Orissa Review * April-May - 2009 Integration of Princely States Under Dr. Harekrushna Mahtab Balabhadra Ghadai The Constitution of Orissa Order-1936 got the different parts of the Princely States in Orissa. In approval of the British king on 3rd March, 1936. 1938 Praja Mandals (People's Association) were It was announced that the new province would formed and under their banner, struggle began come into being on 1st April, 1936 with Sir John for securing democratic rights. In the Princely State Austin Hubback, I.C.S. as the Governor. On the of Talcher a movement against feudal exploitation appointed day in a solemn ceremony held at the made significant advance. There was unrest at Ravenshaw College Hall, Cuttack, Sir John Austin Dhenkanal also where the Ruler tried his best to Hubback was administered the oath of office by suppress it. In October 1938, six persons including Sir Courtney Terrel, the Chief Justice of Bihar a 12 year old boy named Baji Rout died as a and Orissa High Court. The Governor read out result of firing. In Ranpur there was an out-break the message of goodwill received from the king- of lawlessness and the situation became serious emperor George VI and the Viceroy of India in January 1939 when the Political Agent Major Lord Linlithgow, for the people of Orissa. Thus, R.L. Bazelgatte was messacred by the mob on 5 the long cherished dream of the Oriya speaking January, 1939 at Ranpur. The troops were sent people of years at last became a reality. to crush the people's movement. There was unrest Despite staunch opposition to Government in Ranpur State in April, 1939, which was of India Act, 1935 election to the Provincial ruthlessly subdued. Legislatures were held from 18th January to 23rd An enquiry committee was constituted in January, 1937. One of the objectives of the 1937 under the chairmanship of Dr. Harekrushna Congress was to fight against the Government of Mahtab to investigate the condition of the native India Act, 1935 and to replace it by a constitution states and it submitted its report in July, 1938. It made by the people of India themselves. This was mentioned in the report that in most of the encouraged the people of the new province to states people suffered from worst oppression. agitate for Civil Liberties and responsible One of the important recommendations of the Government. committee was to cancel the Sanads granted to In the year 1938 the Congress had the ruling chiefs and merge their territories with declared at the Haripur Session that the goal of the province of Orissa. The States Enquiry Purna Swaraj also included the independence of Committee report was submitted to Lord Princely States. There was unrest and chaos in Linlithgow, the Viceroy, during his visit to Orissa 1 Orissa Review * April-May - 2009 in 1939. The Viceroy remarked that there was to join with the province and bring about a no precise geographical boundary as such common administration. between the province of Orissa and the Feudatory The rulers of the Orissa States did not show States and the people were closely linked in any interest to merge their states with the province. various ways. The idea of integration of states On the other hand, in July 1946 they met in a was implicit in the enquiry report. conference at Alipore and decided to form a feudal Prior to the transfer of power, H.K. union of the Chhatisgarh and Orissa States. But Mahtab the Premier of Orissa Province had made Mahtab did not give up the hope of some serious attempts to solve the problems of Orissa. understanding and again met the Orissa rulers on He met the members of the Cabinet Mission on 16th October, 1946 at Sambalpur and initiated a 6th April, 1946 and placed a memorandum before discussion with them in the presence of the Political them in which he pleaded strongly for Agent about the necessity of one administration amalgamation of the Garjats with province. On for the states and the province. During the 26th April 1946 he wrote to Stafford Cripps : discussion which lasted for about six hours "You know I am very much interested in the Mahtab emphasised on administration of law and amalgamation of the 26 Orissa States with the order, food and cloth, control of river system, Province of Orissa. I hope you will continue to development of communication, organisation of exercise your influence with the authorities Public Health, development of Education etc. But concerned to bring this about as immediately as the long discussion yielded no satisfactory result. possible. It seems to me none is willing to get out The rulers of Orissa States were bent upon of the route he has put himself in, I think voluntarily maintaining their separate identities and did not or under pressure of circumstances. I think a like to amalgamate with the province. vigorous push is necessary to get the entire thing With the attainment of independence there out of route. Where we say independence we emerged two opposing forces in the feudatory mean this kind of vigorous push. I hope you will states of Orissa. While one demanded merger of be able to supply this to India this time "As there the states with the province, the other demanded were so many important matters before the the formation of popular ministries under the aegis Cabinet Mission it would not look to the specific problem of Orissa. In the statement of Cabinet of the Rulers. The Regional Council of the Mission issued on 16th May, 1946, it was A.I.S.P.C. amply aided by the provincial however contemplated that a satisfactory solution government of Orissa, championed the cause of to the problem of the Indian States would be the merger. H.K. Mahtab, the Premier of Orissa achieved by mutual negotiations. Mahtab tried his sincerely tried to stop the activities of the anti- best to convince the rulers of Orissa States about merger group. the benefits of mutual co-operation and wrote to On 20th November, 1947 a meeting was them personal letters on 10th May, 1946 and again held in Delhi in the official chamber of the on 29th June 1946. He was convinced that the Secretary to Government of India, Ministry of amalgamation of the states with the province on States, to discuss on the problem. In this meeting terms agreed upon by the parties concerned Mahtab and the Regional Commissioner of would best serve the interest of both the province Sambalpur were present. In the meeting three and states. Therefore, he appealed to the rulers tentative conclusions were reached : first, the 2 Orissa Review * April-May - 2009 Eastern States Union should not be recognised power to administer the Orissa states in the same by the Government of India. Secondly, that the manner as the district in that province. The merger 'B' and 'C' class states should be asked to agree of the 25 states came into force from 1st January, to common administration of certain subjects by 1948. The only state that was left out of the the provincial government and thirdly, the Ministry scheme of the merger was Mayurbhanj. But in should call a meeting of the rulers of 'B' and 'C; the course of a year, the Ruler himself got disgusted class states at Cuttack sometimes in December, with his own Government and pleaded for a take 1947. over of the state. On 1st January, 1949 the state Sardar Patel, the Minister of States, V.P. was merged with the province of Orissa. The two Menon, the Secretary of the States Department states of Sareikela and Kharasuan which were and others reached Cuttack on 13th December originally integrated with Orissa were finally 1947. They met the rulers of Orissa States on transferred to the Government of Bihar through 14th December. The Minister exhorted the Rulers the arbitration of the Government of India. Thus to voluntarily relinquish all power and authority, Dr. Mahtab's leading role in the field of integration as they had no resource to build up a stable of Princely States has made his name uneffaceable government. After hesitating initially 25 Rulers in the minds of millions of people of Orissa for all affixed their signatures in the merger document. time to come. Only Mayurbhanj was left out of the agreement on the ground that the ruler had then set up a government composed of popular representatives and so could not make any commitment without consulting his Ministers. The Government of India Balabhadra Ghadai is the Principal of M.K. College, then delegated to the Government of Orissa the Khiching in the district of Mayurbhanj. The writers are requested to send their materials in CD format (both hard & soft copies) to the Editor, Orissa Review, Information & Public Relations Department, Government of Orissa, Loksampark Bhawan, Bhubaneswar - 751001 3 Orissa Review * April-May - 2009 Madhubabu - The Great Personality Dinakrishna Joshi Madhusudan Das was born on 28th April 1848 manners and highly evocative ways in which the just twenty years after the birth of Leo Tolstoy. giant cooperative enterprises and stores were He was a modern thinker of India and champion running, by closely pursuing the cardinal and of Liberty and profounder of Legal Aid. benign principles enunciated by the Rochdale Madhusudan Das played vital role as legislature, pioneers. He was thrilled with inquisitiveness as a social worker, political reformer as well as a which had overpowered him. He soon visited lawyer. His life history is the history of half century Manchester, the headquarter of the Central of Orissa.