Note for Aspirants: This document covers key themes often asked in OPSC History Optional, including the Odia Movement, the role of the Utkal Sammilani, the various Boundary Commissions, and the Prajamandal/Congress Ministries (1937–1947).
1. Historical Background and Causes of the Movement
The disintegration of Odisha began after 1568, leading to the fragmentation of the region into the hands of Mughals, Marathas, and finally the British. The British conquest was piecemeal; the southern part was attached to the Madras Presidency, the coastal region to Bengal, and the western part to the Central Provinces.
Consequences of Division:
- Language Crisis: Odia was treated as a minority language. Bengali scholars like Rajendralal Mitra and Kantilal Bandopadhyaya advocated for the removal of Odia as a distinct language .
- Administrative Neglect: The Great Famine of 1866 exposed the failure of divided administrations to handle natural calamities, leading Secretary of State Strafford Northcote to admit the need for reunification in 1868.
2. Phases of the Unification Movement
A. The Language Restoration (Sambalpur)
In 1895, the Chief Commissioner of Nagpur issued a notification replacing Odia with Hindi in Sambalpur courts and schools. This led to protests by the Sambalpur Hitaisini and leaders like Dharanidhar Mishra. Following the inquiry of Andrew Fraser, the Risley Circular was issued in 1905, restoring Odia and transferring Sambalpur to the Odisha Division.
B. Early Organizations and "The Twins"
The Utkal Sammilani (Utkal Union Conference) became the engine of the movement under Madhusudan Das. However, the creation of the Bihar-Odisha Province in 1912 was resented as the birth of "twins" where Odias felt dominated.
C. Committees and Commissions (High Yield Topic)
- Sinha Resolution (1920): Moved by Sachchidanand Sinha in the Imperial Legislative Council, urging the amalgamation of Odia tracts .
- Philip-Duff Committee (1924): Appointed to examine the desires of Odias in the Madras Presidency (Ganjam). It reported a "genuine, long-standing and deep-seated desire" for amalgamation.
- Simon Commission (1928): While Congress boycotted it, the Utkal Union Conference welcomed it. A sub-committee under C.R. Attlee recommended a separate province including the Odisha Division, Angul, and Ganjam.
- O’Donnell Boundary Commission (1931): Chaired by Samuel O’Donnell, with the Raja of Paralakhemundi as an associate member. It recommended a separate province of 33,000 sq miles but excluded a University or High Court due to financial deficits .
- Hubback Committee (1933): An administrative committee under Sir John Austin Hubback to finalize the headquarters (Cuttack) and administrative framework.
3. The Creation of Separate Odisha Province
Based on the Joint Select Committee report and the Government of India Act, 1935, Odisha was inaugurated as a separate state on 1st April, 1936. Sir John Hubback became the first Governor.
4. Political Consolidation: Ministries (1937–1947)
A. The First Election (1937)
In the 1937 elections, the Congress won 36 out of 56 elective seats. However, a constitutional crisis arose when the All-India Congress Committee demanded assurances against the Governor's special powers.
B. The Interim and First Congress Ministry
Due to Congress's initial refusal, the Maharaja of Paralakhemundi formed a minority ministry on 1st April 1937. This was short-lived. After assurances from the Viceroy, the first Congress ministry was formed on 19 July 1937 under Biswanath Das (Prime Minister), with Nityananda Kanungo and Bodhram Dube as ministers.
C. Agrarian Reforms and Peasant Unrest
The period saw significant peasant unrest led by Socialists and the Krushak journal (started by Surendra Nath Dwivedy). Leaders like Malati Chaudhury and Harekrushna Mahtab mobilized peasants. The Ministry passed the Odisha Tenancy (Amendment) Act and Money-lenders’ Act in 1938 to protect peasants from Zamindars.
D. War Crisis and Coalition Ministry
The Congress ministry resigned in November 1939 in protest against World War II. Internal rifts grew within the UPCC between Nilakantha Das and the Gandhian leadership. This led to the formation of a Coalition Ministry in 1941, headed again by the Maharaja of Paralakhemundi with support from dissident leaders like Godavarish Mishra. A key achievement of this ministry was the establishment of Utkal University in 1943.
E. Towards Independence
Following the 1946 elections, a new Congress ministry was formed under Harekrushna Mahtab. This government prioritized the merger of Princely States, eventually achieved by the end of 1947 under the guidance of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
