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Orissa Review August - 2007

Amalgamation of Princely States

Dr. Bhagyalipi Malla

With the occupation of Orissa in September/ These 24 feudatory States were full of forest October 1803, the East Company had to areas. They were rich with forest and mineral sign treaties and engagement with Chiefs of the resources. Their origin is obscure. Probably with Tributary Mahals of Orissa. (Athgarh, , the fall of the some Rajput princes Baud Baramba, Dasapalla, , Hindol, on pilgrimage to or through matrimonial Keonjhar, Khandpara, Mayurbhanj, Narsingpur, relations with the tribal Chiefs settled down by , Nilgiri, Pal1ahara, Rampur, carving out independent principalities. Some of and Tigiria). In the treaty of Deogaon, them belonged to the ancient Bhanja and ruler of Raghuji Bhonsle gave away to Kadamba families. They acknowledged the the British these Tributary Mahals in perpetual of the Mughals, Marathas and British sovereignty. These tributary Mahals were not successively to survive as Tributary or Feudatory subject to Regulations. The post of the chiefs. The size and population of these States Superintendent of Tributary Mahal was created differ greatly. The biggest was Mayurbhanj with in 1814 to supervise the judicial administration an area of 4000 Sq. miles and about 10 lakhs and succession to these States and the population, and the smallest was Tigiria, with an Commissioner of Orissa was made the ex-officio area of 46 Sq. miles and 20,000 population. Superintendent of the Tributary Mahals. The (1941 census). Collectors of , Puri and acted as Assistant Superintendents. The designation of The people of the Feudatory States Tributary Mahals was later on changed as became politically concious in 1931, when Feudatory States. Bonai, Gangpur, Patna, Sarangdhar Das set up the States Peoples' Kalahandi, Bamra, Sonepur and were Conference. Its session was held at Cuttack in brought under the Commissioner of the Orissa 1937 with Dr. Pattbhi Sitaramayya as the Division in 1905. Chairman where a committee- was formed to

94 Orissa Review August - 2007 enquire "into the prevalence of various kinds of regard to food, and the development of illegalities in most of the States of Orissa. The communications and river valley projects". He people were held under duress and forced to work suggested to devise some machinery for the free for the Darbar, repair roads buildings, supply common administration of certain subjects in the ration free of cost, pay for ceremonies and province and the States. His aim was an functions of the ruling families either in cash or in amalgamation of the States with the province. kind, besides suffering indignities of the worst type Several factors contributed for taking for any default. Such tyranny gave rise to a recourse to the -formulation of such a proposal. vigorous Prajamandal movement in 1937 for There was close linguistic and cultural affinity pressurizing the Princes to relinquish power in between the States and the province, In view of favour of popular Governments. The movement their long inseparable cultural and political derived its inspiration from the Gandhian struggle association the feudatories were construed as for freedom from foreign rule and was led by artificial divisions. The Attlee Sub Committee in Sarangadhar Das and Baisnab Charan Patnaik in 1930 while recommending the creation of a Dhenkanal, Pabitramohan Pradhan and separate province for the- Oriya-speaking people Nabakrushna Choudhury in Talcher, Kailas had, therefore, suggested the inclusion of the Chandra Mahonty in Nilgiri and Kapileswar princely States in the administrative frame work Nanda in Patna. Their primary objective was to of the new province. Sir Hawthorne Lewis, the secure elementary civil rights against the whims Reforms Commissioner was of the view that and caprices of tyrannical Princes. For mobilizing unless and until the States were brought under the people in an organized manner they formed the same administration as the districts, the Prajamandals in different States and with the separate province of Orissa would not be blessings of Congress support began the popular economically viable. History of Orissa bears agitation. However, misrule and tyranny continued testimony to the fact that in the evolution of the till 1947 in in varied degrees. Orissan Empire these States always formed Dr. Harekrushna Mahtab, the then Premier constituent parts and never as separate entities. of Orissa in a memorandum to Sardar Vallabhbhai They were in fact integral parts of Orissa. In view Patel, & the Home Minister of India enlisted of this, the representative Government of Mahtab various administrative difficulties caused by the felt inclined to explore the possibilities of princely territories of Orissa. "The most important amalgamating the States with the Province for an related to law and order; smuggling across the uniform political growth and economic progress boarders, administration of controls, especially in of the Oriya -speaking people.

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During the visit of the Cabinet Mission in The Orissa States were 26 in number 1946 Mahtab again initiated his move. But the grouped as II in 'A' class, 12 in 'B' class and 3 in counter move of the Feudatory chiefs spoiled his 'C' class. On 1 August 1947 except Mayurbhanj plan of amalgamation. Though the Government and Baster the rulers of these States and some of was favourable to the plan, they were afraid to their counterparts from the Chattisgarh group met touch the sensitive issue on account of the at the Raj Kumar College at to announce opposition of the chiefs. Even Mahtab's personal the formation of the with its effort to convince them the efficacy of Headquarters at Raigarh. They framed a amalgamation bore no fruit. On the other hand R. constitution which made provision for a Premier N. Singdeo, the ruler of vigorously but no Legislature. The Union did not tried to establish the Eastern States Union as an accommodate any representative of Government autonomous unit. This scheme if successful would for which the Prajamandal movement in some of have linked together all the Princely States from the States continued unabated. There were serious Baster upto Mayurbhanj as a Federation, disturbances in Dhenkanal where the Prajamandal disregarding the political and economic growth leaders (Sarangdhar Das and Pabitra Mohan of Orissa. Singdeo went so far as to argue that Pradhan) in their zeal for representative the Orissa States and area never Government occupied the Government offices formed a part of Orissa, but they once formed and buildings on the eve of 15th August 1947. the South territory. He opposed the The felt concerned amalgamation move tooth and nail and whipped over the possibility of the outbreak spreading to up an agitation in Sambalpur through the people the neighbouring States where the Adivasis formed whose land had been acquired by the Orissa a substantial part of the population. Mahtab, who Government for the , Dam project. He was eagerly waiting for such an opportunity to not only worked as a negative catalytic agent convince the Government of India on .the against the merger of States with Orissa but also necessity of merger suggested immediate action posed a potential source of danger to the Indian in the affairs of Nilgiri to prevent the anarchy Union. The Eastern States Union would have spreading into the neighbouring district of emerged as an independent princely India within Balasore. On 8th November Government of India the map of the Indian Union. Sardar Patel had authorized the Orissa Government to take over every reason to feel disturbed at the intriguing the administration of the State through the politics between the Nizam of Hyderabad and Collector, Balasore. On 14 November the the champions of the Eastern States Union. admitted in writing his incapability to improve the

96 Orissa Review August - 2007 administration and voluntarily handed over the possible encouragement of the Eastern States state to the provincial Government. The following Union might give to the forces of disintegration day a press communique was issued to pacify forced the Union Govern-ment to take careful the people of the disturbed State, assuring them stock of the situation. Any deteriora-tion of the a strong, impartial and just administration and law and order situation in the Orissa States had special consideration for the' grievances of the to be nipped at the bud. The Prajamandal leaders aboriginal community. An appeal was made to were bent upon intensifying their movement so as all political parties and public bodies to extend to precipitate the political crisis towards the their fullest cooperation in the welfare of the taken establishment of responsible Government. But over State. their organizational base was not uniformly stable in the States. Apart from this the human element The peaceful manner in which the which they handled were uneducated, backward administration of Nilgiri was taken over provided aboriginals, having no political maturity. With an incentive to implement the scheme of such materials it was sheer foolishness to think of integration for other States. Nilgiri in fact heralded establishing responsible government. Most of the the beginning of the end. A high level meeting was States were so small and handicapped with held in Delhi on 20 November in which Mahtab, resources that independent Governments would V. P. Menon, C. C. Desai (respectively the not have been financially viable. It was therefore, Secretary and the Additional Secretary, Ministry necessary to hammer them together to form of States) and B.D.S. Bedi, the Regional integral parts of the Orissa Province. Commissioner, Sambalpur were present. They concluded that (1) the Government of India should Sardar Patel's stand was firm and free from not give recognition to the Eastern States Union, any prejudice. He would not allow any political (2) the 'B' and 'C' class states should be asked to unit to exist where the rights of the people were agree to common administration of certain subjects ignored. The Eastern States Union was thoroughly (like Communication, Public Health, Education, unrepresentative in character. He was determined Excise, Forests, Industries, Agriculture, Police to secure the merger of the Orissa States with the etc.) by the Provincial Government and (3) the Province of Orissa in order to save the rulers from States Ministry of the Government of India should the fury of their subjects and preserve the integrity call a meeting of the rulers of 'B' and 'C' class of the country. On 1 December 1947 when the States at Cuttack in December. This decision was rulers of Patna. Korea and Khairagarh met him influenced by the desire to preserve the unity of in Delhi, they were catego-rically told that the India and maintain law and order against the Eastern States Union should be dissolved and the background of communal holocaust. The exodus Oriya-speaking 'B' and 'C' class states would be of the refugees, the attitude of the Nizam and the integrated with Orissa, and similar type

97 Orissa Review August - 2007 speaking States with the Central Provinces. He to learn more about the privy purse and their decided to come down to Cuttack for discussion privileges after accession. In the evening twelve with the rulers who were supposed to be rulers signed the merger documents. 'intractable.' The afternoon session of the Conference Sardar Patel and V. P. Menon reached was for the rulers of the 'A' class States, viz. Cuttack on 13th December. After a meeting with Bamra, Baud, Dhenkanal, Gangpur, Kalahandi, the Governor and the Ministers in the evening they Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Nayagarh, Patna, decided to work out the merger of all 'A', 'B', Sareikela and Sonepur. The redoubtable Home and 'c' class States. Next day at 10'O clock the Minister told them; rulers of Athgarh, Baramba, Daspal1a. Hindol, "The Orissa States were like ulcers on the Khandpara, Kharswan, Narsingpur, Nilgiri, body of the province and that they must either be , Rairakhol, Ranpur and Talcher (only cured or eliminated. If they listened to his ad vice, B & C class States) met the Home Minister in a they could be cured; otherwise they might find Conference. Mahtab, V. P. Menon, the Chief themselves uprooted by the people". Secretary of Orissa and other important officials Notwithstanding the veiled threat it was were also present. In a persuasive speech the difficult to precipitate the desired results since the Sardar called upon the rulers to take note of the rulers of Patna and Kalahandi particularly raised writing on the wall, to be reasonable and listen to hundred and one issues against the merger apart his advice of signing the merger documents. He from seeking clarifications on a wide ranging assured them the protection of their honour and subjects. They were allowed a few hours to think privileges even after accession' to the Province over the issue and the Conference was adjourned and a privy purse commensurating with the till 10 P. M. But nothing could be decided that income of their States on the basis of an approved night, except that the Raja of Dhenkanal agreed formula. Menon took pains to explain the privy to the proposal of merger. Next morning Menon purse issue in details. The rulers felt convinced threatened military inter-ference for taking over that intro-duction of responsible Governments in such states whose rulers would be unable to small states was a ridiculous idea. And against maintain peace. At the same time he showed 'a the rising tide of popular agitation against feudal conciliatory attitude to certain demands of the rule it would be difficult for them to hold on to rulers rela-ting to succession, privy purse, private power any more. They did not want to be thrown properties, personal "privileges, and security etc, out of their kingdoms by the people and rush to There was no further difficulty after that for the Delhi for help. Patel made clear that due help rulers of Baud, Dhenkanal, Gangpur, Kalahandi, would be forthcoming from the Government in Patna, Sareikela and Sonepur to sign the such crisis. The rulers thereupon wisely decided documents for merger.

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It was a historic moment. The events of away the savings of the State and headed towards 14/15 December gave a significant turn to the bankruptcy. The Maharaja and his erstwhile . A happy Sardar left Cuttack with Dewan K.C. Niyogi who was then a Central his team for Raipur where the history of Orissa Minister, evinced a desire to integrate Mayurbhanj was to be repeated in the best interest of the Indian with Orissa. Some public leaders in the State Union. Mahtab had every reason to feel proud wished for an amalgamation with West Bengal. over the achievements. He could now build a This proposal was however turned down by homogeneous province. Prafulla Chandra Ghose, the Chief Minister of For a while Mayurbhanj created a snag. West Bengal as ridiculous. On 16th October The Maharaja of Mayurbhanj had transferred 1948 the Maharaja and Sarata Chandra Das power to a responsible Government headed by together handed over the administration of Sarat Chandra Das, the Prajamandal leader of Mayurbhanj to the Central Government and D. the State soon after India became free in August V. Rege was posted at as the Chief 1947. Therefore, on 14 December he expressed Commissioner. He handed over Mayurbhanj to his inability to sign the agreement for merger and the Government of Orissa on 1st January 1949 his explanation was accepted by Sardar Patel. and thus the modern Orissa witnessed its Since the Maharaja had all along opposed the efflorescence. move to create the Eastern States, Union he was held in high esteem for his political sagacity. But as predicted, by Patel, the responsible Government of Das fell far short of everyone's Dr. Bhagyalipi Malla is working as Curator, Manuscript expectation. Within a short time they squandered Section, Orissa State Museum.

Freedom Fighters of Orissa

Dr. Radhanath Rath Malati Choudhury Annapurna Maharana

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