ORISSA REFERENCE ANNUAL - 2005

UTKALA SAMMILANI : BACKGROUND TO THE

Today, Orissa offers it's tribute to the late legends and freedom
fighters of the State who were succeeded in bringing back the
identity of Oriya people and the State in terms of the language.
The fate of Oriyas were neglected and the rich cultural heritage
were on the verge of oblivion during pre-Independent period.
Since the year 1886, these blessed souls of Orissa had initiated
the great movement of uniting Oriya people in the line of language.
The then king from Balasore Baikunthanath Deb brought the
proposal to formulate a State on the basis of Oriya language. In
the year 1902 the king had presented a proposal to Lord Curzon
the then Viceroy of India in this direction.
Orissa From 1903 to 1950
In the year 1902, 'Utkala Sammillani' was formed with an
intention to form separate state by uniting the Oriya speaking
people scattered over Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. The first consensus
in this direction was first initiated by King of Khallikote Harihara Mardaraj and veteran Journalist Sri
Nilamani Bidyaratna at the Rambha palace of the former and 'Ganjam Jatiya Samiti' was formed to
promote the cause. In the year 1903, Utkal Gauraba Madhusudan Das was deeply inspired by the
Samiti and organised a grand meeting of Utkala Sammillani at Cuttack and the meeting was presided
over by king of Mayurbhanja Sri Ramachandra Bhanjadeo. The promoters of Utkala Sammillani
were Utkala Gauraba Madhusudan Das, Byasa Kabi Fakir Mohan Senapati, King of Paralakhemundi
Sri Krushna Chandra Gajapati, Utkalamani Pandita Gopabandhu Das, Pandita Godabarisha Mishra,
Pandita Nilakantha, the editor of Utkala Dipika Sri Gaurishankar and many other eminent personalities.
The Goal of Utkala Sammillani
The main purpose of Utkala Sammillani were : (i) Uniting Orissa which was scattered over
several provincial administration, (ii) the all round development of Orissa, (iii) to bring all Oriya speaking
people under single administration and (iv) to protect the interest of Oriya people staying at distance.
In the year 1924, the British Government appointed 'Duff Commission' under Phillip Duff to earmark
the boundary of Oriya speaking people in South India. In the same year the demand for the Oriya
State caught major attention of Oriya people. To strengthen the cause and aware people regarding
the movement, Sasi Busana Rath of Berhampur had established two news dailies as 'New Orissa'
and Dainika Asha'.
In the year 1930, Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati the nominee of Bihar-Orissa assembly
had represented the Round Table Conference in London where he did put a strong foundation for
the formulation of separate state of Orissa. Responding to the movement the British Government

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appointed 'Odonnel Committee' to prepare the map of Orissa in the year 1932. The committee had
prepared the map for Orissa where they separated the 'Paralakhemundi' and 'Jajpur Jamindari' from
Ganjam region. However, with the intervention of Utkala Gauraba Madhusudana, Maharaja of
Paralakhemundi, Poet Banchanidhi Mohanty, Padmasree Laxmi Narayana Sahu, Barrister Biswanatha
Mishra and editor of 'Mukura' Braja Sundara Das, Jaipur Jamindari and the one third of Paralakhemundi
could be reinstated in the new Orissa map. Finally, in the year 1935, the special Oriya State was
formulated under the Indian Administrative Act.
Orissa took birth on 1st of April 1936. The Maharaja of Paralakhemundi took over the
administration as the first Prime Minister of Orissa. Mandhata Gorachand Pattnaik and Latifur Rehman
also took over as ministers of the newly born State of Orissa. The First Governor appointed for the
region having five districts was Sir John Austin Hubback. However, there were 26 nos. of Gadajat
regions (ruled by Kings) were left apart due to their un-willingness to join the newly formed State.
Later in the year 1947, these Gadajat regions were merged in Orissa.
Immediately after it's birth Orissa had witnessed another historic movement called
'Prajamandala Movement'. The purpose was to ensure the people of Gadajat regions, civil rights and
liberty along with a responsible administration from the rulers. The movement was also opposing the
various kinds of taxes collected by the rulers from the people in Gadajat region. The movement got
momentum on 24th June 1936 with the visit of Dr. Pattavi Sittaramaya the president of 'Nikhila
Bharata Gadajata Praja Sammilani' to Cuttack and also had laid the foundation of 'Nikhila Utkala
Gadajata Praja Sammilani', which pioneered the movement in Orissa till the year 1949. Among other
leading personalities who also had joined the movement were Saranga Dhara Das, Balunkeswara
Acharya, Radhanatha Rath, Dr. Harekrushna Mahtab, Pabitra Mohan Pradhan, Kailash Chandra
Mohanty, Maheswara Subahu Singh and Braja Kishore Dhal.
Soon after the formation of the Prajamandal Sammilani, the organisation spread to the Gadajat
States like Nilagiri, Dhenkanal, Talcher, Ranapur, Nayagarh, Hindol, Athamallik, Sonepur, Keonjhar,
Mayurbhanj, Khandapada and Tigiria etc. Ranapur has occupied a special position in the movement
as two nos of youth called Raghunath Mohanty and Dibakara Parida were hanged to death in one
day as they were found guilty for a murder case related to the movement. In the Nilagiri state police
had to open fire to control the mob as a part of the movement. The year from 1948 to 1949 had
remained as the dark period in the history of Orissa.
The Sun has witnessed many ups and downs in Orissa, however the 1st of April shall remain
as the reminder and inspiration to the youngsters of Orissa for the contributions made by our
predecessors towards bringing Oriya people and the state to a respectable position in the map of
independent India.

The writer of this article Shri Tarakanta Mohanty is at present Deputy Director-cum-Deputy Secretary in Information & Public
Relations Department, Government of Orissa, Bhubaneswar.
Source : Orissa Review, Feb-March-2004

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