The
last phase of the 19th century and the first phase of the 20th century
witnessed a great awakening in Odisha. It was the phase of New Odisha-
in-making. The Odias during this phase got an identity consciousness. This
identity needed to be asserted. Many persons and institutions were responsible
for this resurgent trend in Odisha. Among them Madhusudan Das was very significant.
His career in Odisha at least from the 1880s till his death was entirely
dedicated to the making of modern Odisha.
He
took a very prominent role in the amalgamation of different Odia speaking
tracts lying scattered in different neighbouring provinces into a great
political entity. At the same time he attempted socioeconomic and cultural
progress of the Odias which would stabilise his political Odisha. He articulated
manifold problems of Odisha and asserted the identity of the Odias in that
crucial phase. In order to establish the identity of the Odias he closely
connected himself with many elites and associations which demanded the Madhusudan
Das and the Articulation of Odia Identity reconstruction of Odisha. The
activities of Madhusudan were found to be expressed through the powerful
national bodies like Utkal Sabha and Utkala Sammilani. In many
respects he was the prophet of Odia nationalism.
Madhusudan
Das while studying in Calcutta took a very prominent role in educating many
Odia labourers there in the 1870s which was his primary attempt to establish
the Odias in Calcutta.(Das 1971/1988:43-44) In Calcutta his intense love for
Odia language was intact as it is evident from his demand to write the answers of
Sanskrit questions in Odia(his mother language) to the authorities of Calcutta University
in 1869-70.(Ibid:44) In Calcutta Madhusudan was converted into a
Christian. But it did not deter his plan for the re-invention of Odisha in the
1880s after his return from Calcutta to Cuttack and his practice as a lawyer.
The Puri Jagannath temple affairs of this phase provided him an opportunity to
enter into the movement for a regenerated Odisha.(Mohanty 1982:44-45) In 1878
Raja Divyasimha Deb was convicted of murder and was sentenced to transportation
for life. The British Government found an opportunity to intervene in the
temple management. But the dowager mother of Divyasimha Deb immediately called
in the Royal Court and priests of the temple and announced the ascent to the
throne of her five year old grandson Jagannath Jenamani and proclaimed him as Raja
Mukunda Deb of Puri. The queen began to manage the affairs of the temple on
behalf of the minor Raja. The management was naturally not to the liking of the
Government. It was decided that the control and the endowments of the temple were
to be vested in a committee of management.
Accordingly
the Puri Temple Act of 1880 was announced. The legislation was objected by the priests
of the temple and the queen submitted her petition to the Government. Her
representation went unheeded. On the other hand the local Government instituted
a suit in the Court seeking authority to appoint a Receiver for the temple.
The
Court decided in favour of the Government and the queen was denied the
management of the temple. The announcement of the Court’s decision was looked upon
as a humiliation to the age-old Odishan tradition. The queen wanted to appeal to
the Calcutta High Court but she lacked resources. She made a personal request
to Madhusudan Das to fight her case.(Mohanty 1972:39) Madhusudan shouldered the
responsibility though everybody thought it was a lost case. As a lawyer he
would have been very happy to find better cases; but he concentrated his
attention on this issue because he accepted Jagannath as a marker of Odia
identity. He considered the decision as an attempt to disrupt Odia national
sentiment and he therefore directed his attention to it. He went through the
royal records and prepared the case meticulously. He tried to focus attention
through articles in the press against the unjust interference of the Government
in the matter. He published two interesting letters in the name of Lunatic in
Utkala Dipika critically presenting his arguments against the suit for
the management of the Jagannath temple.(Utkala Dipika, March 26 and
April 9 of 1887, Dash 1978:367-368) After prolonged deliberations at Calcutta
High Court the lower court’s order to appoint a Government Receiver was set
aside. Raja Mukunda Deb was reinstated to his authority. This was a victory of
Madhusudan Das.
Utkal Dipika in
an interesting focus had thanked Madhusudan for this noble contribution. He had
by this great national activity justified the adage Bipatte Madhusudanam (Lord
Madhusudan helps in the time of distress). His perseverance and skilful
handling of the case promoted him to be the greatest Odia nationalist.(Ibid;
April 30,1887) By preserving the prestige of Thakur Raja of Puri Madhusudan
earned the enormous confidence of the people. Madhusudan accepted Jagannath as
the central part of Odia culture. In order to make this conviction firm in the
minds of the Odias he recited a poem in the public meeting in the Town Hall of
Cuttack in 1928. A part of the poem runs like this -
“Kotie Odia gotie kanthare daka trahi
Jagannatha
Andhara ghunchiba nischaya dekhibe
Jatira unnati patha
Sudarsana Chakra garaji uthiba Baliara
bahutale
Matanka
Srianga purbabata heba satru palaibe dare”.
(Utkala Dipika, November
17, 1928; Dash 1978:374)
Madhusudan
Das started to articulate his feelings of Odia identity in the great Odia
nationalist forums- Utkala Sabha and Utkala Sammilani. These two
were the most significant forums to present diverse problems of the Odias from
the last phase of the 19th century to the first four decades of the 20th
century A.D. He was an important part of the Utkala Sabha in the 1880s
and 1890s. His voice was very powerful in the Utkala Sabha in the first
decade of the 20th century.(Dash 2001:11-19) As a member and president
of the Association Madhusudan took interest on the pressing problems of the
union of the different Odia-speaking tracts under the Bengal Government and in
this connection his discussion with the missionary Howell was very remarkable.
In the letter of 26th/28th January 1904 to Howell Madhusudan as a member of the
Association demanded the unification of Odiaspeaking tracts under Bengal and
not with the Central Provinces or Bihar.(Ibid.) Gokulananda Choudhury,
an ardent Odia nationalist, had then developed an opinion to the effect that it
was to the advantage of Odisha to be under Central Province administration.(Ibid.)
He was also supported by some Odias, but they changed their views and accepted
the stand of Madhusudan. Madhusudan’s potent arguments on behalf of the Orissa
Association reflected the intense activities of it to highlight Odia problems.
He had his own opinion about the people of Odisha. By people of Odisha he did
not mean a few pleaders or a few aspirants for titles and honours or a few condidates
for employment in the higher grades of Government service. He meant it as Odia nation
which included all who were permanent residents of Odisha, whatever their race,
nationality or religion. This indicates the nature of Odia identity he was
articulating then. Throughout
the
movement for the reservation of Odia language in Sambalpur during the phase of Utkala
Sabha ascendancy Madhusudan was the moving spirit.(Mishra 1979:70) His
efforts were crowned with success when the Government of the Central provinces
restored Odia as the Court language of Sambalpur with effect from 1 January 1902.(Ibid.)
Utkala Sabha was a very limited body. It had no wider link. Madhusudan
must have felt that a wider body representing many sections rural and urban-in
Odisha would help in the proper solution of the Odia problems. This led to the
birth of Utkala Sammilani(Utkala Union Conference).
The
Utkala Sammilani which had its first session in the month of December
1903 came into existence after one year effort in which Madhusudan had a
significant role.As presented by Professor G.N. Dash in his recent focus on Madhusudan
before the formation of Utakal Sammilani in an institutional form he had
prepared a stage for the origin of Odia identity consciousness in different
ways not through the national Organisation called Indian National Congress, but
my some indirect ways from the beginning of 1903 which were very significant
for the formation of Utkala Sammilani. (Dash, Gaganendra Nath 2010:785-788)
Lastly on 25th October 1903 Madhusudan called a meeting at Kanika
palace. About twentyfive to thirty people of Cuttack were present on that
occasion. As proposed by the Raja of Kanika the Raja of Keonjhar became the
president of the meeting.
(Utkala
Dipika, 31st October, 1903; Dash 2002:22-30)) Madhusudan presented the purpose
of the meeting in the beginning. He said that recently there was a meeting for
the formation of Odia Jatiya Samiti(Odia national organisation) at
Berhampur and that some people of Cuttack and Sambalpur including himself had
participatedin it. He proposed in the meeting at Kanika palace that in 1903
there would be a session at Cuttack in which both people from Ganjam and other places
in Odisha would participate. In the meeting he also proposed that every year
people of different places of Odisha should make sessions at different places
where they would discuss their common problems. Gaurishankar Ray, the Editor of
Utkala Dipika, had also accepted the proposal of Madhusudan for holding
conferences at different places in Odisha to discuss issues affecting the
national life and progress. It was Odisha Review April – 2013 decided on that
day that on 30th and 31st December of that year (1903) the proposed session
would be held at Cuttack. It was accepted as a national organisation by the
Odias. This organisation would discuss problems on the progress of the society,
education and industry. It would not take up issues on politics and religion. At
the end of the meeting an executive committee was formed for the session. The
President of that committeee was the Raja of Kanika. Madhusudan became its
Secretary. Jayram Das, Samson Rout, Gopal Chandra Praharaj and Abhiram Bhanja became
the Joint Secretaries of the committee.
(Ibid.)
The executive committee had eight sessions from 15th November 1903 to 24th
December 1903 for a spectacular success of the first session of the Conference.
In the beginning it was decided by the committee that the august session would be
presided by Sir Sudhal Deb, the Maharaja of Bamanda. But as he died shortly the
Maharaja of Mayurbhanj was invited to be the president of the session. The site
of the session was Idga Padia of Cuttack which the Jamindar of the area Nagendranath
Ray Choudhury left without rent for three months. The committee decided that
the delegates would put on red turbans as symbol of their nationalism. All the
arrangements were made by the committee which was actually guided by Madhusudan
Das. Madhusudan came to know that by the order of the Government some officers would
not participate in the session. Immediately he sent a telegram to the Bengal
Government about this problem. The Bengal Government sent a reply that the
Government officers would not be forbidden to take part in the conference if it
promised not to discuss problems of political agitation. For the successful
working of the session student volunteers were employed and this was due to
Madhusudan who wanted the young men of Odisha to be active for the service of
the motherland.
In
the first day of the session after the resolutions were passed Madhusudan stood
up to deliver a very interesting speech which formed a part of the nationalist
discourse.(Ibid.) He stated that “in the fixed ocean there is one image
of the moon, but when it flows with waves, many images appear. As I see my
brothers my heart is filled with the waves of love and I am very glad to see them.
Hindus believe that the eight metals when united become such a metallic
substance which does many useful works. Hence this brotherly love would animate
the newly created Utkala Sammilani to such an extent that it would undertake
many useful and auspicious works.
According
to History people from different places came to England and settled there. This
union helped in the making of the English race. The English people had great
contribution to the progress in Europe. We must consider this in the context of
our motherland. Now looking at the suffering of mother Utkala who amongst us
would not be serious ? Hence we all being united would share her suffering and
serve her. While in this deep service my brothers must remember a statement of
the prophet Muhammad - for the spread of brotherly love one should give up
impure element from the heart and allow pure and pious blood into it. My
brothers who want to dedicate their lives for the service of the mother Utkala must
at first give up self conceit and selfishness.
The
race or nation is eternal; you and myself have temporary existence. The only
way to progress is to give up selfishness. It will be admitted by all that the
water of the river and lake coming from different directions will enter into
the ocean where it will take one shape and one colour. It will be called the
water of the ocean and will take the name of the great ocean (Mahasagara)”.(Ibid.)
This
speech of Madhusudan in the first session of the Utkala Sammilani animated
the Odias to go ahead with the mission.
Madhusudan
was the Secretary of the reception committee for the second session of the Utkala
Sammilani. In order to activise the young men of Odisha in the direction of
the making of New Odisha he formed a body called Young Utkala Association which
rendered great service to the Sammilani of the second year. It became a
part of the Sammilani from that session.
(Mohanty
1982:55) Madhusudan’s efforts in the organisation of the Utkala Sammilani led
to a great awakening in Odisha. The Sammilani became the most important
nationalist forum which united the Rajas of different Garjat states in Odisha
with the rural landlords and elites. Odias got a forum to represent the long
standing problem - the amalgamation of different Odia speaking tracts. Existence
of all Odias within one boundary would help in articulating their identity.
The
Conference had also another notable object, the economic and industrial
regeneration of Odisha and for that Madhusudan was more serious. Madhusudan
himself presided over the 9th session of the Conference which was held at the
field near Ramachandi Sahi at Puri on the 29th and 30th December of
1913. (Utkala Dipika, January 3, 1914) As Madhusudan entered into the
meeting pendal all the delegates stood up with the slogans— Jai Utkala
Janani. There he presented his discourse which animated the delegates
present. In his address he said- “If we accept the Conference as a stage of the
progress of Utkala we must understand the meaning of the Conference. Like the
union of the lifeless objects and animals, human beings have their union. The carpenter
unites two pieces of woods. The animals are united due to fear for the enemy. Vapour
and wind in union produce water. But vapour goes upward and water goes
downward. The individual life of the Conference must perish for the formation
of national life. The Conference belongs to the Utkaliyas. Like German and English
Utkala is a race. Those who want to glorify by the glory of the past of Utkala
and want her prosperity they should have self-examination. Self-examination is
very difficult. National objectives cannot be accomplished within one day, one
month and one year. It demands time.
Life
is meant for service to others and the development of the nation. It is of two
kinds individual life and national life. The first is related to the body and worldly events and the
second is related to the soul. If someone taunts me for being an Odia, thousands of Odias associated with me will be shocked and wounded. It is
called the national life. Like an
individual a race has defects.
At
one time Japanese like the Chinese used to keep pigtails and the English
identified them as Chinese. This wounded the national sentiment of the Japanese
and for that they stopped the practice. A small dog does not fear a powerful tiger
at the first sight. He advances towards the tiger. He has no power to kill a
tiger. If he tries he has to accept death. Then why does he advance towards the
tiger? He will die, but his group will not be humiliated. Hence in Utkala
everybody should look to the prosperity of the national life.
Many
people say that India will not have progress without industrial advancement,
but such people at first should be industrialist. Individual education and
national education are quite different. The national products are more valuable
than the handmade products. The Germans have good ears and so they are expert
in music. The French have good eyes and so they produce luxurious objects which
are very valuable in the world market. Different parts of the body need improvement
for the advancement of the nation.
The
artistic works of Bhubaneswar constitute the glorious heritage of Utkala. The
successors of these artists and sculptors of Utkala will get a continuity of
the old tradition by continuing the stone work. But now they are living by
cutting stones or by making minor stone objects for household purpose. They
need to jump into their glorious past. Of course for that they need time and
patience.
This
Conference does not belong to one section. We must take up that work by which
all Utkaliyas would be benefitted. Whosoever is born in Utkala, Odia, Bengali
or Muslim, high or low should try for the development of the nation.
Man’s
life is for the service of others. This can be learnt from the nourishment of
the child by a mother. She wants that like herself the children should dedicate
their lives for the cause of others.
The
unity demonstrated by the predecessors is now present in Jagannatha. Think
about the problems of the national life for ten minutes, it will begin national
life. The motherland Utkala is fragmented. For the sake of the race
self-sacrifice is necessary. The youngmen of Satyabadi School are ready to
sacrifice their lives for the cause of the motherland Utkala. You have all been
united at the opening gate of Utkala-Jagannatha Puri with great enthusiasm.
Hence this Conference is the indicator of future prosperity.”
By
presenting this address Madhusudan made the Utkala Sammilani the great
nationalist platform of the Odias. His speech served to fan the flame of
nationlism throughout the natural Odisha. At an extra-ordinary meeting of the
Utkala Union Committee held in the month of September 1917 at Madhusudan’s
place it was decided that the Utkala Sammilani should have a paper of its
own to represent its views and its aims and objects.(Ibid.September
22,1917) The Conference had not been able to possess an organ of its own.
Madhusudan had long wished for it, but for various reasons he was not able to
do anything in the way to give a start. The name of the paper which was to
focus the activities of the Utkala Sammilani was “The Oriya”. Madhusudan
became its editor. It continued till 1919 as the mouthpiece of Utkala
Sammilani. For many years Madhusudan by his active participation in the Utkala
Sammilani and by asserting the Odia issues in the paper “The Oriya” really
articulated Odia identity.
continued...........
Prof.
Kailash Chandra Dash
Former Reader in History,
April -
2013 Odisha Review
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