Orissa Review * April - 2010

Vyasakavi Fakirmohan Senapati : Leader of Odia Nationalist and Linguistic Movement

Ramakanta Rout

Fakirmohan Senapati (1843-1918) is the father critical time. Bengali text books were introduced of Oriya novel and short stories. He is the first in Orissa in schools. Fakirmohan, Radhanath and Indian novelist, who used vernacular language and Madhusudan wrote textbooks in Oriya to protect rustic characters and dialogues in the fiction. He, Bengali access. Fakirmohan brought a Printing in his Chha Mana Anthaguntha (Six Acres and Press by bullock cart from Calcutta to Balasore Half), gives a vivid and pathetic in 1868. He published µSambada picture of rural poors oppressed Bahika¶ and µBodhadayini¶ at by the Zamindars and upper class Balasore. He too organized people. After forty years public meetings and published Premchand¶s Godan (Gift of the articles in Utkal Deepika Cow) came out which is taken as challenging the move for abolition a specimen of progressive novel. of Odia, a rich and ancient From this point of view language spoken by millions of Fakirmohan may be estimated as people. He aroused public the first progressive writer in India, opinions to confront this his fiction is forty years ahead of conspiracy. John Beams, a Premchand¶s Godan. British administrator, extended Fakirmohan¶s talents are timely help and cooperation for not confined to the literary persuits preservation of only. He is the saviour of our Gaurisankar Ray, though a language and literature. There was Bengali by birth, worked as a a conspiracy to finish Oriya strong fighter of this linguistic language. One Bengali named Kantilal battle to arouse nationalistic feelings among Odias. Bhattacharya remarked, ³Oriya is not a separate Fakirmohans was born in a poor peasant language.´ Vehement opposition was there among family on 13th January 1843 in the village Odias. Fakirmohan stood in the front line. Malikashapur near Balasore town. So to say he Radhanath Roy, Gangadhar Meher, Bhaktakavi was an orphan and brought up by his old grand Madhu Sudan Rao and Gauri Sankar Ray joined mother Kochila Devi. He had not received more hands to save Oriya language and literature at this education, though, he had gathered ample

14 Orissa Review * April - 2010 knowledge of Indian epics by hard labour and Chhaman Atha guntha (Six Acres and Eight endeavour. He has translated the Mahabharat, the Gunthas). Geeta, the Ramayan and Boudhavatar Kavya into Fakirmohan started writing only after simple Odia Verse. He started his career as a obtaining maturity of mind and acquiring both teacher of Mission School at Balasore. During knowledge and experiences over life and society. his stay in the school he built up his career by As a Dewan he visited different places and came hard labour of reading various books. He was in close contact with different people. He knew influenced by the new light and modern thinking life and its problems which became the raw of Western education spread in Bengal. Balasore material for his fictions. Initially he gathered is in the boarder of Bengal. It was reflected quickly knowledge going through Indian classics and to this area. In the second phase of his life mythologies. He, too, translated major classics Fakirmohan worked as Dewan in the princely and was familiar with their themes and styles. All states of Nilgiri, Dampada, Dhenkanal, Daspalla, those have flourished his knowledge and Pallahada and Keonjhar. He came in direct contact with varieties of people and experienced their life sharpened his writings. style and problems, which enriched his fictions Fakirmohan is a reputed poet. He began later as raw materials. As an administrator his literary career as a poet. His poetical works Fakirmohan was very efficient and successful. include µPuspamala¶, µUpahar¶, µAbasar Basare¶, During Keonjhar Praja Meli (people¶s agitation) µPuja Phula¶ and µDhuli¶. His poems are mostly he escaped very cunningly writing a symbolic letter biographical and full of pathos. There is lyrical to the king. appeal and literary values in his poems. These The time to which Fakirmohan survived are simple, lucid and melodious, that touch the was the Dark Age in the history. The famous human heart. µNa¶anka Famine¶ occurred in 1866. It disordered Real talent of Fakirmohan lies in his prose and distorted the economic and social condition writings. He is yet unsurpassable, so far as the of Orissa. In 1803 Orissa was overcome by British Oriya fiction is concerned. Most of his short and splited to segments which were kept under stories reflect the conflict between western and Madras, Madhya Pradesh, and Bengal. The eastern culture and tradition. He has highlighted, identity of Oriyas was almost finished. There was too, the superstitious beliefs cherished by the rural conspiracy among Bengalis to finish the language. people. µRebati¶ can be taken as an illustration. They declared Odiya as a dialect of Bengali, not Its pathetic tone is beyond comparison. The grand a separate language. Joha Beams, a British old mother represents the old belief and tradition, administrator also came to the rescue of Odias. whereas, the teacher Basu and Rebati represent There was fast changing social and modern generation. Gopal in µDak Munshi¶ domestic orders in the country. The joint family represents new generation taught in western system was breaking up rapidly. A conflict was education. Fakirmohan has denounced the new entering into our traditional life and society and educated youths vehemently, who blindly initiated eastern culture and tradition were at a stake. It the western lifestyle. Hari Singh is the true has been reflected in his stories, µDak Munshi¶ specimen of Indian life and culture, though his son (The Post Master), Sabhya Zamindar (The Gopal, the so called affluent, a Babu, has been Educated Fuedal Lord) and even in the fiction influenced by the English style.

15 Orissa Review * April - 2010

His µPatent Medicine¶ though sometimes In addition to two volumes of short treated as anti-Indian, is artistic and didactic. stories, Fakirmohan has left four novels There is an attempt to bring a wine and drug addict entitled,¶Lachhama(1901), µChha¶man husband to the true tract of life and morality. Of Athaguntha (1905) and µPrayaschitt¶(Expiation- course Sulochana Devi, the heroine of the story, 1915). These are monumental works. has gone to the extreme and using broomstick to Fakirmohan has given an eternal value to it. The a drunkard husband. But her repentance, penance oppression and exploitations onto poor have been and profused tears have wiped out the evil she displayed in an artistic way in µChha Man has done to her husband. Her intention to bring a Athaguntha¶. The weaver couple Bhagia and way-ward husband to the path of morality and to Saria, the kept Champa and Zamindar normal social being, is noble and righteous. Ramachandra Mangaraj have no parallel in Indian µRandipua Ananta¶ is a story of different literature. Along deep pathetic tone there is taste. Ananta a very notorious wayward youth trenchant irony in the novel. Even the goddess has ultimately been metamorphosed. While the and gods are not free from his sharp criticism. flood water entered into the village through a hole His novels are unique both in theme and style. of the river-embankment, Ananta pulled the More or less µMamu¶ (maternal Uncle) wooden door of his house and covered the hole bears the same theme, though bureaucratic and standing as the supporting pillar and asked villagers urban episodes are more in it. ¶Lachhama¶ is on to pile soil onto it. Gradually his body was piled historical theme. It is on the attack of Marhattas, up and he was still shouting aloud to pile up. which created panic in Orissa. But the Prayaschitta Ultimately he was buried and had a living tomb. has a different flavour. It is on the age long He dedicated his life for the welfare of the villages. superstition of Brahministic exploitation in the Ananta is a rare character in the Odia short story. name of expiation. Fakirmohan is a satirist. He His remarkable short stories are µSabhya has satirized both eastern and western traditions Zamindar¶µGarudimantra¶, µAdharma Bitta¶, and beliefs with a view to reforming social order. 'Dhulia Baba', µPatent Medicine¶, µDak Munshi¶, His autobiography has highlighted historical facts. µRandipua Ananta¶ and µRebati¶ etc. It is said that It is a rare work reflecting life and incidents of µLachhamania¶ is his first story. But it is not Orissa in the late nineteenth century. traceable. Fakirmohan¶s treatment of villaineous Fakirmohan¶s autobiography character is quite unconventional and unique. (Atmajivana Charita) is unique and novel. It gives Villains like Ramchandra Mngaraj, Nazar Natabar a socio-cultural accounts of along with Das, Champa, the grand mother have been the related episode of his life spanning over half a transferred to tragic characters . Mangaraj has century of the state. His autobiography, by far, is been bitten severely by Bhagichand in the jail and an exception of the type. Fakirmohan¶s fictions was bed ridden. No relation even his sons came and short stories bear the theme of social realism, to his rescue. Writing an agreement of his property social reform, preservation of social values and to advocate Ram Ramlal he was brought back social orders in the time of pastoral setting home by his servant on a bullock cart. He had a exposing the pathos, oppression and neglect to tragic death after a few days. Govinda killed the rustics. Champa pathetically and drowned to the river,

16 Orissa Review * April - 2010 where a crocodile killed him. Grandma of Rebati, the literature. He is a great genius, a versatile who was a stumbling block to Rebati¶s education, personality and an adent literary artist in true sense ultimately became a miserable basic character of the term. This great son of our soil breathed losing all ± his son, daughter-in-law and the grand his last on June 14, 1918 at Balasore before daughter Rebati, whom, she all along, was Odisha had become a separate province. scolding and cursing. She was left like Both in the novel and short Fakirmohan Shakespearian hero, who has µsitting like a has applied novel treatment and typical character monument / laughing at her own grief.' Those picked up from various social strata. He has used characters ruminate their past deeds, their sins pure satire and trenchant irony. It is his unique are left for expiation and self analysis. Fakirmohan instrumental technique in literary genre. He makes believed in poetic justice or crime and punishment, people laugh to their hearts content. Inside irony where a sinner is destined to be paid by his own there is an implied sympathy and pathetic tone coins. In other words, the sinner shall be punished under the surface of attack to villains. So his and the pious to be rewarded. Mohini Mohan fictions are ever fresh and rich in human episode. Senapati, the son of Fakirmohan, has differed from the theory and has argued: ³Why the innocent Durbar of Damapada state conferred on weaver- couples suffered such innumerable pains him the enviable title Saraswati. Dr. Mayadhar and sufferings ?´ there is no answer to such Mansingh calls him µThomas Hardy of Orissa.¶ questions. Mohinimohan argues, nature does not In the words of Dr. J.V. Boulton, µFakirmohan is consider these prophesies. It is just a process. the founder of the realistic social trend in modern fiction.¶ Apart from the intrinsic merit of his work, Fakirmohan is yet unsurpassable and he probably owes his present position of the rise commands the greatest rank among the authors. during the 20th century of a genuine Oriya middle He is the national hero, the leader of linguistic battle class, who were attracted to his work for both and pioneer of our prose fiction, protector of our aesthetic and pathetic reasons. Fakirmohan has language and literature. In observation of Dr. J.V. realized very accurately the problems of middle Boulton the Oriya nationalist movement was class and foreseen their solutions. That is why his language and literature based. Leaders were, at fictions are so accurate, realistic and lively and first, literally men like Gaurisankar Roy and Fakirmohan is so popular among people. Fakirmohan Senapati. He is sometimes called the Gorkay of Odisha. People call him the forerunner of Premchand and the first Indian author to deal with social realism through rustics and pastoral theme. Fakirmohan has contributed only four novels and twenty five stories which endowed him Ramakanta Rout lives at Plot No.1175/3203, Laxmisagar, the title of Katha Samrat (Emperor of Fiction) of Uparasahi, - 751006

17