“I will study well, I will ride the black horse, I will fight with Madhu Babu.” Young man, leave your arrogance behind! Who could truly fight against Madhusudan Das, the great leader and brilliant lawyer of Odisha? This is such a great challenge! The truth is, there is a popular folk rhyme that goes like this. Its true meaning is: “I will study, ride the black horse, and by following the path of a great leader like Madhu Babu, I will prepare myself to be like him”. For this reason, he has been included in the school curriculum for the public.
The life story of Madhu Babu is the history of half a century of Odisha. For fifty years, he stood tall like a massive banyan tree. No one was his equal in personality. He was the soul of the nation and the soul of the country. His entire being was dedicated to the welfare of the people. We are the descendants of the powerful Kalinga Empire and the mighty Utkal Empire—once a race of world conquerors. But by a cruel irony of fate, we became subjects, and our country was enslaved. Under various administrations, Odisha was fragmented and merged with Bengal, Bihar, and Madras. The Odia people suffered through pain, hardship, and agony. For such a great military race, whose industry, culture, and traditions are magnificent, this plight was a deep blow to Madhu Babu’s soul. He fought his entire life to unite fragmented Odisha and form a separate province of Utkal.
He established the Utkal Sammilani and, through it, united the entire Odia race and coordinated all its great sons to begin the struggle. Among them were Utkalmani Gopabandhu, Gajapati Krushna Chandra, Vyasakabi Fakir Mohan, and many other great individuals. The struggle continued for a long time. Madhu Babu presented his powerful arguments before the British rulers. He stated that the Odias are a culturally sophisticated race. He argued that by fragmenting the region and merging it with various provinces, the people were being deeply humiliated. The British government held Madhu Babu in high regard; he was not just a brilliant lawyer but the flagship leader of Odisha. His lifelong battle was to unite the fragmented Utkal and secure its independent status. Due to his massive personality, great sons from Cuttack, Ganjam, and every other sector joined the cause. An awakening spread throughout Odisha. British rulers were impressed by his sharp logic. In this fight, the entire Odia race became conscious and united. Who else but an Odia can know how many tears were shed seeing the plight of Mother Utkal? This long struggle of Madhu Babu eventually met with success. On April 1, 1936, the separate province of Utkal was formed. Amidst great joy and enthusiasm, the Odia race celebrated the birthday of their independent state.
Sing with pride, “Bande Utkal Janani”. Look at how many people gathered at that time. Madhu Babu was not only a popular leader and a brilliant lawyer, but he was also a beacon of light for Odisha. He acted as a protective shield for the poor and the oppressed. Whenever neglected Odia people fell into any trouble or disaster, they would reach out to Madhu Babu and seek his help. He provided them with every kind of assistance. There is a widely known story about Madhu Babu’s life—the story of a poor old man suffering in poverty. From this, one can understand what Madhu Babu was truly like, how much he loved the Odia people, and how much he loved his motherland.
There was a very poor old man. He arrived in front of Madhu Babu’s villa. At that time, several distinguished women were present at the gate. The old man folded his hands and said, “Sir, I am a poor man, I have lost everything, please save me. I cannot survive anymore”. Madhu Babu asked, “Child, what has happened to you? Why are you crying so much?” The old man replied, “Sir, I had a small piece of land where I lived. The village people took my land away. My village headman says that since he is farming that land, it is now his”. As he spoke, tears flowed from his eyes. Hearing this, Madhu Babu was deeply saddened. The old man continued, “Sir, the headman in our village is very wealthy, and we cannot say anything against him. They are threatening us”. Hearing this, Madhu Babu’s blood boiled. He wondered who this headman was who oppressed the poor and unjustly grabbed their land. Madhu Babu said, “Old man, do not worry, I am here. I will get your land back and punish that headman”. He went to the village with him. Upon seeing Madhu Babu, the villagers were astonished, and the headman became afraid. Madhu Babu asked the headman, “Why did you take this poor old man’s land?” The headman, intimidated, replied, “No sir, this land is not mine, it belongs to the old man. I don’t know why he is lying”. Hearing this, Madhu Babu gathered the villagers and said that grabbing the land of the poor is a great sin. He stated that giving justice to the poor is our duty. Everyone, including the headman, was moved by his words. The headman returned the land and admitted his mistake. Seeing such greatness, all the villagers saluted him.
Originally written by Bishwabhushan Harichandan, Former Governor – Andhra Pradesh & Chhatisgarh. Here is the translated version of previously published article in an Odia newspaper.
