1933. After the Third Round country, but also for the loss of her ancient glory Table Conference the Home Government in trade, commerce, industries, art and sculpture, published the long awaited White Paper on 18th so magnificently recorded in the history of the March 1933 containing proposals for consitutional country (Nabeen, 1st April, 1936). The reforms in India and the boundaries of the indomitable will, the spirit of self sacrifice, proposed Orissa province (Mishra 1979 :198- enormous zeal and unflinching devotion that the 199). The White Paper set off a strong reaction leaders had evinced from the beginning to the end in Orissa for it had excluded the estates of Jeypore of this long struggle make it an interesting chapter and Parlakhemundi from the proposed province in the hisotry of pre-Independence Orissa. (Ibid). The Congress men of Orissa called for References : protests, demonstrations and even agitation against the arbitrary award of the Government (Ibid). The 1. Asha, Oriya Weekly, Berhampur, 1924, 1931, 1932, 1933. Rajas of Parlakhemundi and Khalikote and elites like Lingaraja Panigrahi, Bhubanananda Das and 2. Das, Brajasundar, 1931. Orissa in Simon, Nehru Shyamasundar Gantayat went to London to press Reports, Cuttack. the Home Government for a reconsideration of 3. Dash, Kailash Chandra, 2001. ³Utkala Sabha the boundary issue. They met Sir Samuel Hoare, and the Articulation of Oriya Identity´, Orissa Review, Vol.LVII, No.9, April, Government of the Secretary of State and forcefully argued their Orissa, . case (Ibid : 200). In the last stage the Joint Select Committee considered this problem and all 4. Mohanty Nibedita, 1982. Oriya Nationalism, Quest for a United Orissa, Manohar hurdles for the creation of a separate province Publications, New . were cleared. 5. Naveen, Oriya Weekly, Berhampur, 1931 and The total area of the new province was 1936. to be 32695 square miles with a population of 6. Orissa Committee Report Vol. I and II, 1932, 8043681 divided into six districts, viz., Cuttack, Government of India, Calcutta. Puri, Balasore, Sambalpur, Ganjam and Koraput. 7. Patra, S.C. 1979. Formation of the Province of The old district of Angul was split up into two. Orissa. The Success of the First Linguistic For the Angul portion, the Collector of Cuttack Movement in India, Punthi Pustak, Calcutta. became the ex-officio Deputy Commissioner and 8. Mishra, P.K. 1979. The Political History of for the Khondmal portion, the Collector of Orissa : 1900-1936, New Delhi. Ganjam functioned as the Deputy Commissioner. 9. Ray Durgacharan, 1941. Radhanatha Jibani, Thus almost after three decades of Cuttack. incessant trials and agitations of the great leaders 10. Utkala Dipika, Oriya Weekly, Cuttack, 1903, like Madhusudan Das, Nilakantha Das, 1912, 1915, 1916, 1920, 1924, 1927, 1930, 1931. Bhubanananda Das, Krishna Chandra Gajapati Dev and others for the unification of the Oriya- speaking tracts, the New Orissa Province came into being in 1936. As stated by Dibakar Pattnaik, Kailash Chandra Dash lives at C-3/2, B.J.B. Nagar, her dismembered condition was held primarily Bhubaneswar - 14. He is a Government College teacher responsible not only for the loss of her identity as in History.

27