Utkal Gourav Madhusudan Das : the Maker of Modern Odisha
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Odisha Review April - 2015 Utkal Gourav Madhusudan Das : The Maker of Modern Odisha Dr. Siddhartha Kanungo Madhusudan Das, popularily known as his effort, Odisha’s first Girls’ High School and Madhubabu was the moving spirit of Odisha for first Library were established at Cuttack. about a half century in its political, economic and Utkal Sabha (the Odisha Association) social life. After his return from Kolkata, he found happens to be the first organization to promote that Odisha had become the land of disease, national movement and it was established on 3rd sorrows and affliction and where people were August, 1888 at Cuttack. The suffering from abject penury Sabha conducted its first and starvation. A race once meeting on 21st August, 1889. acclaimed for its heroism and Kashinath Das (Zamindar of bravery had become weak – Bhingarpur), Madhusudan Das physically, mentally and and Gouri Shankar Ray were spiritually. President, Vice-President and Madhusudan’s career Secretary respectively. in Odisha for about fifty years Madhusudan Das made efforts (1880s to 1934) was an to expand the Canal System example of unparalleled and agricultural activities in dedication to the making of Odisha in 1884. Although he Modern Odisha. He played a did not attend the first session key role in the amalgamation of Indian National Congress in of different Odia speaking Mumbai, he presented a tracts lying scattered in memorandum to Sir Richards neighboring provinces into a great political entity. Thomson (Lt. Governor of Bengal) on the At the same time he made significant contribution development of agriculture and industry, to the socio-economic and cultural progress of expansion of Railways in Odisha and Odisha which ultimately stabilized the political amalgamation of Ganjam and Sambalpur Districts Odisha. with Odisha in the same year i.e.1885. Madhubabu As per the advice of Sir Richard Garth, also discussed reorganization of segmented Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court, Madhusudan Odisha and improvement of its administration and Das returned to Cuttack on 25.09.1881. Through education system with Sir Richard Thomson. 30 April - 2015 Odisha Review Madhubabu attended the Indian National imposition of Hindi in Sambalpur area but pleaded Congress Session held from time to time between for its merger with Odisha Division. At the same 1886 to 1898 and drew their attention to Odisha time he wrote a series of articles in Utkal Dipika in each session of Indian National Congress. But on banishment of Odia. Later Odia was he disassociated himself from Indian National introduced as official language in Sambalpur. Congress when it rejected the proposal of Madhusudan Das was elected as Madhubabu for formation of the State on linguistic Member to the Bengal Legislative Council from basis. the Odisha Chhotnagpur Constituency on 14th Madhubabu lodged a protest against March, 1888. He presented his argument in the British Government regarding the administration Council regarding the decline of salt industry in of Lord Jagannath Temple on behalf of Gajapati Odisha in April 1896. In the same year he also Raja of Puri in 1886. He also protested against demanded in the Bengal Legislative Council for the introduction of Bengali language in Odisha and higher education facilities for Odia students. took a leading role in establishment of a special Madhubabu went to England in April 1987. He institution i.e. Lady Thomson Women’s met prominent British politicians, discussed with Dispensary in the campus of Ravenshaw College them Odisha’s grievances and presented them his for treatment of Women in the same year i.e. 1986. booklet. Odisha Art Ware Works was founded Subsequently in April, 1987, Madhubabu pleaded by him in 1897 where nearly 150 artisans worked for the Gajapati Maharaja relating Lord Jagannath in Brass, Silver, Gold and Aluminium ware and Temple case in Calcutta High Court. He was also in sola, horn, ivory and wood. assisted by Barister J.T.Woodroffe and Mr. In December, 1903, Madhubabu formed Sandel. He won the case. the Utkal Union Conference a non-political It is worthwhile to point out at this stage organization. It was open to all Odias of feudatory that much before Mahatma Gandhi,Madhubabu States, British Odisha and those domiciled in raised his voice against Salt Tax at the Cuttack Odisha. At the behest of Madhusudan, Lord Municipality Hat on 11th February, 1888. When Curzon took a decisive step towards uniting the he urged Govt. to reduce tax on salt he pointed scattered Odia tracts under Bengal administration. out that the total tax per head in England was Madhubabu set up Utkal Tannery on an Rs.8/- against the per capita income of Rs.300/- experimental basis in his residential house at where as in India it was Rs.16/- against the per Cuttack. Nearly 300 workers were employed. capita income of Rs.20/- per annum. In This pioneer Odisha industry lasted for 25 years. November, 1888 Madhu babu put forth the Nevertheless the industry had trade contracts with grievances of the Odia people before Sir Stewert foreign countries like England, Europe and Japan. Colvatu Bayley, the Lt. Governor of Bengal as First partition of Bengal took place in President of Odisha Association. Due to the 1905.Odisha Division along with Sambalpur and intervention of Madhusudan Odia language was five adjacent Feudatory States of Kalahandi, introduced as official language in Madras Patna, Sonepur, Bamara and Rairakhol were kept Presidency. under the administration of the Lt. Governor of Madhubabu not only addressed a public Bengal. In June, 1907 Madhubabu made second meeting on 11th May, 1895, protesting against trip to London along with the Raja of Kanika. He 31 Odisha Review April - 2015 addressed meetings there, met prominent Madhubabu resigned from the Ministership on 4th members of Parliament and circulated pamphlet March, 1923 and his request to serve as Minister “Unrest in India” as the representative of eleven of Local Self Government on honorary basis was millions people of India. He could succeed in turned down by the Government. He was infact enlisting sympathies of John Moreley, Secretary the first Indian who resigned from Ministership of State for India. on ideological ground. The Legal Practioner Act In the year 1910, in Bengal Legislative of 1879 was amended in 1923 at the behest of Council Madhubabu pleaded for introduction of Madhusudan Das. Mahatma Gandhi paid a visit th agricultural farming in the rural Schools of Odisha to Utkal Tannery on 19 August at the request of on experimental basis.Madhubabu delivered his Madhusudan Das. presidential address in 1992 at the Bihar Students’ O’ Donnel Committee was formed in Conference and highlighted the Swadeshi 1931. Madhubabu made his deposition before Movement which he had started almost two the Commission. On 20th November, 1931, he decades back. Madhubabu took oath as a organised a meeting at Jamshedpur and pleaded Member of Bihar-Odisha Legislative Council on for amalgamation of Singhbhum District with 20th January, 1913. He was felicitated by Sir Odisha. st Surendranath Banerjee on 1 January, 1915 for The eventful life of Madhusudan came to becoming pioneer in the whole Country in building an end on 4th February, 1934 at 1.35 A.M. when the States on linguistic basis which in the long run he breathed his last. Mine is a humble attempt to would strengthen the spirit of Indian Nationalism. indicate only some of the important events in the Madhubabu led a delegation on behalf of the Utkal life of Madhusudan Das, the architect of Modern Union Conference in 1917 to Lord Chelmsford Odisha. He is unquestionably the greatest of and presented him with a memorandum about the personality Odisha has ever produced. Let us just demand for amalgamating the scattered Odia salute him on the occasion of his birthday which tracts. falls on 28th April. Madhusudan accepted Ministership (1921-23) of Bihar-Odisha Government as per the Mont-Ford reforms under the system of Dyarchy at a very crucial period of Indian Nationalism. Local Self Government Act was passed. It was infact the most outstanding and Dr. Siddhartha Kanungo, Joint Secretary, Finance singular achievement of Madhusudan Das. Department, Odisha Secretariat, Bhubaneswar. 32.