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ISSN 0970-8669 Review

Pandit Nilakantha : A Tribute

Dr. Sudarsan Pradhan

ABSTRACT

Pandit appeared on the political and literary firmament of Odisha at the most crucial period of its history when the land of Odisha had no political identity in the map of India and Odia as a language was about to vanish. Nilakantha was a born revolutionary against all social evils. Nilakantha Das had promised to give up all personal comforts and luxury (even Government Service) to serve the motherland. Endowed with a multi-splendoured and multifaceted personality, Pandit Das blossomed into a forceful national leader, a scholar, poet, philosopher, politicians and legislator. He ceaselessly worked hard to make India free and upon attainment of this precious objective, worked for advancement of our country towards a better life in all spheres.

Nilakantha Das, popularly known as the “Pandit” is one of the most striking figures in Odisha politics. He was one of the pioneers of the Satyabadi School which ushered a new era in the . He is amongst the earliest champions of Indian Independence to which he sacrificed his entire life. He joined the Independence Movement under the leadership of in the year 1921. Nilakantha Das was a multifaceted personality. He was a brilliant scholar, a dedicated social reformer, a voracious reader, an accomplished statesman, an eminent educationist as well as a freedom fighter. He was not a person rather himself, he was a living institution. He had been honoured by a huge number of awards and felicitations. It has been

70 NOVEMBER - 2019 Odisha Review ISSN 0970-8669 said that the towering personality of Pandit After the invitation of Sir Ashutosh Nilakanta Das was much above all the awards. Mukharjee, the then Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta An Award was considered to be more suitable University, Nilakantha Das joined as a lecturer in and prestigious when it was awarded to Pandit Odia at Calcutta University in 1920 and served Nilakantha Das. there only for three months. Further, the Viceroy of India who was the Chancellor of Delhi th Nilakantha Das was born on 5 August, University nominated Nilakantha Das as a 1884 in a respectable Brahmin family of member of the Senate of Delhi University. Really Sriramchandrapur Sasan, near Sakhigopal in it was a great honour done to an Odia especially district. His father’s name was Ananda Das, who in the field of higher education. The contributions was an orthodox Brahmin and mother Heera Devi of Nilakantha Das were so remarkable for the was a deeply pious lady. After a long years gap establishment of in Odisha is of their marriage, that couple had no male child, praiseworthy. During the reorganization, keeping so that they worshipped Lord Nilakantha and got his contributions and experiences in view, he was a male baby due to blessing of the Lord appointed as the Pro-Chancellor of Utkal Nilakantha. That’s why they named the child as University in 1955. He successfully discharged Nilakantha. It seems that, Nilakantha Das was his responsibilities as the Pro-Chancellor of Utkal gifted with a rare talent by divine powers. He University from 1955 to1962. progressed brilliantly well in his academic career till he became an M.A in Philosophy from the Under the influence of Mahatma Gandhi, Calcutta University. Though Nilakantha was he joined in the Non-Cooperation Movement in awarded scholarship by the government to pursue January,1921. He was elected to the Central law education under Calcutta University, but he Legislative Assembly from Odisha towards the did not take interest in this regard and returned end of 1923.He was also elected more than once back to Odisha. to Delhi University Senate, where he served until 1930. Due to his close association with central After his study, Nilakantha Das started leaders as well as his popularity in own province his career as the principal of the Satyabadi School he was elected as the Chief of the Utkal Provincial in the year 1911 and worked hard to make it a Congress Committee and he held this office for centre of excellence which was a dream of many years. He was the first Odia to visualise . Within few years, he became the formation of a separate province for all Odia- very much popular for his proficiency in teaching speaking tracts. He distinctly demanded it in the and school administration. It was under his Central Assembly on 8th February, 1927. This inspiration that the scheduled caste students could demand ultimately culminated in the formation of stay with the Brahmin boys in the same hostel the present state of Odisha in 1936. He was and dined in the same room. This was against elected President of the All Party Conference of social evils and was in the line of the reform Orissa in 1931 for the promotion of this cause. movements and the unique educational policy that The dynamic personality and single handed efforts reflected the spirit of the Arya Samaj. of Nilakantha Das immensely helped Congress

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Party to win the first general election in the state rule was established in Odisha. Biswanath Das Constituent Assembly. became the Prime (Chief) Minister. Nilakantha could not become Prime Minister, even though it During the course of Non-Cooperation was his due and he enjoyed the full support of 21 Movement, he was sent to jail four times from members out of 36 in the Party, due to many 1922 to 1933. First he joined the Swaraj Party cliques. of Desabandhu Chitaranjan Das as a “pro- changer” after coming out of from his first jail life. The Provincial Congress Committee Then in 1927, he was elected as a Congress hatched a conspiracy under the leadership of M.L.A. which he resigned in 1930 under the Harekrushna Mahtab that a non-member of the mandate of Lahore Congress and then he joined Provincial Legislature cannot become Prime Madan Mohan Malaviya’s Independent Party and Minister of the province. As per the democratic got elected only to resign and come out from the practice, Pandit Nilakantha Das could have been Assembly only after 12days. Then, Nilakantha elected leader and afterwards would have joined the salt campaign in the and become a member of the legislature through a by- was arrested on 19.1.1931. election. Moreover, the practice of the non- member becoming a leader was not without In 1934, Nilakantha was elected precedence in the history of parliamentary President of the Utkal Congress and remained its institution. But the real motive behind this decision uncontested head for five years. Madhusudan was surely to eliminate Nilakantha Das from the Das, the grand leader of Odisha declared on his party leadership race. This decision was upheld death bed that Nilakantha would succeed him and by the Congress Working Committee as a result that he would do everything for Odisha and of which Pandit Das could not become the leader everybody should work conjointly with him. In of the Congress Parliamentary Committee in 1935 December, Nilakantha was elected to the Odisha. Central Legislative Assembly. He again became the Secretary of the Congress Block in the The Opposite group of Nilakantha Das Legislature, this time under the leadership of the tried in all possible ways to snatch away the Bulabhai Desai. leadership of the party as well from Pandit Das and ultimately they came out victorious, when In 1936, Pandit Nilakantha Das was at Harekrushna Mahtab defeated Pandit Nilakantha the peak of his power both in state politics as in the party election for Presidentship by thirteen well as central politics. After the first General to twelve votes in 1937.This event marked the Election in 1937, he became subject to many beginning of the decline of influence of Nilakantha cliques. Yet he was the President of Utkal Pradesh Das and that of the Satyabadi group in Odisha Congress Committee in 1939, at the outbreak of politics. the World War-II. The Congress won the first General Election by large majorities under This change in the leadership of the party Nilakanth’s leadership. For this big achievement, was not a good sign for the future of the newly Nilakantha was held with “ Bravo Odisha” by created province of Odisha. The Party stood Congress High Commands. The first Congress sharply divided into three groups Pandit

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Nilakantha’s group with fifteen members, of and culture in a very unique and Harekrushna Mahtab’s group with fifteen outstanding manner. His well known works on members and the Socialists group with four Poetry, are “Konarke” “Kharavela” “Pranayani” members under Atal Bihari Achrya holding the and “Dasanayak”. His contributions on children’s balance. In this way the political scene in Odisha literature are also worth-mentioning. His grew in an atmosphere of mutual suspicion and “Bhaktigatha” is a book of great value for recitation leg pulling ultimately leading to the second election of children in Schools and Colleges. One of his to the Provincial Assembly. The second political popular Odia book entitled “Arjya Jeevan” was controversy arose surrounding Nilakantha’s translated in 1926 by the eminent Hindi writer political career and his association with Netaji Jainendra Kumar who bagged the Jnanapeetha Subash Chandra Bose. Award latter on for his creative writings. In this way, he published a large number of articles and During the Provincial election of 1946, books on a variety of topics like philosophy, Nilakantha Das was not accepted by the culture, anthropology, religion, grammar etc. He Congress in Odisha. He went against the interest is considered one of the earliest linguist experts of Congress Party and supported the coalition of contemporary . ministry of . During the 1951election, he formed a separate Party called He was also interested in journalism and ‘Independent Janasangha’ and got elected himself left his permanent foot prints as a Journalist of as the leader of it with some followers into the repute. He edited the famous “Naba Bharat” from Odisha Legislative Assembly, where he proved a 1933 to 1945. His periodic writings and editorial very outstanding member in the opposition. comments in daily ‘Naba Bharat’ were intended Thereafter he rejoined the Congress Party. to develop a patriotic spirit among the Odias. He also edited ‘Seva’ and ‘Lokamata’. From 1957 to 1961, Nilakantha occupied the position of the Speaker of the Odisha After retiring from the active politics, Legislative Assembly. Unfortunately, he was not Nilakantha devoted his time for writing his given a ticket by the Congress Party for the autobiography which brought him the Central election of 1961. Nilakantha Das himself explains Sahitya Academy Award in 1963. In recognition it as, “when living beings become old they of his literar attainments, the Utkal University automatically become unwanted and useless and conferred on him the Degree of D.Litt (Honoris most probably that is why the Congress Party Causa) in 1955 and while awarding the Degree did not care to make me a candidate”. In this Shri V.K.Krishna Menon said that by honouring way after 1961, Nilakantha Das retired from Nilakantha the University was honouring itself. In politics. the year 1957, the Government of India honoured Nilakantha by conferring on him the title of Nilakantha Das was a versatile scholar ‘Padma Bhusan’. He was the first President of and his contribution was so great for the the Orissa Sahitya Academy in 1958. development of Odia literature. He was a prolific Odia Writer. His book “Odia Sahityara Krama Though a strong supporter of Hinduism, Parinam” is a critical study on the development Nilakantha was liberal in his religious outlook and

NOVEMBER - 2019 73 ISSN 0970-8669 Odisha Review had great respect for other religions. He was not 5. Narendra Nath Mishra, Pandit Nilakantha: Jivani a blind admirer or opponent of any religious faith O Kruti, Pandit Nilakantha Smruti Samiti, and on him reason always played a greater role Bhubaneswar, 1983. than emotion in shaping his philosophical ideas. 6. Narasingh Mohapatra, Manishi Nilakantha , Therefore he revolted against the age-old Pandit Nilakantha: Jivani O Kruti, Pandit superstitions and rituals. His commentary on the Nilakantha Smruti Samiti, Bhubaneswar, 1984. Bhagabat Gita has a definite message so far as 7. Kumudini Mishra, Pandit Nilakantha Srusti O the field of philosophy of religion is concerned. Drusti,Subarnarekha, Bhubaneswar,1999.

Pandit Nilakantha Das by remaining 8. Bikram Das, Pandit Nilakantha Das, Vidyapuri , active for more than half a century in various fields ,2003. th breathed his last on 6 November 1967. The 9. Bansidhar Mohanty, Odia Bhasa Andolana, Swatantra Government of Singh Deo arranged Sahitya Sangha Prakashan, Cuttack, 2001. for the last rites to be performed with full State honour. His death was a great loss not only for 10. P.K.Jena, Orissa- A New Province, Punthi Pustak, Calcutta,1988. Odisha but for India as a whole. 11. , Mahan Biplabi Duradarsi References : Neta Nilakantha, Odisha Legislative Assembly Secretariat, Bhubaneswar,1991. 1. Nilakantha Das, Atmajivani, Cuttack Students’ Store , Cuttack, 1963. 12. Chandra Sekhar Mishra, Satyabadire Satabarsa, Cuttack Student’s Store, Cuttack, 1973. 2. Nilakantha Das, Nilakantha Granthabali, Vol.III, Cuttack Students’ Store, Cuttack, 1967.

3. Leela Ray, Pandit Nilakantha Das, Pandit Nilakantha Smruti Samiti, Bhubaneswar,1985.

4. Dr. Sachidananda Sinha, Some Eminent Indian Dr. Sudarsan Pradhan, Faculty in History, Ravenshaw Contemporaries, Janaki Prakashan, Patna,1976. University, Cuttack.

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