Freedom Movement in Bari

"Imperialism built a system which interlocked movement in Jajpur we get such knowledge its rule in locality, province and nation; from the memoirs of three key figures - nationalism emerged as a matching structure in amadevi, Manmohan Chaudhury and politics."Though freedom movement in any Annapurna Maharana.1 Some years back a locality was a part of the all India Movement freedom fighter of Jajpur, named Arttabandhu in Gandhian era and should be assessed in Mahanty who died in 1989 and his associate terms of the policies and programmes of the Dasarathi Samal (a patriotic singer, dramatist Indian National Congress, yet the nature of and actor) compiled data on freedom mobilisation which was dependent upon local movement in Jajpur which was later on edited milieu, situation and leadership should not be by Sharat Chandra Maharana and published at lost sight of. So far as local leadership was Koraput. This book, entitled Mukti concerned, in many areas there were miniature Sangramare Bari Anchala gives an account of Gandhis. The work whichn Mahatma Gandhi freedom movement in Bari (which is now a was doing at Sevagram near Wardha was constituency of Orissa Legislative Assembly), being done by Gopabandhu Choudhury at as well as biographical notes and, where Sebaghar in Bari area of Jajpur district (then a possible, personal statements, of freedom sub-division of Cuttack district) who earned fighters themselves. In his biography of the epithet 'Gandhi of Bari'. In terms of source Gopabandhu Choudhury, entitled Dhuli material as well as actual mobilisation and Matira Santha, (Vidyapuri, Cuttack, 1985) work Jajpur is entitled to have an important Gopinath Mohanty, the well-known Oriya place in the historiography of freedom novelist has given some data about movement in Orissa. Researchers on freedom constructive work in Bari, collected from a movement consult the memoirs, diaries and journal, called Gandhi Sebasangha Patrika, private papers of active participants in freedom edited by Gopabandhu Choudhury, which was struggle besides the official records and being published from Bari. The Gandhian newspapers. Though such accounts are movement alternated subjective in character and likely to have been between agitational activities like coloured by personal feelings and bias, yet Noncooperation and Civil Disobedience they give us intimate knowledge about the Movement and constructive work. events in which freedo fighters were actively Constructive work, apparently meant for social involved. About freedom. reconstruction or nation building also had a strategic – revolutionary. Beraboi village near Delang railway station, and in Dadha village near Barang railway station respectively Gopabandhu Chaudhury, and significance, because it roused awareness Ramadevi chose as the area of their work Bari, among the people and the constructive workers the flood-prone area, situated between the also often took active part in agitational Kharswan and Brahmani rivers, where activities. Constructive work could be Chaudhury had done relief work as deputy sometimes carried on within the framework of magistrate during the days of Non-cooperation semi-authoritarian and semi-hegemonic Movement. In August 1934, when the river colonial government. For example, after the Brahmani was full Gopabandhu and Ramadevi inauguration of provincial autonomy with a band of seven young women (Sushila experiment in Gandhian scheme of Basic Devi, Mangala, Shova, Godavari, Manika, Education was launched with Government Tulasi and Annapurna) came by boat to Bari, approval.2 Against the background of all-India leaving behind his weeping old mother and nationalist movement, the movement in Jajpur other family members at Bakhrabad, Cuttack. district can be divided into three phases - Initially they stayed in the choupatty of Baman 1930- 34, 1934-39 and 1940-45. In 1930 Charan Das, a local Zamindar of the Bagda Ramadevi addressed a large gathering in Bari. village and later established their Ashram in a During the Civil Disobedience Movement mud-built thatched house in a plot of land some meetings and processions were donated by this zamindar. The Ashram was organized in Jajpur. Some people engaged named as Sebaghar (abode of service) by themselves in such activities as opium- Mahatma Gandhi. While Gandhians took up picketting and cutting of date trees. Prominent constructive work in villages, the Congress among those who participated in Civil Socialists started peasant movement in the Disobedience Movement at Jajpur were villages. They tried to organise the peasants as Balaram Pati, Bipin Bihari Mahanty, Gadadhar a class and set them against the Zamindars, as Dutta, Padmanabha Roy and Bhagaban Sahu. they aimed at abolition of zamindary. In In 1931, for the A.I.C.C. Session, proposed to Sukinda, Dharmasala and Gadamadhupur the be held at Puri, volunteers were recruited from socialists organised the non-tribal and tribal Jajpur district, particularly from Bari. That peasants. Nabakrushna Chaudhury, Malatidevi, Session could not be held because of Gouranga Charan Das and Surendra Nath resumption of Civil Disobedience Movement Dwivedy addressed peasants in these areas. In by Congress soon after Mahatma Gandhi's Dharmasala there were local peasant leaders return from the second session of Round Table like Paramananda Mahanty and Baladeva Lala. Conference and the volunteers, recruited at On 1 and 2 September 1938 Cuttack district Bari, among whom there were a number of peasant conference was held at Jenapur. The women such as Krushna Kamini Devi, Pramila second day of the conference was celebrated as Sundari Devi, Nirupama Devi, Hiranmayi 'Dhenkanal Day'. On that day thousands of Devi and Priyambada Devi participated in the peasants from Dhenkanal attended the resumed Civil Disobedience Movement and conference. The Jenapur rally gave momentum went to jail. After the withdrawal of Civil to the Prajamandal Movement in Dhenkanal Disobedience Movement Gandhi advised State.While the socialists were mobilising the Congressmen all over the country to take up peasants against zamindars, the Gandhian rural reconstruction. At the end of his Harijan constructive workers were giving moral padayatra in Orissa, at Bhadrak, he advised support to the oppressed peasants some of Congress workers to go back to villages. In whom happened to be untouchable Hindus response to this advice while Krupasindhu (Harijans) so that they would be able to Hota and Gunanidhi Mahanty took up work in withstand the zamindars oppression on their own. The Gandhians also tried to settle were allowed to enter the family temple of the disputes between the zamindars and peasants zamindar Baman Charan Das. The experiments in amicable ways. in basic education was quite popular in Bari. They were able to settle the long-standing Some people donated lands for basic schools. dispute between the Ratnagiri zamindar and The free atmosphere of basic schools was liked his tenants.3 The very presence and activities by the students. They were not afraid of their of the Gandhians created a spirit of teachers as in ordinary primary schools.7 The understanding between zamindars and schools were attended by boys and girls of all peasants. Ramadevi writes - "We did not feel castes, caste Hindu as well as Harijan, though any necessity to organise the peasants against sometimes the caste Hindu guardians raised the zamindars' oppression. The latter's objection to sitting of their children with the exploitation and oppression ceased Harijans.8 The failure of Basic Schools during automatically."4 A local Congress worker the Second World War was due to the observes; "Ever since Gopabandhu came to provisional nature of the scheme and Bari all oppression has been stopped, and withdrawal of Government's sanction from 1 people have become courageous."5 March 1941. The closing of Basic Schools by Constructive work which included such items the Government of Orissa which was attributed as clearing, horticulture, dairy farming, by some to the alleged 'political bias' behind preparation of gur (out of the juice from date this system of education and by some to trees), apiculture, Khadar, tanning, removal of Governor Hubback's personal dislike for untouchability, spread of Hindi and communal Biswanath Das who as premier had introduced harmony aimed at making people Basic Education and because of whose economically self-dependent, and society free opposition to the appointment of I.R. Dain, the from inequality and exploitation. It had Commissioner as the acting Governor, the considerable social significance so far as the former could not avail uplift of women and Harijans was concerned. four months leave caused surprise in some Most of the workers of Sevaghar were women circles and was considered hasty by no less a who were more capable than male workers of person than Sir Maurice Gwyer, the Chief working among village women because of Justice of India.9 In other provinces of India gender identity. Village women were also such as Madras, Bihar, U.P., Bombay and coming to Sevaghar to listen to discussions. Central Provinces the Basic Schools were not Some girls, mostly daughters of Congressmen closed in spite of resignation of Congress were coming to Sevaghar for receiving training Ministries after the outbreak of the Second on constructive work. In August 1938, World War. After the official closing of Basic according to Gandhi Seva Sangha Patrika Schools Utkal Maulik Shiksha Parishad was there were ten woman trainees in Sevaghar out formed with Acharya Harihar Das as of whom three were workers wives.6 Sevaghar President, Gopabandhu Chaudhury and Sharat was surrounded by Harijan villages. Bari area Chandra Maharana as Secretary and Assistant also had a considerable Harijan population, Secretary respectively. (There were other most of whom were tenants at will and members like Lingaraj Mishra, Laxminarayan exploited by the zamindars. The Sevaghar Sahu, Radhanath Rath and Ramadevi activities roused self confidence among the Chaudhury etc.) and some Basic Schools were Harijan tenants who learnt to shed fear of run on non-Government basis. After the zamindars. Some Harijans like Akrur Jena, launching of the Quit India Movement these Ratnakar Jena, Arjun Jena, Bhima Jena and schools were closed and most of the teachers Sounti Mallik became active participants in and some students of these schools participated freedom movement. The Sevaghar workers - in the movement. After the release of teachers Binod Kanungo and Surendra Pattanayak the schools were started once again. Two worked in the Harijan villages. The Harijans important features of Quit India Movement in Jajpur district are large scale mobilisation of Congressmen to go to villages at the end of masses and popular militancy which resulted Harijan padayatra at Bhadrak, Gandhi told in subversive activities. On 27 August 1942 them an allegory the hidden purpose of which thousands of people (ranging between 10,000 was that by working in the villages the and 30,000) entered into the compound of Congress workers could make the rural people S.D.O's office in Jajpur. In August 1942 the conscious of their leonine identity.11 revolutionary mob set fire to police uniforms Distribution of leaflets, urging people to set in 26 places, 6 revenue offices, 4 post offices, fire to police stations, kutcheries, police 5 excisable articles, 6 zamindari kutcheries, uniforms,violate forest laws and loot in the and 4 P.W.D. bungalows. It is held that neither houses of rich men, which was organised by Gopabandhu Chaudhury nor Ramadevi nor such leaders as Surendra Nath Dwivedy, their close associates, Gandhians as they were, Nishamani Khuntia, Surendra Pattanayak, incited the people to indulge in violent Binod Kanungo, Bhagirath Das, and Krushna activities. On 26 August 1942 at Kalamatia Rout roused the militant spirit of people, as before four people succumbed to police guns, pointed out by Gobinda Samal, a local Annapurna Maharana was persuading the Congress worker.12 A number of meetings agitated mob to avoid conflict with armed were organised by Congress workers, which policemen who had already arrested some made the people restless. people. Popular militancy during Quit India References : Movement was a general phenomenon due to 1. See Ramadevi Chaudhury, Jiban Pathe lack of leadership and official repression. (Oriya), (Granthamandir, Cuttack, 1984); Gandhi's call to do or die sounded militant to Manmohan Chaudhury, Kasturi Mrugasama the people. About Gandhi's mind-set before the (Oriya) (Kahani Prakashani, Cuttack, 1995) movement, which was communicated to and Annapurna Maharana, Amruta Anubhava Congress workers at Bari by Gopabandhu (Oriya) (Shiksha Sandhan), Bhubaneswar, Chaudhury after the latter's return from 2005). Sevagram in July 1942 Annapurna Maharana has given the following description : Under 2. On 15 June 1938, at the direction of these circumstances in July 1942 Gopababu Shyamacharan Tripathy, the Director of Public went to Sevagram. On return he called a Instruction, Government of Orissa, Mahesh meeting of workers of Bari area at Sevaghar. Chandra Pradhan (Principal of Cuttack In that meeting he told that Gandhiji is Training College), Sharat Chandra Maharana, contemplating giving a call to countrymen to Sub-Inspector of Schools, Cuttack Sadar Circle launch a movement. He has not yet worked out and Raghunath Mahanty of Bakhrabad, the programme of the movement. But the Cuttack went to Wardha for having orientation movement will be more severe than all others. in Basic Education. Subsequently others were His speech indicated that although this sent to Wardha for training in Basic Education. movement would be a non-violent one, he The Government of Orissa constituted the would not withdraw it even if acts of violence Board of Basic Education with Gopabandhu like Chaurichaura occurred. After this Chaudhury as President and Mahesh Chandra discussion we got mentally prepared for the Pradhan as Secretary. Initially its office was movement.10 Constructive work itself was opened in Cuttack Training College. Fifteen capable of rousing the spirit of confidence and Basic Schools were started in Bari with the fearlessness among the people in rural areas. financial help from Government. On 1 June This is very well attested by the participation 1939, at Ramachandrapur, on the northern of larger number of people from Bari area in bank of Brahmani a training school and a the Quit India movement as compared with Practising other parts of Jajpur. As pointed out by napurna Maharana, while giving a call to