Bhagirathi Pattnaik as the follower of Gandhi has worked in the Non-cooperation movement with the congress members, continued for Peasant congregation during Civil disobedience movement and revolted actively in the Quit India movement.
Early Life:
Bhagirathi Pattnaik was born on 9th November, 1884. His father was Jadunath Pattnaik who was an amin during the Sambalpur land settlement and mother was Kumari Bani. He spent his early childhood in the peaceful atmosphere of Barpali and took admission at the Zilla School, Sambalpur for higher education. He left school when he was in 9th class due to the accidental death of his father in 1903 at Attaira.
Bhagirathi Pattnaik joined as an Odia Teacher at Simagaon Dhanwantiri near Raipur in 1904. At that time Sambalpur District was under Madhya Pradesh. But he suddenly resigned from the post. Next Bhagirathi Pattnaik joined the Patna King Prithviraj Sing Deo as a Nazir and promoted to the position of Munsi and lastly to the personal secretary of the King. He spent nine years as like a deaf, dumb and blind man in the empire of tyranny and suppression. When he started raising voice against the oppressive king, he was arrested and sent to Jail at Bolangir on 9th February 1920.
The Non-Cooperation Movement andBhagirathi Pattnaik
Gaya Congress:
Bhagirathi Pattnaik being influenced with the spirit of patriotism and nationalism voiced against the tyrannical and unjust rule of the king. Thus he was sent to jail. After his release from Bolangir jail on 07.12.1920, he brought a Charkha and started spinning Khadar. He trained his son Prafulla and wife Jambubati in this regard. At that time Gandhiji had started his Non-cooperation movement from 1st August 1920 and Sambalpur took an active part in this movement. The movement was spread out in Sambalpur district under the leadership of Chandra Sekhar Behera. Students left schools, colleges to join the strike. It was on 20th June 1921 a grand meeting was held at Sunaripada of Barpali where Bhagirathi played a great role in enrolling the names of the people in the movement. People were kin to register their names as the members of the Congress.
But due to the Chauri Chaura incident Gandhiji stopped the movement and took active interest on weaving Khadi, removal of untouchability.
Bhagirathi Pattnaik went to village to village for preparing people for the Gaya Congress. The preparatory meeting was held at Balibandha, Sambalpur from 23rd October 1922 to 25th October 1922.
Bhagirathi Pattnaik was selected to the Orissa provincial congress from Sambalpur. Among others Nrusingha Guru, Kunjabehari Meher and Ladabhai Thoria, Mahavir Sing had joined the Gaya Congress.3 They started their journey from Jharsuguda on 21st December 1922. The congress meeting was held from 26th December 1922 to 31st December 1922. After attending the conference they returned to home with a new spirit of Gandhian ideology of prevention of untouchability, spinning Charakha and prevention of intoxication etc. Accordingly, Khadi centers were opened in Bargarh, Barpali and Attabira. Bhagirathi was accompanied in this regard by Chintamani Pujari, Laxminarayan Mishra, Achyutananda Purohit and others. When Gandhiji was arrested on 11.1.1923 after Gaya Congress, Bhagirathi Pattnaik along with his friends observed ‘Hartal’ in Sambalpur town on 18th January 1923.
Inspite of his poor economic family condition Bhagirathi Pattnaik wanted to participate in the Kakinada Congress held on 28.12.1923. He joined Kakinada Congress with the Congress representative ticket No. 2447.4 Bhagirathi meet Muhammad Ali the president of the Kakinada Congress meeting and Motilal Nehru. While returning to Sambalpur Bhagirathi came in close contact with the Berhampurcongress committee and reached to Puri to join a meeting with Ramdas Babaji and Nrusingha Pattnaik. The meeting was intended to free Gandhiji from Jail. He announced the message of Kakinada Congress at Bhubaneswar, Khordha, Kantilo, Baud, Sonepur, Kumbhari and Barpali.
The 39th Session of the Indian National Congress was held at Belgoan on 1924. Jawaharlal Nehru issued special delegates card for Bhagirathi Pattnaik. Bhagirathi Pattnaik distributed the cyclostyled copies regarding the negligence of the Pradesh Congress Committee. Gopabandhu observing the situation rushed to Bhagirathi and said. “Bhagirathi Babu, I was really in dark, hence I will lapse the matter let our family dispute confined to our home, what is the need of making a public show of It.?” His affectionate word melted his heart. He withdrew the resolution copies from Nehru and others.
Gandhiji visited Sambalpur on 23rd December 1928. He was accompanied by Kasturba Gandhi and Dev Das during his visit. Bhagirathi organized a meeting in the memory of Lala Lajpat Rai who was beaten by an English Officer and ultimately died on November 1928. Protesting against the Britishers Bhagirathi Pattnaik on that day gave a Khaddar dhoti and a coat to his son Prafulla.
Declaration of Purna Swaraj and BhagirathiPattnaik (Salt Campaign)
In the Lahore session of 1929 “Purna
Swaraj” was passed and congress decided to
observe the Purna Swaraj Day on 26th Jan 1930
throughout India. Bhagirathi made all
arrangements to celebrate Independence Day at
Sambalpur. District Magistrate Bharat Chandra
Nayak was present to observe the situation.
Bhagirathi read out the resolution paper passed
by the Congress
Sambalpur played an important role
during the Salt Satyagraha movement of 1930.
Bhagirathi organized a public meeting at Bargarh
with Chaturbhuja and Premsankar to discuss the
matter. On 19th March, Laxminarayan,
Bhagirathi, Dayananda Chintamani, Sudhansu
Sekhar, Nrusingha Guru and Durga Guru were
charge sheeted and ordered to appear before the
court.
It was during the 2nd phase of the
Satyagraha on 8th July, 1932 when Bhagirathi
Pattnaik along with his revolutionary workers were
arrested. Gandhiji started individual Satyagraha
where he pleaded “All those who are able and
are willing to offer individual Satyagraha on their
own responsibility without expectation of any help
from the Congress organizations are expected to
do so”.
Bhagirathi Pattnaik along with his wife
Jambubati Pattnaik and son Prafulla Pattnaik
started individual civil-disobedience movement.
It was on 22nd September 1933, Bhagirathi
Pattnaik along with his family members were
arrested while picketing at Bargarh.
After released from jail they began to
serve the earth quake destitute. Prafulla worked
in the relief camps of Mungher, Saharse,
Panchgahhia and Bangoan. Bhagirathi Pattnaik
met Jawaharlal Nehru who came to supervise the
relief work. On 3rd April 1934 they spent a night
with Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagbati Devi and
Jamunalal Bajaj in one camp.
Gandhi visited Orissa in May 1934 for
an intensive study of the problem of untouchables
and the method of solution. He reached
Jharsuguda on 5th May 1934 at 5 a.m. along with
Laxminarayan Sahu, Raj Kumar Bose, Thakkar
Bana and some of his associates.6 Gandhiji also
visited the Harijan Bustee of Sambalpur on the
same day. Bhagirathi discussed various problems
with Gandhiji and informed him about their
success in closing the wine shops at different
places.
Government of India Act was passed in
1935. The Congress decided to work within the
framework of this new Act because it accorded
new status to the provinces. The act came into
force in 1937 and the Congress decided to take
part in the election for legislative assemblies at
eleven provinces. Bhagirathi took active part in
the election campaign.
Quit India Movement and BhagirathiPattnaik
Bhagirathi Pattnaik took active part in the
Quit India Movement. The historic “Quit India”
resolution was passed on 14th July 1942. It
renewed the demand that British Rule in India must
end immediately. Bhagirathi organized the people
at Sambalpur with his son Prafulla. Prafulla
Pattnaik also collected funds from Deoghur and
Dhunka for the August Revolution. On 17th April
1943 Jambubati Pattnaik died due to heart fail
when Bhagirathi and Prafulla were in jail. Ayodhya
Prasad Mishra a famous congress leader lit up
the pyre.
It was on 10th February 1943, Gandhiji
undertook a long fast for 21st days against the
atrocities and illegal collection of money by the
government. A feeling of high tension spread all
over the district. Even illiterate labourers in the
interior villages knew the deteriorating condition
of Gandhiji’s health and expressed keen anxiety
regarding the effect of his fast.
Bhagirathi Pattnaik presided over a
meeting at Dharmasla, Sambalpur. This meeting
was organized against the anti-people policies of
the interim government. He supported the
student’s movement openly at Sambalpur on 24th
November 1945 as a protest against the firing
and lathi charge on the students in Calcutta and
he organized the students at Bargarh and Barpali.
The Independence Day was observed on 26th
Jan 1946 at some centres of the district.
But the Independence Day was
celebrated throughout India with great joy and
enthusiasm on 15th August 1947. Mr. Garnath
Gartia presided over the Independence
celebration meeting at Barpali.
Conclusion
The contributions of Bhagirathi Pattnaik
and his family in the freedom struggle are priceless
and immeasurable. His role was not only confined
to Sambalpur but also in different parts of India.
Bhagirathi Pattnaik as a follower of Gandhiji
actively worked from Non-cooperation
movement to the Independence of India.
Bhagirathi’s contribution in the peasant
congregations, individuals Satyagraha, revolution
against the British Government and his stand
against untouchability is remarkable and historical.
He also raised his voice for equal opportunities
to all irrespective of his caste, creed etc. He
realised that true democracy could not be achieved
without education. He emphasized upon the
village Panchayats to resolve the disputes of the
villagers. Bhagirathi as an ardent follower of
Gandhiji entered into the Jagannath temples at
Barpali with the untouchables. Bhagirathi took
and his family in the freedom struggle are priceless
and immeasurable. His role was not only confined
to Sambalpur but also in different parts of India.
Bhagirathi Pattnaik as a follower of Gandhiji
actively worked from Non-cooperation
movement to the Independence of India.
Bhagirathi’s contribution in the peasant
congregations, individuals Satyagraha, revolution
against the British Government and his stand
against untouchability is remarkable and historical.
He also raised his voice for equal opportunities
to all irrespective of his caste, creed etc. He
realised that true democracy could not be achieved
without education. He emphasized upon the
village Panchayats to resolve the disputes of the
villagers. Bhagirathi as an ardent follower of
Gandhiji entered into the Jagannath temples at
Barpali with the untouchables. Bhagirathi took
active part in the Voodan Movement in 1957. In
this movement they got a village “Panimora’ asGramdan. He identified himself with the
Communist Party of India with Red Flag during
the last part of his life. He also participated actively
in the communist movement against the price rise,
unemployment and corruption in 1976. This was
the last political movement for 92 years old
Bhagirathi Pattnaik. It was on 9th July 1980 his
great soul vanished with the Supreme Soul leaving
his unforgettable deeds, for whom the soil of
Sambalpur has been glorified.
No comments:
Post a Comment