Orissa Review

The Unfinished Task of Orissa Formation

Dr. Anil Mohapatra

“Why should we accept a spelling that gives a separate language”. We did not stop there. We wrong pronunciation of the name of our State?” made all possible attempts to bring into our fold – it might be the sole justification behind the all the regions in our vicinity which was home to a proposal of the Government of Orissa submitted large chunk of Oriyas. Like all such movements to the Central Government in 2008 to change the elsewhere, we could not secure the integration of name of the State from Orissa to Odisha and of all such areas. Some areas were naturally left the official language of the State from Oriya to behind and the concerns for the leftovers still haunt Odia. Since the cause was genuine involving the us till today as an unfinished task of our State deeper emotions of the people of Orissa, the formation. resolution passed by the Orissa State Legislative Assembly got an easy nod from the Lower House We know that the creation of the new of Indian Parliament on 9th November 2010 in province of Orissa unifying the Oriya-speaking the shape of passing of the Orissa (Alteration of people living in different nearby provinces was Name) Bill, 2010 and the Constitution (One an arduous task. From the formation of the Utkal Hundred Thirteenth Amendment) Bill, 2010, by Sabha in 1877, Orissa Association in 1882 till it. And such a formality of changing of names is in the launching of the Utkal Sammilani in 1903 were the process of being completed in the near future. important steps in that direction. Those However, this event reminds us how we had once organizations had played a crucial role in fought successfully for a separate province for the mobilizing people in that regard. The Montegue Oriya-speaking people uniting Oriya-speaking Chemsford reforms in 1919 gave a proposal for tracts as situated initially in Bengal, Central and granting of Constitutional and Provincial autonomy Madras provinces and from -Chhota to the Oriya speaking tracts. The Sinha Resolution Nagpur-Orissa province afterwards. The State on 20th Feb.1920, proposed to the Governor- was finally crafted on April 1, 1936 and it is General in Council to appoint a committee to acclaimed as “the success of the first linguistic formulate a scheme for the amalgamation of the movement in ”1 for Statehood. It was a Oriya- speaking tracts that were controlled by period during the British Rule but we came the Governments of Madras, Bengal and the victorious in face of the vehement opposition from Central Provinces with existing Orissa Division Bengalis who once said “ Oriya was not a of the Province of Bihar and Orissa. Accordingly

30 April - 2011 Orissa Review a committee consisting of C.H Phillip and A.C. all recommendations into account the new Duff was formed in 1924. The Commission visited province of Orissa was created along with Sindh the places like Vizagpattam, , vide the Section 289 of the Government of India Manjusa, Icchapuram, Chikiti, Sorada, Khalikote, Act, 1935. ‘On 26th January 1936 the Order was Berhampur, Rambha in order to ascertain the issued to the Indian Orders Committee’4 and desire and opinion of the people on getting accordingly on 1st April 1936, the new province amalgamated to Orissa Proper. On the of Orissa came into existence on linguistic basic recommendations of that committee the during the British rule in India. Cuttack was its Government of India announced in September capital and it became ‘one of the eleven 1931, the formation of a Boundary Commission Governor’s Provinces in India’5. Thus came the under the chairmanship of Samuel O’ Donnell to culmination of a long cherished dream of Oriya examine and report on administrative, financial people who were separated over centuries. and other consequences of setting up a separate However, that was the ‘first phase of the Oriya administration and demarcate the boundaries of Movement’6 since the territorial amalgamation of the proposed Orissa province. The other the Oriya-speaking areas were not complete as members were ‘T.R. Phockun, H.M. Mehetta, 26 Orissa Garhjats (feudatory States/ princely Raja of Paralakhemundi, Sachidananda Sinha and States) still remained free and thereby remained Ray Bahadur C.V.S. Narasingha Rajaguru’2. The outside the administrative jurisdiction of Orissa. Commission visited respective places such as After the independence of India, these princely Jamsedpur, Chaibasa, Sambalpur, Raipur, States were amalgamated with Orissa to give Midnapur, Gopalpur, Waltair, Kakinada, and Orissa the present form. The Maharaja of Cuttack and met and interviewed different Mayurbhanja signed the instrument of merger on persons. While determining the boundary of the 1st January 1949 and he was the last of the proposed province factors like, language, race, princely States that joined Orissa. However, the geographical position and the economic interests exception was of Seraikela and Kharsawan(now, were taken into consideration. The Orissa one of the twenty-four districts of Jharkhand State province that thus came up was to include Orissa in eastern India) which did not join Orissa. ‘Thus Division, Angul, Padmapur, Khariar, Vizagpattam the final merger of the Orissa Feudatory States in agency tracts. That proposal was further 1949 marked the close of the second phase of recommended by the Joint Select Committee the Oriya Movement.’7 And ‘nobody ever under the leadership of Lord Linithgow. As per imagined that the end of the princely India would this Committee Berhampur town, Jeypore eState come so soon and that too the integration of Report, about 30% of Paralakhemendi State States will begin in Orissa and gradually spread including Paralakhimendi town, Jalantara were over the whole of India.’8 included in the proposed Orissa province. However, the Samuel O’ Donnell committee What could be the unfinished task then? ‘excluded Midnapore and Bankura in Bengal, Here, an eminent historian Prof. Atul Chandra Singhbhum, Manbhum and Ranchi from Bihar and Pradhan’s observation is quite relevant. He States Khariar, Phuljhar and Padmapur in Central that ‘Orissa in its present shape came into Provinces and Ichhapur, Manjusa, Budarsingi, existence on 1st January 1949 after the integration Jalanter, Tekkali and Tarala from Orissa’3. Taking of princely States but linguistically and culturally,

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Orissa covers a wider area than its present their locality. Their answers dismayed me. They territorial boundary. Oriya language and culture said that such schools could not be run as no can be traced in the Midnapore district of West appointment of Oriya Teachers was made over Bengal, of , decades. has been imposed on Raipur district of Madhya Pradesh (now in them and they and their children were gradually Chhatisgarh) and Chakradharpur and Singhbhum losing touch with the Oriya script. When asked 9 districts of Bihar(now in Jharkhand)’. Professor regarding their affinity to Oriya and Orissa their S.C. Patra, another historian too has given a vivid eyes were filled with tears. What they said and description regarding the Oriya –speaking people expressed may not be true cent percent but it was staying outside the purview of Orissa in his book a fact that they were members of an Oriya- the “Formation of the province of Orissa”. He speaking and loving community in Andhra writes how “there remained still some Oriya- Pradesh. Similar experience once came to me in speaking pockets inside the neighbouring a cricket match played in the bordering village provinces. They were, Danton, Narayangarh, Contai, Mohanpur, Kesiari, Jhargram, nearer to Lakshman Nath Road. The players were Gopiballabhapur, and Nayagram in the district of from West Bengal but they were speaking in Oriya Midnapore in Bengal; Singhbhum, Saraikella and dialect. They too had shared and expressed similar Kharaswan in Bihar; and Phuljhar, Bindra- problems. Besides we know the issue of Seraikela Nawagarh, Chandrapur and Deobhang in the and Kharsawan where a large chunk of people Central Provinces; (i) Ichhapore including 60 speak Oriya. They too have similar problems. villages of Udyankhand, Budarsingh, Jalantar, The purpose of this essay is not either to Manjusa, Tarla,Tekkali, and those portions of the instigate them to mobilize politically to demand Zamindaris of Chikiti and Parlakhemundi EStates, for the inclusion of those areas in Orissa State or (ii) Sujankota Mutha, Madgole, Padwa, Arku and to find fault with our Government. On both the Parvatipur, Salur and Palkonda Agencies of the counts it would be just like opening the ‘Pandora’s ex-Vizagapatam Agency, and (iii) Viravali and Box’. This author is aware of the fact that it is an Srungavarapukut Agency areas in Andhra age of multiculturalism. And, we too have a sizable Pradesh.”10 The data and observations of Prof. Pradhan and Prof. S.C. Patra remind me of two Telugu, Chhatisgarhi and Bengali-speaking incidents how Oriyas in a large number are found community in Orissa. However, our Constitution 11 beyond the territory of Orissa and their concerning provides for ‘Cultural and Educational Rights’ problems. This author was traveling one day in a to the minorities as fundamental rights. Under train from Bhubaneswar to (in Article 29, it protects the interests of minorities Andhra Pradesh). After Ichhapuram few that any section of the citizens residing in the passengers got into the train and to my surprise territory of India or any part thereof having a they were speaking in fluent Oriya. That captured distinct language, script or culture of its own shall my attention. I was curious about knowing their have the right to conserve the same. And under place of domicile. From them I came to know Article 30 it provides that all minorities, whether that they were the inhabitants of some villages in based on religion or language, shall have the right the Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh. I asked to establish and administer educational institutions whether they had Oriya medium schools or not in of their choice.

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Here comes the role of our State as a for the interest of respective people staying promoter and facilitator for the cause of its own beyond ones own border. One loves his mother- people who have been distanced on political tongue very much and it is through his mother- considerations. They are its own people as they tongue one understands and expresses better. In are still socially and culturally linked with the the end, this author remains optimistic that nobody people of the mainland. Therefore, it would have would be deprived of his culture and mother been appreciable if our Government takes any tongue. The State should take the responsibility initiative to facilitate the promotion of Oriya of becoming a facilitator and collaborator in the language in those areas outside the State where development of individuals from his culture point Oriya-speaking people in a good number are of view. staying. However, it is a matter of policy decision. Their must be an inter-State understanding over References : the issue. Our Government could supply Oriya 1. Patra, S.C.(1979), “Formation of the province of books free of cost while offering to bear the Orissa : The success of the first linguistic expenses for appointing teachers to teach Oriya movement in India," Calcutta : Punthi Pustak. language over there and vice versa. That would 2. Pattanayak, A.K.(1988), ‘ The formation of the fetch mutual benefits to both the States. The policy province of Orissa’ in Jena, B.B. and J.K. Baral should be on mutual give and take basis. As we (ed), Government and Politics in Orissa, have inter-State bus services between Andhra Lucknow: Print House(India), p.15. Pradesh and Orissa the origin of which could be 3. Ibid, p.16. found in the concern of each State for its own 4. Ibid, p.17. citizens; so also we can have an understanding 5. Ibid. on educational and cultural promotion too. 6. Patra, S.C., Op cit, p.228. In this context it is heartening to note that 7. Ibid, p.236. our Government is encouraging and patronizing 8. Mahatab, Harekrushna(1960), “The History of Inter-State Cultural Exchange Programmes. This Orissa, Vol-II," Cuttack: Prajatantra Prachar has been an initiative taken by the Information Samiti,p.473. and Public Relations Department, Government of 9. Pradhan, A.C.(1984), “A Study of History of Orissa. Under this initiative, Malayalam films have Orissa“, Bhubaneswar: Panchashila Publishers been screened with a cultural festival at and Book Sellers, p.8. Bhubaneswar followed by Oriya films and cultural 10. Patra, S.C., Op cit, p.236. programmes at Thiruvantpuram in Kerala. The 11. Bakshi, P.M.(2005), “The Constitution of India," Department too has organised Oriya film and New Delhi: Universal Law Publishing Co. Pvt. cultural festival at under Inter-State Ltd.,Pp.66-67. Cultural Exchange Programme. This is an encouraging step in this direction. In the same vein we could also include and encourage the sharing of books in native languages, exchange of students, Dr. Anil Mohapatra is the Assistant Professor in P.G. opening of language centres and the appointment Department of Political Science, Utkal University, of the language teachers in each others territory Bhubaneswar.

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