Gyana Ranjan Sarangi, Bhubaneswar, 28 April 2024
It’s an age-old tradition that the State has to recognise and venerate the statesmen for their contribution to the country. Statesmen are those who guide the State at the time of crisis. Sadar Vallabhbhai Patel, Iron man of India, and Utkal Gaurab Madhusudan Das of Odisha had contributed a lot to the society. Statue of Unity is just a symbolic respect to Sadar Patel, yet it signifies a lot for the whole nation. It signifies a little more for all Gujaratis. Now time has come for introspection and we Odias need to think about a Statue of Pride in the memory of Utkal Gaurab Madhusudan Das. It will be an eternal source of inspiration.
The one who won over British leaders in the Satyagraha of Kheda and Bardoli, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, was the Bismarck of modern India, who worked for the welfare of farmers. He is known as the architect of independent India, as he united all diverse 562 princely states to build one great Republic of India.
Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minster of India, decided to pay a befitting tribute, which will be cherished for centuries by the whole world and it will become a matter of pride for every Indian for the great man. Built in less than five years, the Statue of Unity is the world’s tallest and grandest statue. It is a tribute to the man who united India and who became its first Deputy Prime Minister – Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
It is the world’s tallest statue with a height of 182 metres (597 ft). The statue is located on a river-island facing the Narmada Dam (also called as Sardar Sarovar dam) near Rajpipla, 100 kilometres southeast of the city of Vadodara in the state of Gujarat. The monument along with its surroundings occupies an area of over 20,000 square metres and is surrounded by a 12 square kilometre artificial lake. The construction was started on 31 October 2014 and completed in mid-October 2018. It was designed by Indian sculptor Ram V. Sutar, and was dedicated to the nation by Narendra Modi on 31st October 2018, the 143rd anniversary of Patel’s birth.
What Patel had contributed to the whole of India, same had been done by Utkal Gaurab Madhusudan Das, to the people of Odisha. Barrister Madhusudan Das, Grand Old man of Odisha and popularly known as Madhu babu, was the moving spirit of Odisha for about half a century in its political, economic and social life. After his return from Kolkata, he found that Odisha had become the land of disease, sorrows, and affliction and where people were suffering from abject penury and starvation. A race once acclaimed for its heroism and bravery had become weak – physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Madhusudan’s career in Odisha for about fifty years (1880s to 1934) was an example of unparalleled dedication to the making of Modern Odisha. He played a key role in the amalgamation of different Odia speaking tracts lying scattered in neighbouring provinces into a great political entity. At the same time, he made significant contribution to the socio-economic and cultural progress of Odisha, which ultimately stabilized the political situation of Odisha.
As per the advice of Sir Richard Garth, Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court, Madhusudan Das returned to Cuttack on 25.09.1881. Through his efforts, Odisha’s first Girls’ High School and first Library were established at Cuttack. Madhusudan Das made efforts to expand the Canal System and agricultural activities in Odisha in 1884. Although he did not attend the first session of Indian National Congress in Mumbai, he presented a memorandum to Sir Richards Thomson (Lt. Governor of Bengal) on the development of agriculture and industry, expansion of Railways in Odisha and amalgamation of Ganjam and Sambalpur Districts with Odisha.
It is worthwhile to point out at this stage that much before Mahatma Gandhi, Madhu babu raised his voice against Salt Tax at the Cuttack Municipality Hat on 11th February, 1888. When he urged the British Government to reduce tax on salt, he pointed out that the total tax per head in England was Rs.8/- against a per capita income of Rs.300/- whereas in India it was Rs.16/- against a per capita income of Rs.20/- per annum.
Odisha Artware Works was founded by him in 1897 where nearly 150 artisans worked in Brass, Silver, Gold and Aluminium ware and also in sola, horn, ivory and wood. Madhubabu set up Utkal Tannery on an experimental basis in his residential house at Cuttack. Nearly 300 workers were employed. This pioneer Odisha industry lasted for 25 years. Nevertheless, the industry had trade contracts with foreign countries like England and Japan. Mahatma Gandhi paid a visit to Utkal Tannery, at the request of Madhusudan Das.
In December, 1903, Madhu babu formed the Utkal Union Conference, a non-political organization. It was open to all Odias of feudatory States, British Odisha and those domiciled in Odisha. At the behest of Madhusudan, Lord Curzon took a decisive step towards uniting the scattered Odia tracts under Bengal administration. First partition of Bengal took place in 1905. Odisha Division along with Sambalpur and five adjacent Feudatory States of Kalahandi, Patna, Sonepur, Bamara and Rairakhol were kept under the administration of the Lt. Governor of Bengal. In June, 1907 Madhu babu made his second trip to London along with the Raja of Kanika. He addressed meetings there, met prominent members of Parliament and circulated a pamphlet, “Unrest in India” as the representative of eleven million people of India. He could succeed in enlisting sympathies of John Moreley, Secretary of State for India. He was the first Odia to travel to England to make the English familiar with the then Utkal and to propagate Odia pride. This earned him the title of Utkal Gaurab.
Madhu babu led a delegation on behalf of the Utkal Union Conference in 1917 to Lord Chelmsford and presented him with a memorandum about the just demand for amalgamating the scattered Odia tracts. O’Donnel Committee was formed in 1931. Madhu babu made his deposition before the Commission. On 20th November 1931, he organised a meeting at Jamshedpur and pleaded for amalgamation of Singhbhum District with Odisha.
Madhusudan accepted Ministership (1921-23) of Bihar-Odisha Government as per the Montago-Chelmsford reforms under the system of Dyarchy at a very crucial period of Indian Nationalism. Local Self Government Act was passed. It was in-fact the most outstanding and singular achievement of Madhusudan Das.
Madhubabu resigned from the Ministership on 4th March, 1923 and his request to serve as Minister of Local Self Government on honorary basis was turned down by the Government. He was infact the first Indian who resigned from Ministership on ideological ground. The eventful life of Madhusudan came to an end on 4th February, 1934 at 1.35 A.M. when he breathed his last. Though it is not wise to make a comparison of great deeds by Sadar Patel and Madhusudan Das, but still, it is imperative to throw some light on this. Being the Deputy Prime Minster, as well as the Home Minister of Govt of India, Sardar Patel perfectly utilised his power and positions to amalgamate the princely states, either by persuasion or coercion, to make India united. On the contrary, Madhu Babu was not in any designated position, while uniting scattered Odia tracts into a great political territory. Rather, he could be able to do that by virtue of his perfect articulation of the genuine demand for Odia unity before the Britishers, great manoeuvring skill, heart touching appeal and consistent consistent efforts for a noble cause for more than half a century.
Now time has come to pay homage to the towering personality by erecting a giant statue of 86 meters, as he lived up to 86 years of age. The probable places for this could be Satyabhamapur (place of birth), Ravenshaw college campus, Satichaura (place of salvation), or Naraj (the emerging educational hub). The statue would serve as the 2nd Light House (Ist is Sri Mandir) for the entire Odisha on socio-economic and political resurrections.