Thread by @OdiaCulture

The Odia speaking state, formed on 1st April 1936, did not happen overnight. It was the result of years of efforts by Odias and some sympathetic non-Odias, including some British officers. Let’s remember earliest such efforts.

#UtkalaDibasa #BandeUtkalaJanani
#ଉତ୍କଳଦିବସ

First time the British realized the need for bringing in Odias under single administration was in the aftermath of 1866 famine, better known to Odias as 'Na'anka Durbhikhya'.

#UtkalaDibasa #BandeUtkalaJanani

#ଉତ୍କଳଦିବସ

Stafford Northcote, the then Secretary of State (India) clearly recommend unification of Odia speaking areas, way back in 1868.

"I feel for the unnaturalness of territorial dismemberment and suggest to bring the Oriya country under one separate administration."

#UtkalaDibasa

First recorded instance of #BhashaAndolana (Odia language movement) was in Sept 1870, in Ghumusar, Ganjam. Odias met in Rasulkonda to demand introduction of Odia language in the region, where Telugu dominated & submitted a memorandum to the Govt.
#UtkalaDibasa #BandeUtkalaJanani

Utkala Hitabadini Samaja was formed in Berhampur at a meeting held on 29th July 1873. One of the founding members of the Samaja, William Mohanty, started an Odia weekly in 1876, called Swadeshi, which was made trilingual later.

#UtkalaDibasa #BandeUtkalaJanani #ଉତ୍କଳଦିବସ

In 1890, the Government reversed a decision taken in 1874 to impose Telugu as the language of government offices and court in the region. Odia was reintroduced as the official language. But the order was applicable only to Ghumusar region.

#UtkalaDibasa #BandeUtkalaJanani

In Baleswar, Raja Shyamananda De, Bichitrananda Das & others started a movement to bring all Odias under one administration. In February 1875, they submitted a memorandum to Bengal Governor Sir Richard Temple, demanding this, during his visit.

#UtkalaDibasa #BadeUtkalaJanani

The assault on Odia language was in all the border areas. In January 1895, Sir John Woodburn, Chief Commissioner of Central Province, ordered that Hindi would be the official language in government offices and courts in Sambalpur.

#UtkalaDibasa #BandeUtkalaJanani ##ଉତ୍କଳଦିବସ

There was huge protest in Sambalpur. Madhubabu advised them to meet the Viceroy. Madhubabu wrote a letter to the Viceroy which was acknowledged by his PS. Sir Andrew Fraser was asked to submit a report.

#UtkalaDibasa #BandeUtkalaJanani #ଉତ୍କଳଦିବସ

By that time, another sympathetic British officer, Odisha Commissioner Gerard Cook, had written clearly in favour of bringing Sambalpur, Ganjam and the rest of Odisha under one administration.

#UtkalaDibasa #BandeUtkalaJanani #ଉତ୍କଳଦିବସ

But the erstwhile Chief Commissioner of MP, Woodburn, who had imposed Hindi on Sambalpur, by that time, had become the Governor of Bengal. So, nothing happened. He was clearly anti-Odia

#UtkalaDibasa #BandeUtkalaJanani #ଉତ୍କଳଦିବସ

Sir Andrew Fraser, assigned by the Viceroy to look into the demand of Odias was sympathetic and recommended that Odias be brought under one administration. But it was rejected by Secretary C River. But 'Fraser Sahab' kept trying.

#UtkalaDibasa #BandeUtkalaJanani #ଉତ୍କଳଦିବସ

Madhubabu wrote to Lord Curzon, who asked Madhubabu to meet him. He came to Puri and held a meeting, but the vested interests in the government did not invite Madhubabu.

Curzon was infuriated. "Where is Mr Das? I want him to be there in the meeting," he asked.

#UtkalaDibasa

The government officials had no option but to invite Madhubabu. Madhubabu also met Lord Curzon in Simla in 1901.

Curzon, who has been vilified by our history books, was the first Governor General, who took active interest in Odias.

#UtkalaDibasa #BandeUtkalaJanani #ଉତ୍କଳଦିବସ

By that time, Sir Andrew Fraser had become Governor of Bengal. As Chief Commissioner, he knew Odias' problems and had recommended unification of Odia speaking regions.

#UtkalaDibasa #BandeUtkalaJanani #ଉତ୍କଳଦିବସ

Finally on 16 October 1905, Sambalpur was added to Odisha division of Bengal. Madhubabu played a stellar role in that.

Thanks are due to Henry Cook, Andrew Fraser and Lord Curzon for this initial success.

#UtkalaDibasa #BandeUtkalaJanani #ଉତ୍କଳଦିବସ

But Ganjam was still separate. And who knew that the same Ganjam will be the nerve center of a greater movement to create a separate Odisha state?

#UtkalaDibasa #BandeUtkalaJanani #ଉତ୍କଳଦିବସ

Maharaja Harihara Mardaraj Deva, the king of Khallikote, always thought about doing something for the cause of Odias. When Nilamani Bidyaratna joined him, they decided to translate the thought to concrete action.

#UtkalaDibasa #BandeUtkalaJanani #ଉତ୍କଳଦିବସ

They decided to host an informal 'Bandhu Milana', a get together at Rambha. Harihara invited Madhubabu, Radhanath, Fakir Mohan, and a number of Odia kings including Maharaja of Mayurbhanj to this 'Sammilani' held in Rambha in 1902.

#UtkalaDibasa #BandeUtkalaJanani #ଉତ୍କଳଦିବସ

Others who joined this meeting were Parsuram Patra, Gadadhar Bidyabhushan, Sadashiba Bidyabhushan, Balaram Maharana, and Narasimha Das.

Madhubabu proposed organizing a Ganjam Sammilani in Berhampur

#UtkalaDibasa #BandeUtkalaJanani #ଉତ୍କଳଦିବସ

By that time, Maharaja Harihar Mardaraj had acquired a press. He was publishing a weekly magazine, Prajabandhu, under the editorship of Nilamani Bidyaratna. It helped in creating both a nationalistic and literary environment in the region.

#UtkalaDibasa #BandeUtkalaJanani

King Edward V's Delhi Durbar was being held around that time, in which the Ganjam Sammilani was planned. Maharaja Harihar Mardaraj had got an invitation for that. But on the advice of Bidyaratna, he decided to skip that to attend the Sammilani.

#UtkalaDibasa #BandeUtkalaJanani

In April 1903, Ganjam Sammilani, was held in Berhampur, chaired by Shyamsundar Rajguru. This effort of Harihar would later snowball into a full-fledged movement for a separate Odisha state.

#UtkalaDibasa #BandeUtkalaJanani #ଉତ୍କଳଦିବସ

Though Maharaja Harihar would not live long enough after that, he did enough in this short period to be rightfully called the real torch-bearer of the movement that culminated in the formation of a separate Odisha, some 27 years after his death.

#UtkalaDibasa #BandeUtkalaJanani

Maharaja Harihara Mardaraj, despite his pioneering work of mobilizing Odias across the state and inspiring his son, Maharaja Ramachandra Mardaraj to carry forward the work he had started, has never got the kind of respect he deserves.

Can we correct this mistake?

#UtkalaDibasa

This Ganjam Sammilani led to formation of Utkal Sammilani.

In between in Madras session of Congress, the proposal for making Odisha a separate state was not accepted. Madhubabu was dejected and left Congress and concentrated on Utkal Sammilani.

#UtkalaDibasa #BandeUtkalaJanani

On 15th October 1903, some six months after Ganjam Sammilani, a proposal was passed that the first session of Utkal Sammilani would be held in Cuttack in December.

#UtkalaDibasa #BandeUtkalaJanani #ଉତ୍କଳଦିବସ

The first Utkal Sammilani was held on 30th and 31st December 1903 in Cuttack. It was a grand affair with participation of many, including a lot of Odia kings.

#UtkalaDibasa #BandeUtkalaJanani #ଉତ୍କଳଦିବସ

Maharaja SriRamachandra Bhanja of Mayurbhanj was unanimously chosen as the president. In the true pluralistic tradition of Odisha, guests were welcomed with songs in four languages widely spoken then: Odia, Bengali, Urdu & Sanskrit.

#UtkalaDibasa #BandeUtkalaJanani #ଉତ୍କଳଦିବସ

Madhubabu wrote

ଏହି ସମ୍ମିଳନୀ ଜାତି ପ୍ରାଣସିନ୍ଧୁ, କୋଟି ପ୍ରାଣବିନ୍ଦୁ ଧରେ
ତୋର ପ୍ରାଣବିନ୍ଦୁ ମିଶାଇ ଦେ ଭାଇ, ଡେଇଁ ପଡ ସିନ୍ଧୁ ନୀରେ

#UtkalaDibasa #BandeUtkalaJanani #ଉତ୍କଳଦିବସ

The history after that is well-recorded. Ending the thread here.

Jai Jagannath

#UtkalaDibasa #BandeUtkalaJanani #ଉତ୍କଳଦିବସ

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