Madhusudan Das and the Articulation of Odia Identity
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April - 2013 Odisha Review Madhusudan Das and the Articulation of Odia Identity Kailash Chandra Dash I reconstruction of Odisha. The activities of The last phase of the 19th century and Madhusudan were found to be expressed through the first phase of the 20th century witnessed a the powerful national bodies like Utkal Sabha great awakening in Odisha. It was the phase of and Utkala Sammilani. In many respects he was New Odisha- in-making. The Odias during this the prophet of Odia nationalism. phase got an identity consciousness. This identity II needed to be asserted. Many persons and Madhusudan Das while studying in institutions were responsible for this resurgent Calcutta took a very prominent role in educating trend in Odisha. Among them many Odia labourers there in Madhusudan Das was very the 1870s which was his significant. His career in Odisha primary attempt to establish the at least from the 1880s till his Odias in Calcutta.(Das 1971/ death was entirely dedicated to 1988:43-44) In Calcutta his the making of modern Odisha. intense love for Odia language He took a very prominent role was intact as it is evident from in the amalgamation of different his demand to write the answers Odia speaking tracts lying of Sanskrit questions in scattered in different Odia(his mother language) to neighbouring provinces into a the authorities of Calcutta great political entity. At the same University in 1869-70.(Ibid:44) time he attempted socio- In Calcutta Madhusudan was economic and cultural progress converted into a Christian. But of the Odias which would it did not deter his plan for the stabilise his political Odisha. He re-invention of Odisha in the 1880s after his return articulated manifold problems of Odisha and from Calcutta to Cuttack and his practice as a asserted the identity of the Odias in that crucial lawyer. The Puri Jagannath temple affairs of this phase. In order to establish the identity of the phase provided him an opportunity to enter into Odias he closely connected himself with many the movement for a regenerated Odisha.(Mohanty elites and associations which demanded the 1982:44-45) 45 Odisha Review April - 2013 In 1878 Raja Divyasimha Deb was against the unjust interference of the Government convicted of murder and was sentenced to in the matter. He published two interesting letters transportation for life. The British Government in the name of Lunatic in Utkala Dipika critically found an opportunity to intervene in the temple presenting his arguments against the suit for the management. But the dowager mother of management of the Jagannath temple.(Utkala Divyasimha Deb immediately called in the Royal Dipika, March 26 and April 9 of 1887, Dash Court and priests of the temple and announced 1978:367-368) After prolonged deliberations at the ascent to the throne of her five year old grand- Calcutta High Court the lower court’s order to son Jagannath Jenamani and proclaimed him as appoint a Government Receiver was set aside. Raja Mukunda Deb of Puri. The queen began to Raja Mukunda Deb was reinstated to his manage the affairs of the temple on behalf of the authority. This was a victory of Madhusudan Das. minor Raja. The management was naturally not Utkal Dipika in an interesting focus had thanked to the liking of the Government. It was decided Madhusudan for this noble contribution. He had that the control and the endowments of the temple by this great national activity justified the adage were to be vested in a committee of management. Bipatte Madhusudanam (Lord Madhusudan Accordingly the Puri Temple Act of 1880 was helps in the time of distress). His perseverance announced. The legislation was objected by the and skilful handling of the case promoted him to priests of the temple and the queen submitted her be the greatest Odia nationalist.(Ibid; April petition to the Government. Her representation 30,1887) By preserving the prestige of Thakur went unheeded. On the other hand the local Raja of Puri Madhusudan earned the enormous Government instituted a suit in the Court seeking confidence of the people. Madhusudan accepted authority to appoint a Receiver for the temple. Jagannath as the central part of Odia culture. In The Court decided in favour of the Government order to make this conviction firm in the minds of and the queen was denied the management of the the Odias he recited a poem in the public meeting temple. The announcement of the Court’s decision in the Town Hall of Cuttack in 1928. A part of was looked upon as a humiliation to the age-old the poem runs like this - Odishan tradition. The queen wanted to appeal “Kotie Odia gotie kanthare daka trahi Jagannatha to the Calcutta High Court but she lacked Andhara ghunchiba nischaya dekhibe Jatira unnati patha resources. She made a personal request to Sudarsana Chakra garaji uthiba Baliara bahutale Matanka Srianga purbabata heba satru palaibe dare”. Madhusudan Das to fight her case.(Mohanty 1972:39) Madhusudan shouldered the (Utkala Dipika, November 17, 1928; Dash 1978:374) responsibility though everybody thought it was a III lost case. As a lawyer he would have been very Madhusudan Das started to articulate his happy to find better cases; but he concentrated feelings of Odia identity in the great Odia nationalist his attention on this issue because he accepted forums- Utkala Sabha and Utkala Sammilani. Jagannath as a marker of Odia identity. He These two were the most significant forums to considered the decision as an attempt to disrupt present diverse problems of the Odias from the Odia national sentiment and he therefore directed last phase of the 19th century to the first four his attention to it. He went through the royal decades of the 20th century A.D. He was an records and prepared the case meticulously. He important part of the Utkala Sabha in the 1880s tried to focus attention through articles in the press and 1890s. His voice was very powerful in the 46 April - 2013 Odisha Review Utkala Sabha in the first decade of the 20th solution of the Odia problems. This led to the birth century.(Dash 2001:11-19) As a member and of Utkala Sammilani(Utkala Union president of the Association Madhusudan took Conference). interest on the pressing problems of the union of The Utkala Sammilani which had its the different Odia-speaking tracts under the first session in the month of December 1903 came Bengal Government and in this connection his into existence after one year effort in which discussion with the missionary Howell was very Madhusudan had a significant role.As presented remarkable. In the letter of 26th/28th January by Professor G.N. Dash in his recent focus on 1904 to Howell Madhusudan as a member of Madhusudan before the formation of Utakal the Association demanded the unification of Odia- Sammilani in an institutional form he had prepared speaking tracts under Bengal and not with the a stage for the origin of Odia identity Central Provinces or Bihar.(Ibid.) Gokulananda consciousness in different ways not through the Choudhury, an ardent Odia nationalist, had then national Organisation called Indian National developed an opinion to the effect that it was to Congress, but my some indirect ways from the the advantage of Odisha to be under Central beginning of 1903 which were very significant for Province administration.(Ibid.) He was also the formation of Utkala Sammilani. (Dash, supported by some Odias, but they changed their Gaganendra Nath 2010:785-788) Lastly on 25th views and accepted the stand of Madhusudan. October 1903 Madhusudan called a meeting at Madhusudan’s potent arguments on behalf of the Kanika palace. About twentyfive to thirty people Orissa Association reflected the intense activities of Cuttack were present on that occasion. As of it to highlight Odia problems. He had his own proposed by the Raja of Kanika the Raja of opinion about the people of Odisha. By people Keonjhar became the president of the meeting. of Odisha he did not mean a few pleaders or a (Utkala Dipika, 31st October, 1903; Dash few aspirants for titles and honours or a few 2002:22-30)) Madhusudan presented the condidates for employment in the higher grades purpose of the meeting in the beginning. He said of Government service. He meant it as Odia that recently there was a meeting for the formation nation which included all who were permanent of Odia Jatiya Samiti(Odia national organisation) residents of Odisha, whatever their race, at Berhampur and that some people of Cuttack nationality or religion. This indicates the nature of and Sambalpur including himself had participated Odia identity he was articulating then. Throughout in it. He proposed in the meeting at Kanika palace the movement for the reservation of Odia language that in 1903 there would be a session at Cuttack in Sambalpur during the phase of Utkala Sabha in which both people from Ganjam and other ascendancy Madhusudan was the moving places in Odisha would participate. In the meeting spirit.(Mishra 1979:70) His efforts were crowned he also proposed that every year people of with success when the Government of the Central different places of Odisha should make sessions provinces restored Odia as the Court language at different places where they would discuss their of Sambalpur with effect from 1 January common problems. Gaurishankar Ray, the Editor 1902.(Ibid.) Utkala Sabha was a very limited of Utkala Dipika, had also accepted the body. It had no wider link. Madhusudan must have proposal of Madhusudan for holding conferences felt that a wider body representing many sections- at different places in Odisha to discuss issues rural and urban-in Odisha would help in the proper affecting the national life and progress.