Emergence of Orissa As a Separate State and Contribution of Khallikote Raj Family
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Orissa Review * April - 2010 Emergence of Orissa as a Separate State and Contribution of Khallikote Raj Family Dr. Dasarathi Bhuyan The Khallikote Raj Family was the brain, heart he advised to Shri Sashibhusan Rath of Ganjam and soul of the Oriya nationalist movement which to publish an Oriya Weekly. Soon after, aimed at linguistic, literary, cultural and territorial Sashibhusan Rath started his Oriya Weekly integration of Oriya-speaking people with a ³Asha´ which was published from Brahmapur. separate identity of their own. In 1901 four During that time Vidyaratna was very close to prominent persons of the time-Harihara Mardraj poet Radhanath Roy because earlier he was a Dev-the Raja of Khallikote, Nilamani Vidyaratna- Primary Teacher where Roy was the School an eminent litterateur, Narasingh Das and Harihara Inspector. Roy introduced Nilamani Vidyaratna Panda, the first Oriya pleader of Ganjam-met at to the Raja of Bamanda, Sri Sudhala Dev for the the Rambha Palace of the Raja of Khallikote to purpose of publication of an Oriya journal. Raja discuss the future of the Oriyas under the of Bamanda started an Oriya Journal named leadership of Madhusudan Das. ³It was in this ³Sambalpur Hitaisini´ and Vidyaratna was conclave of secret deliberations that the appointed as the editor. When Vidyaratna came foundation of the future of the race was laid´, to know about the nationalist movement and wrote L.M.Patnaik in his book ³Resurrected patriotic activities of Harihara Mardaraj he soon Orissa´. left Bamanda and joined hands with the Raja of In April 1903 the Ganjam National Khallikote. Very soon Raja Harihara Mardaraj Conference held under the auspices of Ganjam purchased a press and he started a weekly journal Jatiya Samity. In this conference the Oriyas of ³Prajabandhu´. Nilamani Vidyaratna took the Ganjam led by Harihara Mardraj, the Raja of editorship of that weekly. The press was set up Khallikote expressed their desire for a united at Rambha Palace and later on it was known as Orissa. Madhusudan Das, who was present in ³Mardaraj Press´. µPrajabandhu¶ all through its the conference proposed to convene another career focused the grievances of the Oriyas. When conference on a much bigger scale to press the the Oriya nationalist movement was taking boost, demand. Thus the Utkal Sammilani or Utkal Raja Harihara Mardaraj met with untimely death Union Conference was born in December 1903 on 20th July 1909. At the Prince Ramachandra with the Utkal Sabha merging in it. Mardaraj was minor, the estate of Khallikote kept Sri Nilamani Vidyaratna, a prominent under the Madras Court of Wards. On Oriya nationalist and journalist was working in Fourteenth of January, 1921 Raja Ramachandra the Badakhemundi Raj Darabar. On one occasion Mardaraj Dev came to the throne. 1 Orissa Review * April - 2010 Ramachandra Mardaraj Dev was at Rambha palace from seventeenth December nominated as the President of District Board of to twenty-first of December, 1924. He convinced Ganjam by the Madras Government in 1922 and the Commission giving all the logical arguments continued this position until 1937. He managed right from the birth of Utkal Sammilani and his to hold this office unopposed in every successive father¶s sincere attempts for the amalgamation of term of three years. Ganjam district benefited a Oriya speaking tracts. lot by the endeavour of his presidentship. A The Viceroy appointed the three-member number of bridges were constructed throughout Orissa Boundary Committee with Samuel Ganjam district during his tenure. The major 2¶Donnell as the Chairman and H.M.Mehata and bridges over Rushikulya, Bahuda, Badanadi, T.Phookan as members. The Committee was to Bansadhara and the Mahendratanaya were built go into the question of a separate administration because of his endless efforts. That¶s why the for Orissa from financial and other angles and to people of Ganjam popularly called him as the make recommendations regarding adjustment of ³Bridge President´. Not only the bridges but also boundaries in the event of separation. The a huge number of Road networks and new Dak 2¶Donnell Committee visited Gopalpur-on-Sea Bungalows were constructed during his tenure as on fifteenth of December, 1931. Ram Chandra the Ganjam District President. Mardaraj helped the Committee in giving all the In order to improve the agriculture evidences for the amalgamation of the Oriya production, he made available a number of speaking tracts. Sashibhusan Rath, Niranjan irrigation projects in the district. Notable among Pattnayak, Shrikrushna Mahapatra, Laxmidhara them were the ³Niraspalli Project´ at Athagada, Mahanty, Biswanath Mishra, Bhubanananda Das, ³Narendra Sankha´ of Biridi, ³Purnachandra Lingaraj Panigrahi, and Laxminarayan Pattanayak Sagara´ and ³Mohan Sagar´ at Khallikote. were the members of the Witness Committee. A Because of his selfless service to the mankind he huge gathering welcomed the Committee at the was honoured with the heredity title of ³Raja´ in Brahmapur Railway Station. During this time the July 1927. people of Ganjam were going to Rangoon for numeral works for livelihood. They were gathering He earned good name and fame as a at Gopalpur before one or two days for boarding dynamic member of the Madras Legislative the ship. The Raja of Khallikote Ramachandra Council from 1923 to 1936 till the new province Mardaraj motivated the members of the of Orissa was created. As a member he took 2¶Donnell Committee to witness the people active part in all important debates in the floor of gathered for sea journey in nearby places. The the legislature and made marks. He always fought Committee recommended that if the province of for the interest of Orissa. As a legislator he was Orissa was to be created it should include the principled, honest, sincere, dutiful and punctual. Orissa Division consisting of Cuttack, Puri, He fought for protecting the interests of the Oriyas. Baleswar and Sambalpur districts, Anugul, the He demanded amalgamation of Oriya speaking Khariar Zamidary of Raipur district and the areas into one common province. greater part of the Ganjam district and Role of Ramachandra Dev for the Vizagapatanam Agency Tracts. formation of separate Orissa State is noteworthy. The Third Round Table Conference was It was he who successfully convinced the Phillip- held in London in December, 1932. Duff-Committee, who visited Rambha and stayed Ramachandra Mardaraj was invited to this 2 Orissa Review * April - 2010 conference as a delegate. There he successfully come was a landslide victory for the Congress. presented the grievances of the Oriyas and played Fresh hurdles stood in the way of the Orissa a prominent role in the deliberations regarding Congress Party. The Congress protested against Indian Constitutional Reforms. the Governor's special powers of interference and Ramachandra Mardaraj earned a good declined to accept the office. In the circumstances name in the Orissa Legislative Assembly both as the Governor of Orissa, J.A.Hubback invited the a legislator and as a minister. He was a member National Party leader, K.C. Gajapati Narayan of Indian Central Legislature from 1945 to 1951. Dev, the Maharaja of Parlakhemundi, to form the After the new Constitution came into force he was Ministry in 1937. The minority Ministry of elected twice to the Orissa Legislative Assembly Parlakhemundi was in an anomalous position. It in 1951 from Khallikote constituency and in 1957 would have been defeated had the legislature met. from Kodala constituency. The three months that followed the constitutional crisis created by the Congress party¶s refusal to After the formation of Orissa as a new accept office, gave rise to much political province then came the general election to the excitement. Realizing the untenability of the 60-member State Assembly in January 1937-the situation the Viceroy made a statement in June first ever poll in the new-born province. For the 1937 clarifying the constitutional position virtually Congress it was a great challenge. The very backing out of his earlier posture. The misgivings thought of fighting against the combined strength over, the Congress decided in July 1937 to accept of the resourceful Zamidara sent shivers down the spine of many a Congress leaders. Mahatab office. The Maharaja of Parlakhemundi tendered retired to his Ashram at Agarapara practically his resignation. Biswanath Das came into power boycotting the poll. Very few were optimistic of on July 19, 1937. But things inside the Congress the party¶s success. The organization was so weak were hardly looked up. Intra-party quarrel that it was difficult even to get persons brave intensified instead of abating. The Ministry did not enough to fight election on Congress ticket. The last beyond October 1939 when it had to resign election took place in January 1937 on the basis in pursuance of the Congress resolution not to of limited franchise. The Legislative Assembly co-operate with the British war effort. Orissa consisted of 60 seats-of which 56 were open to came under the direct Governor¶s rule for the first contest and four were reserved for nominated time and the Assembly was kept inanimated representatives of backward tribes. The principal suspension. Nilakantha Das and Godavarish contestant parties, besides the Congress, were Mishra, openly flouting the Congress directive, the National Party of the Maharaja of made a bid for an alternative Ministry under the Parlakhemundi; The United Party of (Raja) leadership of Raja of Khallikote, Ramachandra S.N.Bhanja Deo of Kanika and the Independent Mardaraj Dev. But it was torpedoed by Mahatab, Party of (Raja) Ramachandra Mardaraj Dev of Biswanath Das and Nabakrushna Choudhary. Khallikote. The Congress Party successfully Then a three-member Cabinet headed by appealed to the rural masses in the magic name Gajapati Narayan Dev and with Godavarish of Mahatma Gandhi. The short tour of Pandit Mishra and Sobhan Khan as Ministers assumed Jawaharlal Nehru in the second week of office in November 1941.