Orissa Review * April - 2006 Oriya-Speaking Feudatory States and their Amalgamation with Orissa Dr. Hemanta Kumar Mohapatra In India there were at least twenty six feudatory of Central Province, was created. Its states with a pre-dominant Oriya-speaking headquarters was first situated at Ranchi and then population.1 In fact these states were not shifted to Calcutta. The Agency was administered sovereign. They were being ruled by the chiefs by a Resident to be controlled by the Political under British paramountcy. As per the Sanads Department, Government of India. This signed by Lord Elgin, the then Viceroy and arrangement continued till the end of the British Governor General of India, the Chiefs of the rule in India. Tributary Mahals of Orissa were formally But inspite of the British instruction not recognised as Feudatory chiefs in 1894.2 Their to oppress the States subjects, the Feudatory sons and successors were entitled to such Chiefs were found to have resorted to arbitrary privileges and liable to obligations. But it was rule and defective administrative system which led clearly pointed out in the sands that no succession to large scale suffering of the common people should be valid until it had been recognised by His Excellency the viceroy and Governor General there. This state of affairs provoked serious in Council.3 In the revised Sanads issued by Lord reactions amongst the people. They were allergic Minto in 1908 the British relationship with the to the illegal and forcible exactions like Rasad, Feudatory chiefs was redefined. As per the Magan, Bethi and Begari. There were resistance Sanads the Feudatory Chiefs were directed to movements in the states against these exactions. pronounce justice 'fairly and impartially' to all But they were suppressed by the Rajas (as the alike. They were also directed to consult the Feudatory Chiefs were called) with strong hands. commissioner of Orissa Division in all important During the Non-cooperation and Civil matters of administration and comply with his Disobedience Movements against the British decisions.4 Thus the Feudatory Chiefs were rulers in India, organised by the Indian National allowed to rule their States strictly under the British Congress, the Feudatory States of Orissa Paramountcy. remained calm. They were indifferent towards The administrative set-up of the States these national movements as they were struggling was further overhauled in 1933 in order to bring for their own survival vis-a-vis the arbitrary and the States directly under the Government of India. despotic rulers. During the Civil Disobedience The Eastern States Agency, comprising of twenty Movement of 1930-32 attempts were made to six Feudatory State of Orissa and fourteen States organise the people of the States. Accordingly, 45 Orissa Review * April - 2006 the 'Orissa States People Conference' was Balwant Ray Mehta and Lalmohan Patnaik. The convened at Cuttack. But it attracted little committee submitted its report in 1939. The response and was of no success. The second findings of this committee was shocking. The sad session of the Orissa State Peopl's Conference state of affairs in the Feudatory States, thus was also held at Cuttack on 23 June, 1937 under revealed, provoked serious attention in the country the presidentship of Dr. Pattavi Sitaramaya. He and abroad. It unveiled the miserable plight of encouraged the States people to form Congress the subjects and exposed the ineffective Committees and start a mass contact administration and prevailing lawlessness in the programme.5 The conference urged upon the States. The Committee suggested certain rulers of the States to abolish illegal exactions. It measures to restore normalcy in the States. Such also appointed a committee with Satish Chandra measures included the transfer of power of Bose, Balwant Rai Mehta and Brajasundar Das supervision over administration of the States from as its members. Sri Sarangdhar Das was the British Resident to Provincial Government.9 These convenor of this committee. This committee was recommendations created a flutter in the Ruler's to investigate and report on such illegal practices.6 dovecot and also amongst the Officers of the This conference was an august beginning in the political Department.10 The report of this path of formation of political association in the committee was also considered as the 'origin' of States. The awekening of the people in the States the idea of merger of the States with the received a further impetus with the formation of province.11 the popular Congress Ministry in Orissa in the month of July, 1937. Mahtab's Approach to the Problems in the States : In this background, a new movement named Prajamandal Movement started in the Describing the role of Mahtab in the States in 1938. Prajamandals or people's solution of the problems of the States, Durga Das Associations were formed in most of the States wrote, "Narrating the story of the first Merget and the leaders of these associations put forward Patel told me that the idea had originated with 12 charter of demands which include the abolition of Harekrushna Mahtab." as the Chairman of the numerous feudal exactions.7 Their charter of Orissa States Enquiry Committee, he demands included civil liberties like right to form recommended that the States be brought under free associations, right to expression and freedom the Provincial Government. Mahtab took up the of press. They also wanted enactment of just laws matter with the Governor General of India, Lord for their agricultural holdings, for the utilisation of Linlithgow when he came to Orissa in August, the forest products, abolition of monopoly trade 1939. Linlithgow admitted that there was no practices.8 The Prajamandals adopted agitational geographical boundary between British Orissa tactices to get their demands redressed and and Orissa States.13 Mahtab also took up this consequent revolts broke out in places like Nilgiri, matter with Cripps when he came to India as the Talcher and Dhenkanal. When these movements head of a Mission in 1942. The Political were going on unabated, the Orissa States Enquiry Department of the Government of India agreed Committee was reconstituted in 1938 with that the 'merger' was the only feasible solution of Harekrushna Mahtab as its Chairman. The other the emerging problems of the States.14 But no step members of the reconstituted committee were was taken in this respect. 46 Orissa Review * April - 2006 Mahtab also met the Cabinet Mission on bear the same meaning and implications. It did 6 April, 1946. As the prospective Prime Minister not mean subordination of one to the other. He of Orissa he put-forth his arguments in a appealed to the rulers that in the interest of the memorandum substantiated by a specially States, it would be best thing to merge with the prepared map showing how districts of Orissa province and bring about a common were islands in an ocean of States.15 The administration.19 memorandum was published on behalf of the But the reaction and response of the rulers Provincial Congress Committee. It strongly were not encouraging. Rather they tried to advocated for amalgamation of the Garjats with underscore the fundamental issue by raising petty the province of Orissa. On 26 April, 1946 Mahtab matters and complicating the whole issue. Even a wrote to Sir Stafford Cripps (then a member of petty ruler like N.C.B.M. Mahapatra of the Cabinet Mission) showing his interest in the Baramba20 made a baseless counter attack saying amalgamation of twenty six Orissa States with the 16 that the British districts which formed the province province of Orissa. The Cabinet Mission was of Orissa were one time States under the rulers deeply impressed with his arguments and a and he suggested that all those should be restored statement was issued by the mission on 16 May, to their former position.21 P.K. Deo, the 1946. In this statement it was contemplated that Maharaja of Kalahandi accused Mahtab for his a satisfactory solution to the problems of the Indian Parsuram like attitude and warned him that unless States would be achieved by mutual 17 he give up such attitude 'no fruitful decision can negotiations. be arrived at' in their meeting at this stage.22 When this question of negotiation The hostile attitude towards the rule was emerged, Mahtab took up the matter straight with completely exposed when in the month of July, the rulers of Orissa States. He wrote to them on 1946 they met in a conference at Alipore and 10 May, 1946 and again on 29 June, 1946 in decided to form a Federal Union of Chhatishgarh order to Convince them about the benefit of the and Orissa States. A Special Committee was set- mutual cooperation. In the first letter he up to expedite its formation. The British Resident rationalised his previous view of amalgamation of the Eastern States Agency was present in the stating that in the interest of both the states and conference and encouraged such a move.23 the province there should be some sort of coordination without which it was clear that neither In spite of such hostile attitude of the the States nor the province could prosper in that rulers, Mahtab did not give up hope of some circumstances.18 In the same letter he hoped that understanding with the rulling chiefs. On 16 if the resources of the States and the province October, 1946 he met some of them at Sambalpur could be pooled together in a reasonable way, and in the presence of the Political Agent tried to Orissa would be one of the richest provinces of impress upon them about the necessity of one India. administration for both the States and the province.