This collection of articles captioned "Reflections on the National Movement in orissa" published by Orissa State Archives is unique in the sense that it has an original approach to this subject based on archival records, to a large extent.
The book is intended to help in understanding some hitherto unknown aspects of modern Orissan history by placing them in the correct perspective. Therefore, it is a welcome contribution to certain aspects of Indian History and, in particular, to Orissan History.
For a long time we had known only the broad outline of the history of freedom movement in Orissa written by various eminent historians. Among these studies, this publication on the freedom movement in orissa particularly from the start of the Non-cooperation Movement to the time of attaining Independence deserves focussed attention and appreciation as it is based on detailed analysis of the available source material serving as a solid foundation for further studies on the role of Oriya leaders for Swaraj.
The national movement in orissa from the 20s of the 20th century has an interesting background. The conquest of Orissa by the British in the beginning of the 19th century led to fierce resistance from the side of the people. The Paik Rebellion at Khurda and the 'Ulgulan' of Surendra Sai at Sambalpur were the protests against the British power. The tribal movements, described as 'meli' i the 19th century in different parts of Orissa Gadjets were also against the British power. Issues at that phase were partly political and partly agrarian. But it did indicate that British Rule in Orissa in the 19th century was not smooth; it had to weather many crises. In the beginning of the 20th century Oriya demand was for a separate province of Orissa for which they could not be attracted to the All India National Platform (Indian National Congress). Construction of Oriya identity took priority. Of course during the Swadeshi phase Oriya leader Biswanath Kar supported the boycott and the movement for the partition of Bengal. But it did not gain sufficient strength in Orissa. The leadership of Gopabandhu from the 20s began a new phase in the history of the struggle for independence in Orissa. The emerging leader Mahatma Gandhi was attracted towards problems of Orissa at this stage due to the presence of Gobinda Mishra, an Oriya nationalist and an inmate of Sabarmati Ashram. Struggle for Swaraj became the focal point of all Oriya leaders. Non-co-operation movement had been fostered by the Oriya leaders and it had great success.
The anti-imperialist movement in Orissa assumed greater social reach during the late 1920s and the 1930s, with the progressive participation of the oppressed marginals of the society such as peasants, tribals as well as the people from the Gadjats. The two significant mass movements such as Non-Cooperation (1920s) and the Civil Disobedience Movements (1930s) helped substantially to consolidate the nationalist hegemony over the people in general vis-a-vis the imperialist ideological belief system. Moreover, the landslide victory of Congress in the elections to the legislature under the provisions of Government of India Act (1935) and the subsequent installation of Congress .
Ministry (1937-39) provided an adequate space for the progressive mobilisation of the peasants and tribals by the Krushak Sanghas as well as the left leadership. Besides, by initiating a major radical agrarian legislation, the ministry could project an image of being not only pro people but equally succeeded in creating the popular belief that a pro-nationalist Government could rule more successfully, which again sought to erode the colonial hegemony. It was during this phase, people in general came to experience the feeling of Swaraj in a multi-hued manner.
Besides the peasant and tribal movements in this phase assumed intensely militant thrusts as well as massive proportions because of the distinct encouragement given by the ministry to such movements.
Afterwards, the anti-imperialist movement progressed and went through a rehearsal in terms of Individual Civil Disobedience (1940-41) before it climaxed in the shape of the 'Quit India Movement'. The Quit India Movement was marked by the widest possible participation of the social classes. Moreover, the forms and patterns of struggle which had surfaced in many parts of the province in the mid-1930s particularly under the spell of Congress Ministry became sharply evident in the 1942 struggle. There was not only erosion of loyalty to the British authorities, but also peasants and tribals took to anti-imperialist militancy in a greater way. The expression of intense nationalism at the popular level during the 1942 movement was illustrative of the fact that people in general had not only imbibed the ideology of anti-imperialism over a prolonged period right since 1920s and articulated the notion Swaraj in a variety of ways but also had infact positively anticipated the end of the Raj with the signalling of the mantra 'Do or Die'.
After fifty years of independence it has become imperative on our part to recollect the memorable phases of the national movement in Orissa, when popular protest was combined with socio-economic programmes. The leaders not only started agitations, they had undertaken constructive socio economic programme for the making of modern Orissa. Historiography on national movement in Orissa demands in depth study of participation of the people in general, tribals and peasants in particular. Nature of the participation of many rural leaders needs to be emphasized. Old perceptions on the study of the national movement need to be revised and changed.
The papers in this book contain many issues of national movement in Orissa from many interesting perspectives. Several important and unknown episodes have been shown in greater details. This book is of immense significance so far as the involvement of a major region of the Indian subcontinent in the mainstream of the national life is concerned. Based on authoritative sources, the book is factual, informative and to a certain extent critical. It will indeed serve the purpose of advanced researchers as well as of general public.
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