The book entitled "Regionalism, Nationalism and the Emergence of Odisha: 1866-1936" is conducted with the primary objective of bringing into focus the outlines of changes and continuity in the socio-economic life of the people of the province under review during these thirty-eight critical years. It had witnessed hectic colonial activities of the imperialist powers and to offer an analytical framework of the modern resistance movements originating from the eighties of the nineteenth century whose background was supplied by the Famine of 1866. Hence, even as the new scholarship on regional history has illustrated the regional movements and simultaneity with nationalism, what remains relatively unstudied is the nature of relationship between the Odia movement and national movement. This book will be of interest to students and teachers of History and the general readers interested in nationalism and regionalism.
Dr. Snigdha Acharya, daughter of Bhanumati Acharya and Late Shri Shivasankar Acharya and the author of this book is born on 10.03.1982 in Dumurdiha village under Chandua Block of Mayurbhanj District in Odisha She has obtained her M. Phil (2008) and Doctoral degree (2018) in History From Utkal University, Vanivihar, Bhubaneswar, Odisha. She is Currently Working as a Lecturer in History, at Seemanta Mahavidyalaya, Jharpokharia, Mayurbhanj, Odisha. Her articles have been published in various Journals of State and National repute.
The work of Dr. Snigdha Acharya on such an important part of the history of the province of Odisha which was formed in 1936 is a commendable one. Scholars have worked either on nationalism or regionalism in Odisha from 19th to 20th century, but putting both in one work studying their interaction, sometimes counterpoising or sometimes moving together became the characteristic feature that She showed in her work. It is a reviewed version of her Ph.D degree in History, Utkal University.
Regionalism and nationalism were not two parallel streams, which many thought would never meet. There were people who were called nationalists and other regionalists without understanding that both were complementary to each other and contributed to strengthen both the movements (National movement, Odia movement). It was really very difficult to make a dichotomy between the both. Madhusudan Das, the great exponent of Odia regional identity had his nationalist feelings expressed in various ways.In the same way Gopabandhu, Bhagiratha of Congress movement was an enthusiastic participant of the Odia movement, Utkal sammilani. In the course of the long struggle for the formation of a separate province of Odisha, many nationalist leaders played very important role besides the feudal, aristocratic and intelligentsia who did not play active part in the Congress led movement. There were leaders concerned with the formation of a separate province of Odisha and were also concerned about the ongoing national movement. They were not anti-national personalities, only difference was their looking at both the movements.
Dr. Acharya tried to make study of both the movements, their emergence under certain conditions, especially the vast human tragedy of the "Great Odisha Famine of 1866". She intensely studied the socio-economic-political issues from the famine till the formation separate Odisha province in 1936.
She had keenly analyzed the issues, challenges and hurdles faced by the people of the region that later became Odisha and the approach of the nationalist and regional movements to address those and give relief to the people.
As a teacher and supervisor of her research work, I am happy to recommend it to be in the hands of scholars, students, general readers and policy planners who always think to make Odia people occupy their due place in the community of the people of other parts of our great country.
The work of Dr. Snigdha Acharya would find wide appreciation which a scholar cherishes to earn. I wish for all success in her academic career and future endeavor to work further in the study of modern Odisha.
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