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Nilakantha Das
Photo: Government of Odisha, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons12

Nilakantha Das

Indian activist (1884–1967)

Pandit Nilakantha Das (5 August 1884 – 6 November 1967) was an Odia politician, writer, and educator. He was active during the period when Odia political leaders were seeking a separate Odisha province and recognition for the Odia language.2

From Wikipedia’s article on Nilakantha Das (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Born Aug 5, 1884, died Nov 6, 1967.1

About

Das served as headmaster of Satyabadi Bana Bidyalaya, a school founded by Gopabandhu Das, and later served as a member of the legislature. He participated in the Indian independence movement and was a contemporary of Mohandas Gandhi, Motilal Nehru, and Rajendra Prasad.

Odisha Province was established in 1936, the first province in India to be formed on a linguistic basis. Das was among those who advocated for its creation in the central legislature.

He also conducted research on the history of the Odia language. Odia was later granted classical language status in India, becoming the sixth language to receive this designation and the only Indo-Aryan language other than Sanskrit to hold it as of 2024.

He is referred to by some as Utkala Guru.

From Wikipedia’s article on Nilakantha Das, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2

Early life and education

  • Date not recordedUniversity of Calcutta3

Early life and education (1884–1911)

Nilakantha Das was born in the village of Sri Ramachandrapur, near Puri, Odisha, on 5 August 1884, into a Brahmin family. His grandfather had been a landowner and village headman but died at the age of 28, and the family subsequently lost their property under the Sunset Laws imposed by the British government for tax collection. As a result, his father, Ananda Das, was unable to pursue higher education.

After completing middle school in his village, Das attended Puri Zilla School and briefly studied at Ravenshaw Collegiate School. He completed a bachelor's degree in Chemistry and Philosophy from Ravenshaw College, Cuttack, and later studied for an MA in Literature and Philosophy in Calcutta. He also undertook legal studies but did not complete the degree. His education was funded through scholarships.

Creation of Utkal University

Even though Odisha was made independent in 1936, it did not have its own university; all its colleges were under Patna University in Bihar. Similarly, the high court was in Calcutta. So, Nilakantha also demanded successfully the creation of Odisha's own independent university and high court, arguing that an independent state must have these basic institutions as fundamental to self-determination. Thus, Utkal University was finally created in 1943, when Pandit Godabarish Mishra was the education minister, and was housed in Ravenshaw College, Cuttack.

From Wikipedia’s article on Nilakantha Das (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Career

Occupation: writer, autobiographer, politician.6

  • Date not recordedFounded Nababharat Press4
  • Date not recordedMember of the Odisha Legislative Assembly5

Known for: Atmajibani.7

Delhi Central Assembly

Pandit Nilakantha, an eloquent speaker in English, was renowned as a legislator both in Odisha as well as in India. In the Indian arena, he raised many issues of national interest, including the rights of political prisoners, and of non-resident Indians in South Africa. His work and arguments in various issues were regarded quite valuable so as to have them published in the Eminent Parliamentarians Monograph Series of India. The fourth volume in the series, titled Eminent_Parliamentarians_Series_Nilakantha_Das, contains his speeches delivered in the Central Legislative Assembly, while participating in debates on local, national and international issues. Odisha Government has also compiled some of his speeches into a book, titled "Speeches and Remarks of Pandit Nilakantha Das in Central Legislative Assembly" for the benefit of present-day legislators.

B. N. Pande, Governor of Odisha (1983–1988), who had in attended Nilakantha's arguments in the Delhi Assembly, once commented that when Nilakantha spoke, people used to say that "The Lion of Orissa is roaring!"

Labour leader

As a central legislator, Nilakantha was very concerned about the plight of labourers in India. He helped in the organization of the plantation workers of Assam Tea Gardens, and the labourers in Jamshedpur, Calcutta and Khidirpore (1929). His cut motion supporting the strike by tin-plate workers in Tata (1928-1930) resulted in the defeat of the Government in the Central legislative assembly. He fought in the Central assembly to remove the disparity of pay between the Indian workers (Rs. 88 per month) and British employees (Rs.1300 per month) for the same work. He also introduced bills related to many safety issues.

Due to his important work in these areas, Nilakantha was made a member of the Indian Railway Purchase Committee, where he introduced many improvements to railway buggies, especially to third class compartments travelled by poor people. He was also elected to the prestigious Central Assembly Public Accounts Committee. In addition, Nilakantha was elected as the "President of the All-India Postal Union" in 1927.

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Odisha Assembly

Pandit Nilakantha retired from the Central Assembly in 1945 and came to Odisha's political arena. The next few years, however, he took leave from politics, devoted himself to literary pursuits, and wrote many of his valuable books. Later, with Pandit Godabarish Mishra, he created his own independent party called the "Swadhina Janasangha" and was elected to Odisha Assembly in 1952. He stayed out of the Congress party politics till 1954, when Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru requested him to rejoin Congress.

In 1957, Nilakantha was re-elected uncontested to the Odisha Assembly, and became the speaker of the Assembly. He stayed in that position till July 1961, although the administration collapsed in Match of that year. As a scholar of the Indian constitution, he brought to the attention of the Government of India and the Law Department the provision in the Indian constitution that "whenever the Assembly is dissolved, the Speaker shall not vacate his office until immediately before the first meeting of the Assembly after the dissolution". (The tradition till then was for the Speaker to leave his office along with the Assembly.) It was finally accepted by the Government of India, and now practiced in all cases of dissolution of the Assemblies in different States.

A chronological account and details of Pandit Nilakantha's legislative contributions, both in Odisha and the Indian sphere, may be found in the PhD thesis on the subject, titled "PANDIT NILAKANTHA DAS, THE LEGISLATOR."

From Wikipedia’s article on Nilakantha Das (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Personal life

  • BornAug 5, 1884, Puri district8
  • CitizenshipBritish Raj, Dominion of India, India9

Awards

  • 1964Sahitya Akademi Award in Odia for Atmajibani10 11
  • 1960Padma Bhushan10

Sources

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