Essential Odisha: Portrait of a State

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Odisha, the subject of this anthology, has a multi-layered history and an intriguing development narrative that marries the past with the present. Until recently, Odisha was known as Orissa, but it had an ancestry that dates back five thousand years, during which ancient civilizations and empires established colonies here. Odisha is considered the easternmost province of India because it borders Chhattisgarh on the west, West Bengal on the north, and Jharkhand on the northwest. There are 30 districts in the state, covering 155,707 square kilometers in land area. It is home to a diverse mixture of ethnic and linguistic groups, with the Odisa constituting the largest linguistic group.

Oceanic plains, highlands, and plateaus make up Odisha's topography.

Along the coast, there is relatively flat and fertile land suitable for agriculture. In the highlands, there are dense forests and mountain ranges. A mountain range known as the Eastern Ghats runs along the eastern boundary of the state, providing picturesque landscapes and numerous natural wonders. The coastline stretches for five hundred kilometers, offering unspoiled beaches, marine wildlife, and water sports. The state's interior is characterized by lush green landscapes, waterfalls, and wildlife sanctuaries.

With a population of around five crores, Odisha is the eighth most populous state in the country. Rural areas are home to the majority of the population, and agriculture is the main source of income. Rice is the staple crop of Odisha, and agriculture plays a significant role in the economy. Pulses, oilseeds, sugarcane, and jute are also produced in the state. Agriculture accounts for a significant percentage of state employment, particularly in rural areas.

Odisha's economic activities include agriculture, forestry, mining, and tourism. A number of mineral resources are available in the state, including iron ore, bauxite, dolomite, and limestone. As one of the major contributors to the economy, the mining industry also provides the state with revenue and employment opportunities.

Odisha also hosts a number of universities, some of which are among the oldest in the country. Utkal University has been making significant contribution to education and academic excellence for over a century after its establishment in 1943. There is a higher than average level of literacy in the state, with more than 74% of the population being literate.

From mining to textile manufacturing, Odisha's industrial sector is highly diverse. Its minerals include iron ore, bauxite, and manganese, and its textile industry is noted for its handlooms and handicrafts. Odisha's industrial sector has also seen a boost, with the establishment of commercial parks and special economic zones. The state's service sector, including IT and tourism, is steadily growing, contributing to overall development. Odisha's seafood is also well known, particularly its famous crabs and lobsters. There is a strong emphasis on protecting the environment and promoting sustainable tourism practices.

During the past few years, Odisha has been witnessing significant growth in other sectors, including tourism, infrastructure, and information technology. Several of the state's coastal regions, such as Puri, Konark, and Bhubaneswar, are popular tourist destinations, attracting both domestic and international tourists to the state. Among the most important priorities for the state are ecotourism and sustainable development.

As part of its infrastructure development strategy, Odisha has undertaken several projects to enhance connectivity, transportation, and healthcare facilities in recent years. The state has made significant investments in infrastructure development. Governments since independence have initiated various projects to enhance connectivity, transportation, and utilities. Expressways, bridges, and airports are among the major projects being constructed. Efforts are also being made to improve power supply and internet connectivity throughout the state. Businesses and investors are attracted to the conducive business environment and proactive policies.

Odisha was part of the province of Bengal-Bihar-Odisha during the British administration. In 1912, Bihar-Odisha separated from Bengal, and it was only in 1936 that the separate province of Odisha was created. Even before the British, Odisha had been tagged with Bengal during Afghan and Mughal times. This led not only to inconvenience for Odias but to their exploitation too.

During the first fifty years of British rule, Odisha suffered more than she had suffered under the Mughals and Marathas. Bengali officials were now ruling Odisha and by manipulating the so-called Sunset Law, they were now zamindars too.

This created resentment and in the 1850s there was an upsurge of Odia nationalism among the people. In 1866 came the great famine which wiped off one-third of Odisha's population, and the Commission of Enquiry which was set up to enquire into the causes of the famine held the administration guilty of this man-made disaster, for Calcutta was blissfully unaware of Odisha's distress when it happened.

In the aftermath of the famine, there was a popular demand to create a separate administrative unit for Odisha and the lead was taken by Utkal Dipika, the Odia newspaper which had been started in the year of the famine.

There were two Odia leaders whose combined efforts brought into existence the separate state of Odisha: Madhusudan Das and Gopabandhu Das. When one thinks of the great sons of Odisha of all times these are the two names that normally come to mind. From time to time there is a demand for naming streets of Delhi after them. In Odisha they are better known by their appellations - Utkal-Gaurav (Pride of Odisha) and Utkal-Mani (Jewel of Odisha). Madhusudan was the older of the two and also lived longer. Both were lawyers. Gopabandhu was Madhusudan's junior in profession and his political protégé; he was born thirty years after his mentor, and died six years before Madhusudan's death, at the age of fifty-one.

In 1903, the Utkal Sammilani was founded with the objective of unifying Odia-speaking tracts, at the initiative of Madhusudan and the active participation of Gopabandhu. There were Odia-speaking areas in the Central Provinces, Bengal, Bihar, and Madras; the demand was not yet for a separate province in Odisha, but an Odia-speaking administrative unit.

Madhusudan wanted the sub-province under Bengal; Gopabandhu wanted it under the central province since Bengalis being superior would not allow any autonomy to Odias.

Though the Utkal Sammilani was the brain-child of Madhusudan, it was feudatory rajas who were invited to preside over its annual conferences.

In 1906 Gopabandhu proposed Madhusudan as President, saying that if the one crore Odias were asked for their opinion one by one, each would want Madhusudan to be president. However, that year a raja (of Athagarh) was chosen president. It was only in 1918 that a commoner was elected to be president; it was writer Fakir Mohan Senapati.

In 1912, Bihar and Odisha were taken out of Bengal and formed into a separate province. A Legislative Council was constituted under the Govt of India Act of 1909. Gopabandhu was elected to the Council in 1917. By this time, Madhusudan was the uncrowned king of Odisha and Gopabandhu was the greatest public figure. Gopabandhu was now a staunch Congressman; Madhusudan who had been associated with the Congress had moved away from it.

While Madhusudan was thinking only in terms of Odisha and the unification of Odia-speaking areas, Gopabandhu was thinking of Swaraj for the whole of India. In his presidential speech at the Utkal Sammilani in 1919 he went to the extent of saying: "Maybe in the national movement Odisha may lose its very identity; we must be prepared for it. If by giving up Odia identity we can preserve the nationalism of India, should not that be preferred?"

This was quite a bold statement to make from the Sammilani platform and it brought the parting of ways between the two leaders. In 1920, the AICC met at Nagpur and demanded purna-swaraj rather than self-rule under the British and adopted the non-cooperation resolution. From Nagpur, Gopabandhu went to Chakradarpur where the Utkal Sammilani was having its annual session and there he moved the following resolution:

"This meeting resolves that the aims and aspirations of the Indian National Congress should also be the aims and aspirations of the Sammilani."

Madhusudan was too old to attend the Conference, but his supporters opposed the resolution, saying that non-cooperation would harm the cause of Odisha. The resolution was put to vote. 127 supported it, 16 opposed it and the resolution was passed. By this resolution, Gopabandhu had replaced Madhusudan as the leader of the Odia people, and Odisha joined the mainstream of Indian aspirations. Gopabandhu plunged into Congress activities, invited Gandhi to visit Odisha, went to jail, and provided relief during famine and flood.

In 1921, Madhusudan who was then 73 was appointed Minister for Local Self Government in the Bihar and Odisha Government. The appointment was under the Montague-Chelmsford Reforms, which Congress had rejected. When Madhusudan accepted office, there were demonstrations against him. While there was a felicitation meeting for him in Cuttack Town Hall there was a protest meeting outside at the same time!

Madhusudan resigned as Minister two years later, and when he formally joined Congress thereafter he was naturally criticized as being an opportunist. In June of that year, the Utkal Pradesh Congress Committee moved a resolution for non-cooperation; Madhusudan opposed it and left Congress when the resolution was passed with an overwhelming majority.

In 1927, the AICC Session at Madras resolved that Sindh, Karnataka, Andhra, and Odisha should be constituted into separate administrative units. In the same year, John Simon came to India as head of a commission to study the effectiveness of the Montague-Chelmsford Reforms Act. Congress decided to have nothing to do with him and he was greeted everywhere with 'Simon, Go Back' banners. The only exception was in Patna; when Simon got down from the train there, amongst the sea of banners asking him to go back, there was a single welcome banner held by a handful of Odias - they were Madhusudan's supporters.

Things have now happened in quick succession. In his report, Simon recommended a sub-province for Odisha. In 1931, the Government of India appointed a boundary commission. In December 1932, Sir Samuel Hoare, Secretary of State for India announced that Odisha would be constituted as a separate province.

Essential Odisha is not a dictum, tenet, or wistful nostalgia. It is a way. There was a time when Odisha was famously guarded as a well-guarded secret, and this is still the case today. There has been a long delay in reopening the doors of the mothballed culture, albeit deliberately. For the fruit to be ripe, the time must be right. This anthology on Odisha is a collection of well-thought-out, freely expressed, in-depth writings by thought leaders and practitioners in different fields. Every generation experiences the supposedly exclusive intersection of intergenerational change. This reaffirms the claim that it is genuine, unprecedented, and will never be forgotten.

The cycle repeats itself generation after generation. Change, no matter how well understood and realized, does not halt discerning generations. Nobody cares about it and it does not need to be. Odisha's present-day artists will not benefit from a second Konark, despite its conception. Remixing exemplary music to maintain prosaic continuity would be painful. Is the race out of imagination and artistry? When continuity serves as an alibi to stifle creativity and newness, it becomes a nuisance and an obstruction. Creating handicrafts involves not only hands, but also imagination and creativity.

WOBBLING RELATIVITY

The legendary Dharmapada completed Konark temple construction, saved his clan and disappeared. d disappeared. Odias over the centuries have been reticent, un-demonstrative, unobtrusive and shy. Odisha has produced brilliant minds, entrepreneurs but low-key. There is a growing realization in this polarizing world that it is divine to be soft and withdrawn. Rather than being aggressive and volatile, this is less aggressive. Youth are delighted with their non-divided, non-stereotypical, and non-trolled status. It is a colossal achievement to be left alone to live independently, albeit below the radar. In Odisha, there is so much heat all around, and Odias are "chilled out".

The youths who have moved out of the state realise the power of this unassuming existence in everyday life. Those who live in the state appear less aware of the Odia people's inherent strengths. Sadly, there is a growing blasé attitude towards Odisha's invaluable heritage and culture. Youth are bamboozled by a rapacious sweep of un-Odia culture corrupting music, language and entertainment. Language is a cultural, social and psychological phenomenon. Understanding why and how the Odia language differs over time could tell us about human range. Studying how people use language - what words and phrases they unconsciously choose and combine - can help us better understand ourselves and why we behave the way we do. Writers in this book, for example, seek to determine what is unique and universal about Odisha culture. They also seek to determine how it was acquired and changed over time.

CULTURAL VOLATILITY

Odia language development can unlock local knowledge about medicinal secrets, ecological wisdom, weather and climate patterns, spiritual attitudes and artistic and mythological histories. Current Odia writings are in prose. There is no reason to despair because languages have naturally risen and fallen throughout history. But what is shocking is the rate at which it is happening and the fast-disappearing local nuances. George Steiner, a philosopher says "when a language dies, a way of understanding the world dies with it, a way of looking at the world." Odisha could be a stand out example of a society where the very roots of a culture are sundered from the mainstay in the rapid-paced push towards economic development. Language is the first and easiest victim. "To speak a language is to take on a world, a culture," says Franz Fanon. Odisha's grim reality is language death associated with culture loss.

Essential Odisha is not designed to be polemic in its approach or objective. By constantly referencing the state nucleus, it aims to provide a 'buffet spread' for readers to get closer to reality. The nucleus of society is getting palpably parlous fast. We, all of us want our culture to be seamlessly integrated into Odisha's life stream in an inseparable manner. Below 35-year-olds form opinions solely influenced by social media. No other media or source reaches them. They live in a world of their own.