Odisha Review ISSN 0970-8669

Formation of Separate Province of : A Dynamic Leadership of Rajendra Narayan Bhanjadeo of Kanika

Manoj Kumar Sahoo

Right from the establishment of Utkal Samillani The present state Odisha was scattered (Utkal Union Conference) in 1903 to the into different parts of before independence. formation of Odisha1 as a separate province many There was no clear-cut geographical boundary nationalist leaders, kings and zamindars were of Odisha, except her name in pen and paper. fighting both against British colonial government Further, for the administrative and revenue and Indian leaders for the amalgamation of Odia- convenience the British colonial Government speaking tracts into a separate province of placed Odisha under different presidencies. Some Odisha. Rajendra Narayan Bhanja Deo, the of the people also tried to destroy her language; King of Kanika, 2 was one among them. He had stating that ‘Odia is not a language but purely a dedicated his life, like and dialect’. It became a great headache of , for the all-round development Madhusudan Das, a great patriot of Odisha. He of Odisha. He was born in a royal family of Aul, tried to merge different parts of Odia-speaking in the erstwhile sub-division of on tracts into a separate province. In order to achieve 24 March 1881 and was adopted to Kanika royal the well-thought out purpose, he tried to fulfill his family in 1896. After completing his schooling grievances through the career from Ravenshaw Collegiate School, he and became an active member of Congress. He had also given different memorandums to Indian went to Ravenshaw College for graduation. Then Nation Congress. But the Congress was busy for he sailed to London for law degree. He ascended the national issues; avoiding the regional ones. So, to the throne of Kanika in 1902. At once, he was due to the contradictory policy with the leaders a veteran leader, a true patriot, a nationalist, a of Indian National Congress, Madhusudan Das first line leader of Odia Movement, a benevolent withdrew from the Congress in 1902.4 Sharing ruler, a philanthropist, co-founder of Utkal Union the same view with other leaders like Rajendra Conference and a good friend and disciple of Narayana Bhanja Deo, Madhusudan Das decided 3 Madhusudan Das. He died in 1948. He had to form a regional association to work for the played a very significant role for the formation of cause of Odisha, outside from National Congress. separate province of Odisha. So, this paper At the instance of Madhusudan Das, a meeting attempts to explore his pioneering contribution for was convened at the Kanika courtyard on 25 the formation of Odisha as a separate province in October 1903.5 In this meeting, it was decided to the year 1936. form Utkal Sammilani (Utkal Union

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Conference) in December 1903. The first aim of speaking people of and the Utkal Union Conference was to campaign for Vishakhapatanam were suffering from linguistic the unification of the States of Odisha. Along with minority and also exploited by the Government Madhusudan Das, Rajendra Narayan Bhanja of . So, at the instance of Deo, the King of Kanika too became an important Rajendra Narayana Bhanja Deo, the fourth member as well as the co-founder of Utkal Union session of the Utkal Union Conference was held Conference. And he was fully associated till the on 26th December 1906 at Berhampur and he formation of separate State Orissa in spite of was made to preside over the meeting. In his some ups and downs inside the Conference. It presidential address he had emphasized the has been said that, the Utkal Union Conference problems of Odisha like agriculture, trade and was the brain child of Madhusudan Das and was commerce, industry, education, women nurtured in the lap of the Kanika chief Rajendra education, and so on. In addition, the resolution Narayan Bhanja Deo.6 He also provided fund for was also passed to spread the very idea of Utkal the management of Utkal Union Conference and Union Conference at the grass roots level at his for Odia Movement.7 It can be said that ‘without instance. After the session was over, he sailed to his active participation and contribution the Odia England taking the grievances of the people of movement for separate province could not have Ganjam.9 been materialized.’ The new province of Bihar and Odisha From the very inception of Utkal Union came into existence on 1 April 1912. In order to Conference, Madhusudan Das wanted to run the province a Legislative Council of Bihar decentralize the power and work of the Utkal and Odisha was constituted that comprised 21 Union Conference into four of his honest persons. members (both elected and nominated). Raja Among them Rajendra Narayana Bhanja Deo was Rajendra Narayan Bhanj Deo was elected to the the close associate of Madhusudan Das. It can council from the landlords’ constituency of be said that, the king of Kanika had good Odisha.10 The people of Odisha were not satisfied relationship with British Government. So, it may with the tag of Odisha in Bihar in 1912, their be presumed that, Madhusudan Das might be dissatisfaction took a concrete shape in aware that without the support of British December 1916 when the twelfth annual session Government, it will be a daydream to make of the Utkal Union Conference at Odisha as a separate province. That’s why he formed a committee of seven members ‘with a encouraged Rajendra Narayana Bhanja Deo to view to collecting materials and carrying on keep good relationship with British Government.8 continuous executive work of the Odia-speaking The first session of Utkal Union Conference was tracts throughout the years’. The Committee held on 30th and 31st of December 1903. In that consisted of Madhusudan Das, Raja Rajendra session, he was one of the members of the Narayan Bhanj Deo, Harihar Panda, Brajasundar standing committee, and the president of managing Das, Gopabandhu Das, Sudam Charan Naik and committee. He delivered emotional inaugural Raja of Seregarh (Ganjam). The Committee speech to the gathering, for the purpose of injecting prepared an address with a memorandum of Odia patriotism into people's mind. Besides that, arguments, and a statement and a map of the Odia he donated five hundred rupees in the first session tracts.11 The Committee presented them before of the Utkal Union Conference. The Odia the E.S. Montague, the Secretary of State for

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India, and Lord Chelmsford, the Governor indicated in the Montford Report was persuaded General at Calcutta on 11 December 1917. both in the Legislative Council. Madhusudan Das Besides that, Raja Rajendra Narayan Bhanj Deo raised the question in the Bihar- Odisha Legislative and Madhusudan Das paid a private visit to the Council in 1919 and the Raja of Kanika [Rajendra E.S. Montague, Secretary of State for the same Narayana Bhanjadeo] interpolated the in December 1911. Raja Rajendra Narayan Government of India in the Imperial Legislative Bhanj Deo narrated the problems of Odia in Council on the subject in 1919. Sachidananda different regions of India and justified the Sinha brought the resolution on the matter in the formation of a separate state before the Secretary Legislative Council of India on 20 February 1920. of State.12 The resolution wanted that a mixed committee of non-officials and officials should be appointed ‘to In last couple of years in the second formulate a scheme for the amalgamation of the decades of twentieth century, rift started between Odia-speaking tracts at present administered or moderate nationalist of first generation and the so controlled by the Governments of Madras, Bengal called ‘Satyabadi Group’ of second generation and Central Provinces with the existing Odisha of the members of the Utkal Union Conference. division of the provinces of Bihar and Odisha. So, towards the end of 1918 Madhusudan Das On 20 February 1920, Rajendra Narayana announced his retirement from Utkal Union Bhanjadeo strongly supported the motion. He Conference, soon after Braja Sundar Das, the pointed out that it was a question which concerned closest follower of M.S. Das and the secretary the very vital needs and aspirations of about eleven of the Utkal Union Conference also resigned. millions of people. Unless the problem was Madhubabu attributed the Utkal Union satisfactorily solved, the people would remain Conference to utter physical exhaustion.13 In that dissatisfied. The Government of India promised situation; all the responsibility of Utkal Union an enquiry into the matter. The government Conference was taken by Rajendra Narayana constituted a committee of enquiry known as Bhanja Deo till the next session. In 1919, the Utkal Philip-Duff enquiry committee came to Ganjam Union Conference session was held at which for investigating the amalgamation of this Odia- was presided over by Chandrasekhar Behera. In speaking area to Odisha and later accepted it. that session a provision was made to meet the Again he was elected to the new council of Bihar Viceroy of India regarding the cause of Odias and and Odisha, from Zamindars’ constituency in the responsibility was given to Rajendra Narayana December 1920.15 Bhanja Deo.14 The Congress and Utkal Union A special session of the Utkal Union Conference relationship, which was far from Conference was summoned at on 22- cordial anyway, became still bitter when in 1927; 23 September 1918; Madhusudan Das presided the Government announced the formation of a over the conference. On 22 September two statutory commission under John Simon to resolutions regarding Odisha and her future evaluate the working of Montague- Chelmsford constitution were passed like Odia-speaking Act of 1919, which was opposed by Congress. tracts under one administration and to constitute That was opposed only because none of the a sub-province for Odisha. The question of Indian members was present during the inquiry. constituting a sub province for Odisha on the lines As per the decision of the National Congress,

April - 2016 49 ISSN 0970-8669 Odisha Review the members of the Congress party in Odisha first year and 40 lakhs after 15 years. Hubback boycotted the Commission. But the moderate Committee report proposed deficit of budget 53 members of the erstwhile Utkal Union Conference lakhs in the first year and it will increase to 55 found some opportunity with the commission, lakhs after 15 years.18 The report of those three along with the members, two members like committees had demoralized thousands of Odias Rajendra Narayana Bhanja Deo and Laxmidhar and their hope for the future of the formation of Mohanty (both from Kendrapara) felt that the separate province. Under these circumstances, commission along was vested with the power to Rajendra Narayana Bhanjadeo, as finance give suggestions for the creation of a separate member of Bihar–Odisha Legislative Council, 19 province.16 It has been said that, the king of challenged the Committee’s report and presented Kanika appointed twenty railway coolies by a separate budget for Odisha, for the year 1933- paying Rs.100; assigning duty to them that to hold 34 in the Council. This budget showed surplus placards written on these ‘Odisha welcome’s budget of 9 lakhs 34 thousands out of the Simon Commission’ in front of the Patna railway expenditure of the same year of Odisha revenue station on the arrival of Simon Commission by for the maintenance of separate State. So the the train. This attitude of Odia leaders impressed Government was agreed in his budget estimation Simon profoundly and he appointed a sub- and made a proposal for the separate province committee under C.R. Atlee to investigate the of Odisha.20 problems of the Odia-speaking people and to recommend measures to redress their grievances. The Government of India Act, 1935 The Committee, however, never came to Odisha, provided a way for the formation of separate instead, it took evidence from Odia members of province Odisha. In the meantime, the British the Bihar Odisha Legislative Assembly that authority had published the draft orders in council included Rajendra Narayana Bhanja Deo and regarding the constitution of the province of Laxmidhar Mohanty. As a member of the Bihar- Odisha. His Majesty issued the order on 3 March Odisha Legislative Council, Rajendra Narayan 1936 which entitled ‘the Government of India Bhanja Deo played a crucial role; convincing (Constitution of Odisha) Order, 1936. Rajendra Governor of Council to send Krushna Chandra Narayana Bhanja Deo along with the members Narayan Gajapati, the king of Parlakhemundi, as of Odisha attended the Legislative Council of a the sole Odia representative to the first Round Bihar and Odisha for the last time on 28 March Table Conference in London in1930.17 1936. On that day the Council gave them a touching farewell. The new province of Odisha The foremost obstacle for the formation was inaugurated on 1 April 1936 with Sir John of Odisha was finance, because three important Austin Hubback as its first Governor.21 committees had reported the financial loss of the British Government and deficit budget for the The province of Odisha, during the period maintenance of State. The registrar of Ministry of from 1 April 1936 till the formation of the Finance reported that ‘if Ganjam will merge with Government in 1937, was ruled by the Governor Odisha Division, the then Government would lose and his Advisory Council of seventeen members. eleven lakh and thirty five thousand annually’. O’ In that Council, Rajendra Narayana Bhanja Deo Donnel committee stated that the formation of was an important member and the Chief Advisor Odisha will make deficit of budget 35 lakhs for to Governor. In 1937 he was elected to Odisha

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Legislative Assembly from the United Party. He 8. P. K. Roy, Op. Cit., p 113. was also elected to Assembly for second time in 9. Debendra Kumar Dash, ed. Op. Cit., pp 220 -228 22 1946. 10. Utkal Dipika, 28 December, 1912 11. K. M Patra, Odisha State Legislature and Thus Rajendra Narayana Bhanja Deo had Freedom Struggle 1912-47, (New Delhi: imperishable contribution to the making of modern People’s Publication, 1979), pp. 28-31 Odisha. He was a man of versatile genius. He 12. Utkal Dipika, 15 December 1917 was also a true patriot. He came to Odisha’s 13. N. Mohanty, Op. Cit., p.107 politics at the need of the hour, when Odisha was on the verge of losing its political identity at the 14. Debendra Kumar Dash, ed. Op. Cit., pp. 543-44 national level. His pioneering contribution to 15. K. M Patra, Op. Cit., pp. 30-31 Odisha will be a big chapter in the annals of the 16. N. Mohanty, Op. Cit., 175 . 17. P. K. Roy, Op. Cit., p. 115 References : 18. Utkal Dipika, 5 January 1929, P. K. Roy, Op. Cit., 1. The name has been changed from Orissa to p.116 also N. Mohanty, Op. Cit., pp.176-178 th ‘Odisha’ and language Odia to ‘Odia’ by the 113 19. Utkal Dipika, 25 March 1933 also see K. M. Patra, Constitutional amendment acts of 1 November Op.Cit., pp. 84-85 2011. 20. P.K. Mishra, The Political History of 2. Kanika was a permanently settled estate situated Odisha(1900-1936) (New Delhi: Oriental in the undivided district of Cuttack. Publisher & Distributors, 1879), p.229 3. P. K. Roy, Kendrapara Zilla Itihasa 21. K. M. Patra, Op. Cit., p. 93 (: Swastika, 2010), p 113. 22. Ibid., pp. 94-95 4. N. Mohanty, Odia Nationalism: Quest for a United Odisha, 1866- 1956 (Jagatsinghpur: Praffula Pathagar, 2005), pp. 5. Utkal Dipika 31 October 1903 6. N. Mohanty, Op. Cit., pp. 97

7. Debendra Kumar Dash, ed. Utkal Sammilani Manoj Kumar Sahoo, Research Scholar, CHS (MOD), (1903-1936) Vol.1. (: Pragati Utkal JNU, New Delhi. Sangha, 2005), p.90

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