Introduction & Contextual Understanding
"ସେବା ହିଁ ଧର୍ମ ଆଉ ସତ୍ୟ ହିଁ ମୋର ଦେବତା।"
("Service is my religion and truth is my deity.")
-Utkal Mani Gopabandhu Das
India’s best-kept secret is Odisha and it lives through its leaders, culture, peasants, weavers, tribes and the very obvious heartthrob of every Odia - Lord Jagannath. One such leader who shaped the narratives and thoughts of people of the state and further emancipated the underprivileged will be discussed in the paper. Known as Odisha’s Jewel, Gopabandhu Das was an astute statesman, political thinker and revolutionary who reformed Odisha in various ways. This article would delve deeper to analyse his contributions, their impacts and then a comparative analysis with J S Mill. Born in a quaint hamlet in the holy abode of Lord Jagannath called Suando in the Sakhigopal Village of Puri district inhabited by superstitious, obscurantist and caste-ridden Brahmins, he had a religious lineage and started learning bhagvat from an early age. One of the few recorded incidents which changed his perspective towards life, society and values was in his matriculation days in Puri Zilla School, he saw heaps of dead bodies of pilgrims which led to a virulent epidemic of Cholera. These corpses were neither removed by the conservancy authorities nor cremated thus exposing the residents to a grave peril. People including the sweepers were unwilling to touch the corpses for fear of losing their caste as no one was sure of the caste of the dead. This was the first step he took in reforming society and established the very famous Puri Seva Samiti with a few classmates and started clearing all the dead bodies and cremating them. His service to mankind was so profound that in 1924 on the occasion of his release from prison, Sir P. C. Roy, the great Chemist of Bengal, gave him the appellation of Utkalmani or the Jewel of Orissa. Service to humanity remained his first love throughout his life. He along with his elder brother Utkal Gaurab Madhusudhan Das played a significant role in the freedom struggle against the British and also shaped the ideals for the women and under-privileged.
His ideology was “Education is life and is the basic right of every individual irrespective of their status and caste. A man without education is an equivalent of an animal.” This article would first look into the brief background of the philosopher and their contributions to the political state of thought given by him. Further will look into the contemporary relevance of such thoughts and philosophy. In the latter half, it will look into the relevance and analogy with Western philosopher (John Stuart Mill).
Political thoughts and Contributions
Women Empowerment:
Establishing the “Satyavadi Vana Vidyalaya” and working against Oppression for Under Privileged:
Gopabandhu Das along with his four friends (together known as Panchsakhas) established the revolutionary Satyavadi Vana Vidyalaya in 1909. This was the starting of a historical chapter in the history of Dalit emancipation and challenging the traditional hegemony of Brahmins. This was not merely a school, rather a movement aimed at openly challenging the Brahmanical Orthodoxy. Situated in an idealistic setting of Sakhigopal, this was a blend of India’s traditional Gurukul System along with liberalistic and progressive ideologies.
The school was later renamed as “Universal Education League” by Gopabandhu Das. Inspired by the Deccan Education Society it encompassed provision for community feeding for all castes irrespective of their castes. Through this even Brahmins and Kshatriyas were made to sit, cook and eat along the Harijans. A step towards liberalisation that no one ever fathomed in 1912. He was a staunch believer that education could make them aware of their duty towards society and mankind and cure the disease of discrimination. Holistic development of individuals is possible through the tool of education. He also developed features like residential schooling which made people from higher castes stay in the same room as Harijans and also made them sit, study and dine together evading the ill feelings ingrained in their minds from an early stage.
Earlier only people from the “Barik Community” (Barber Community) were supposed to touch razors, but he made the Brahmin teachers and kids shave their chins. Also, crafts and co-curricular activities were considered taboo amongst Brahmins. Changing the traditional norm, he introduced crafts and co-curricular activities in his school and said this would foster cordial relationships between people of different castes, chiding away the feelings of discrimination, foster friendship and cordial relationships. Further he used it as an impetus to foster nationalistic feelings amongst young minds.
The teachers of the school wrote dramas and poems on the themes of patriotism. Gopabandhu himself published a monthly journal called the Satyavadi and a weekly newspaper called the Samaj (the most widely circulated newspaper in Odisha since 1919 till date) through which he broadcast his social, economic, political and educational ideas.
He emphasised on promoting vocational education. Because he thought that reading books too much burdens the brain, he proposed that public education should place equal emphasis on the use of hands, feet, ears, and eyes to promote mental stability and focus.
Widow Remarriage & Women Empowerment
Gopabandhu was way ahead of his time. His ideas were alien to societal norms back then. But this didn’t dissuade the visionary. He suffered from the loss of his wife at the age of 28 leaving him behind with two daughters and a son. Turning down earnest appeals to remarry he said, “Unless a widow has a right to remarry in our society, I who is a widower also do not possess the right to remarry”. Back then in his home district, Brahmin widows were treated equivalent to outcastes and Dalits and were tortured in diverse ways. Pained by these he established the Widows’ Home at Puri. There they were trained with essential skills like art and craft to sustain their life and earn themselves a livelihood. Apart from these, he took measures to educate people to integrate widows into mainstream society.
After being appointed as state pleader in the Mayurbhanj District of Odisha, he established an orphanage there. His Young Men's Associations in different places carried out welfare and service activities in times of natural distress.
Peasant Mobilisation
The Utkal Provincial Congress Committee was established in 1921, with Gopabandhu Das serving as its first President. Gopabandhu Das argued before the leaders of the session that the Utkal Union Conference, as a component of the Indian National Congress, should struggle for its independence on a national level rather than a regional one. The resolutions of the Indian National Congress opposing collaboration were ultimately approved by the Utkal Union Conference. He, inspired by non-cooperation, invited Gandhi ji to Odisha and discussed the demands of peasants and their importance for the freedom struggle.
Inspired by Gandhi ji’s ideals, he organised a large meeting in Khandagiri where he gathered a lot of peasants and explained to them the meaning and elements of non-cooperation. The key demands included safeguarding the rights of government intermediaries responsible for collecting revenues from the peasants and addressing stringent forest rules.
National Integration and Unity:
Gopabandhu writes in the autobiography of a prisoner, he wrote his last will and testament to his countrymen in the following words,
“Let my body feed the soil of this land,
May my countrymen tread on it as they walk,
And the holes that are there on the road to Swaraj,
May those be filled up with my bones and flesh.
May the offering of my life advance a whit.
The cause of man's freedom in the land ever bright.
And the will of God be fulfilled in my life, this is, O Lord, my last prayer this side”
The objective is to highlight the strong sense of belongingness towards the nation and consider the society as one and united. He believed that we should first unite by keeping aside the barriers we have artificially created and not let any other external power govern us.
He had a clear grasp of national integration and unity in diversity. Talking about the princely states he says these nations taken together in their entirety comprise the great Indian nation. We remain indifferent to all that has happened in Indian life through the relentless laws of history. The goal of humanity is one and indivisible. For the fulfilment of that goal, different nations and different communities are working in their own way, and in consequence, contributing to the growth of human civilisation.
Impact analysis
Social Justice and Equality:
The visionary advocated for the upliftment of the underprivileged and amalgamation of them in the mainstream society by letting them have access to all the public resources and chiding them away from all the ill feelings of discrimination. This has a profound impact on the current political state of the state. Currently, Odisha proudly hosts 62 different tribal communities spread over 30 districts. Apart from that, the state has provided tribals with constitutional positions i.e. Juel Oram as Union Minister and Droupadi Murmu as the first tribal woman to become the president of the nation.
In providing education Odisha has achieved several milestones by establishing KISS by Achyuta Samanta which provides free education and residential facilities to tribals and Dalit students. The Ekalavya Schools Model across the state provides quality education to ST & SC students in remote areas from grade VII to XII focusing on the holistic development of the child. Also, the Adarsha Vidyalaya involves the establishment of a model rural school in rural areas focusing on the underprivileged is also the result of Gopabandhu Das’s efforts. Adarsha Vidyalaya is established in rural areas of the state. This allows students from all strata of society irrespective of caste. The state’s emphasis on education for all especially marginalized communities living in the remote areas of the nation resonates with the vision of Gopabandhu Das.
The restoration of the Satyavadi Vana Vidyalaya as the new Satyavadi High School and efforts taken to preserve its open-air schooling methods, focus on vocational training from the start and further emphasis laid on the teaching on the mother tongue all resonate with vision of Gopabandhu Das.
The Pre-Matric Scholarship and Post-Matric Scholarship offered by the state along with the Biju Pattanaik Scholarship to support their education and reduce the dropout rates.
Equality and Vocational Training:
Gopabandhu Das continuously focused on vocational training to the tribals and underprivileged and today this can be seen in the renaming of Raghurajpur ( a village filled with family of craftsmen from lower caste) as the first heritage village to encourage them and the most revered Mission Shakti has been started to provide vocational training to the underprivileged and women to constitute themselves into SHG and entrepreneurs and promote economic independence.
Further, he also emphasised co-curricular activities and Odisha’s contribution towards hockey promotion is known to everyone. From hosting the Hockey World Cup to sponsoring the hockey teams (both men and women) at the national level, Odisha has provided some remarkable hockey players such as Dilip Tirkey, Prabodh Tirkey, Birendra Lakra, Amit Rohidas, Deep Grace Akka and the list goes on. Odisha houses the biggest stadium for hockey showing its commitment towards the development of sports and co-curriculars with a special focus on the underprivileged.
The focus on vocational training has been more profound through the freshly conducted biennial event in Odisha, Make in Odisha Conclave which not only provides education but also trains people to become employable, inviting trainers from countries across the globe to provide vocational training, and also the Toshali Mela that gives the platform to tribals to showcase their crafts and earn for themselves. These are a few steps in the ocean of development. The notion and vision of Gopabandhu Das to not only focus on book knowledge and allow education to happen through co-curricular activities and vocational training is slowly being achieved in the state.
Women Empowerment:
As mentioned earlier, Gopabandhu Das worked for women’s empowerment specifically for widow remarriage. The Widow Home built by him in Puri still stands tall as a safe place for women and girls victims of sexual abuse and failed marriages. Then Chief Minister, Hon’ble Naveen Patnaik quoted Gopabandhu Das before launching the famous Biju Kanya Ratna Yojana to focus on the education of the girls and highlighted the importance of achieving the dreams of the visionary on his 145th birth anniversary in 2022. The government has established schools and hostels exclusively for girls and a special Mahila Shakti Kendra as the one-stop centre to provide for the psychological and legal support of women. To support widowed women and women abandoned by their husbands, the Government has launched Madhu Babu Pension schemes (after the name of his elder brother) to economically support such women on the 145th birth anniversary of the visionary.
Also to make schools a safer place Odisha Government had introduced the “Khushi Scheme” to provide free sanitary napkins to mitigate the taboo regarding menstruation and reduce the dropout rates of female students.
Further, women who lack any economic support are helped by the government to establish their venture if they are widowed or abandoned. A famous example is the establishment of Shakti Café in Bhubaneshwar which is purely run by widowed and divorced women.
Also, in the field of co-curricular activities, women are given special support to achieve their dreams. The state has facilitated the fund-raising round of the frozen food giant of eastern Odisha “Ruchi Foodline” which is being run by Rashmi Sahoo. The grant given to establish the first GI-tagged Saree shop in Odisha by Amrita Sabat by the name of Utkalaamrita shows the relentless efforts by the state to achieve the dream of its son.
Women who suffer from failed marriages are provided medical support by government-appointed “sakhis”. The political thoughts of the leader have shaped the ideals and thoughts of the citizens and of the state.
Promotion of Odia literature:
Gopabandhu Das’s deep love for his mother tongue was no surprise to the state and others. He has been a deep supporter of his ethnicity and culture which was voiced through his articles in the magazine Satyavadi and the newspaper Samaja. Currently, the state echoes this vision and promotes the Odia language through various ways. The historical establishment of Odisha Sahitya Akademi was one such initiative taken to promote the language and literature. To promote his unwavering love for Oriya literature and Sahitya “Samaja”, every anniversary it conducts essay competitions in Odia language.
Peasant welfare and Tribal Welfare:
Gopabandhu’s commitment to peasants and tribals was inevitable. From open-air schools in his society to advocating for the Hirakud Dam (which was achieved after his death) his unwavering commitment and dedication towards agrarian society were profound. He wanted to preserve the unique relationship of the tribals with nature. To achieve this dream the leader of Odisha has introduced a Joint Forest Management Programme involving the local community to protect the forest cover of the state and not rip off the tribals from their source of livelihood.
He emphasised collectively mobilising the tribals of Keonjhar district who used to collect Sal Leaves and earn a livelihood by selling them. On similar lines, the state has introduced reforms to help the tribals protect their livelihood.
He strongly advocated for better irrigation methods to aid the peasants which were finally crystallised twenty years after his death when Jawaharlal Nehru laid the foundation for the Hirakud Dam Project in 1948. This gradually changed the minds of leaders to protect the agrarian economy of the nation which forms our backbone and gradually steps were taken to establish research institutes like the Odisha University of Agriculture Technology for the promotion of peasants and agriculture and irrigation purposes.
Enhancement in Governance:
Two years prior to celebrating the 145th Birth Anniversary of our beloved Gopabandhu Das, then Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the 5T Model of governance where 5T’s symbolize Technology, Teamwork, Transparency, Transformation and Time. This was a step to crystallise the dreams of the leaders of having an efficient governance. Through technology, they will streamline the governance processes and service delivery and make governance more accessible to the citizens. Portals such as Mo-Sarkar have been launched for the easement of people and proper implementation.
Through teamwork they envision working in coordination with every department of the government cohesively towards common goals, for example, the coordination between women and child care development along with the food and nutrition department has led to the proper delivery of millet and rations to women.
Transparency is a core pillar of the ideals of 5T’s and the government has made strides to ensure easy and quick availability of information to the citizens including publishing data on websites such as e-Municipality and Mo Sarkar. And lastly, the government aims to introduce transformative changes through various sectors within a time-bound delivery span.
The modern adaptation of the ideals of Gopabandhu Das in the form of 5T’s to achieve efficient governance resonates with his love and dream for his motherland.
Comparison with Western philosophers- John Stuart Mill
Why the parallel with John Stuart Mill?
J.S Mill is a British philosopher and economist, whose ideas have significantly shaped western thoughts. Like Gopabandhu, he too was born into a reasonably well-off family but was able to resonate with the grief and pain of people around them. Both of them were educated rigorously since childhood to understand the importance of education. These put their earlier life on the same footing and hence serve as a valid ground to draw parallels. Both of them belonged to the nineteenth century. Mill’s childhood was shaped by the early developments in Europe during the last phase of the Industrial Revolution which lasted till 1840. This pushed him to witness the dire state of workers and marginalized people, similar to the childhood of Gopabandhu Das. Hence, both of their thoughts were shaped by a similar family and society.
Moving forward, Mill’s guide and mentor was his father Jeremy Bentham who shaped his ideals. His father was his direct role model. Similarly, the ideas of Jeremy Bentham to achieve the “greatest good” of society are echoed as mentioned earlier in the works of Gopabandhu Das. The influence is penetrated to such an extent that Gopabandhu Das in his own works and editorials gives the example of the ideology of Bentham to achieve the overall good of the society.
John Stuart Mill’s life was marked by his commitment to the overall development of society, liberty, democratic governance and social justice and to achieve this, he considered education as the primary tool. A similar notion was followed by Gopabandhu Das, who not only focused on education but considered humans without education as mere animals.
Both of them recognized the interconnectedness of individual and collective welfare. Mill believed that individual welfare is closely interconnected to the overall welfare of the broader community. A similar notion is echoed in the principle of “Lokaseva” by Gopabandhu Das. As the cornerstone of individual and societal advancement, moral and ethical growth was stressed by both Mill and Das. They believed that moral behaviour was necessary to create a society that was just and peaceful.
Comparison
2.1 Advocacy for Education to all:
Mill, in his A System of Logic, underscores the importance of education in developing critical thinking and helps individuals cultivate their faculties and make rational decisions which is essential for personal growth and progress. He goes on to say that individuals who are educated are aware of their duty and make rational choices. Hence for the overall benefit and welfare of society, education is imperative. For Mill, education was very much essential for a democracy to function properly. He said that education would enable the citizens to make correct decisions regarding the nation and hence important.
Gopabandhu Das similarly advocates for education to be a basic right of every individual irrespective of caste and gender. Education makes a human humane and reduces rampant misbehaviour and discrimination against people from lower castes. He established Satyavadi Vana Vidyalaya with a similar objective. He had a goal to create enlightened citizens with holistic values and approaches who would serve the nation. He considered education to be the primary tool to achieve the goals of social reform and eradicate the prevailing discrimination.
2.2. Social Reform and Collective Welfare:
Mill was a champion of social reform in Victorian England advocating an array of issues including women’s rights, abolition of slavery, working conditions of industrial workers and many more. His theory was formed in the backdrop of the Crystal Palace Exhibition which displayed examples of technology developed during the industrial revolution. He was deeply pained to see the dire state of workers. He henceforth introduced “inner restraint of conscience” into utilitarianism and opined that human beings are not only governed by pain and pleasure but also by dignity.
He henceforth, when witnessing the oppression of women by the prevailing patriarchal norms of society, through his seminal work “The Subjection of Women” argues against the prevailing mayhem against women in society. Mill argues that the notion that women are considered inferior to men is simply based on prejudice and social conditioning rather than biological differences. He considers women to possess the same intellect as men and their exclusion is a grave injustice.
On similar lines, Gopabandhu too advocates women’s rights and tries to secure their education and safety. His denial to remarry after his wife’s death because widows didn’t have the right to remarry, and establishing widow homes showcases his commitment towards women.
In his seminal work on the economy, “Principles of Political Economy”, Mill addressed the issues faced by workers such as the distribution of wealth, and the role of government in regulating the wealth of the nation. He through his writings extensively argued for
Limited working hours
Fair Wages
Improved Working conditions
Labor Unions
In a similar fashion, Gopabandhu Das also argued for the reformation of the peasants and weaver classes of the society. He advocated for the improved working conditions of weavers, and improvement in agricultural methods. He said in his magazine, Satyabadi that “The good of the individual lies in the good of the collective and the perfection and full realisation of life lies in his securing the good of the society, its progress and liberation”.
2.3. Political Ideology and Democracy
Mill’s political ideology was centred around liberal democracy. He was a staunch advocate for individual liberties, representative government, and the protection of minority rights. He opined in the classic work On Liberty, that individuals should be free to act as they wish unless their actions harm others. Gopabandhu was a nationalist who believed in the power of collective action for the liberation and development of the nation. His political ideology was engraved in the belief that true freedom could be achieved through swaraj and that attaining it was the duty of every single individual. This could be achieved by appealing to the conscience of the oppressor. He in his quest for independence never resorted to violent ways and took the help of non-violence and civil disobedience. He indeed believed that a human should act freely unless they harm their fellow beings and the duty to ensure no harm is caused should be of the government. In his revolutionary newspaper Samaj he wrote several articles to advocate for the basic liberty of humans and for a more representative form of government so that the voices of individuals are heard.
2.4 A Nation for the People:
In his poem, “Remembering Ancestors” he describes the current condition of the government as that of a terrible oppressor. He says ideally the government should be for people and politics should exist for people’s good. But lately, the form is only for the good of bureaucrats and peace and happiness exist only in name. They pretend to work for their people but in reality, the only instrument of operation through flattering. He even goes on to say:
“Residents, Presidents and Superintendents alike are the three dents taken together the cause of national ruin”
Similarly, Mill discussed the issue of inefficient government in his essay “Considerations of Representative Government”. Highlighting the perils he underlined the ineffective administration as a major roadblock to social reform, he held that such a thing is the result of a lack of public engagement and empathy of leaders towards their subject. Leaders who are not governed by the inner constraints of conscience render the government ineffective. He emphasized competent leadership and meritocratic government led by qualified individuals the way Gopabandhu Das imagined the leadership of the nation should be.
2.5 Focus on Moral and Ethical Development:
Mill emphasised a lot on “inner restraint of conscience”. According to him, human beings have a third parameter of control which is the inner conscience. He believed that ethical considerations should guide individual actions and societal policies. Similarly, Gopabandhu Das’ approach to social reform was deeply rooted in moral and ethical values including selflessness, compassion and service. His personal and professional lives were a testament to his compassion and service.
Critical analysis of the comparison & Conclusion
John Stuart Mill, a British philosopher and political economist, and Gopabandhu Das, a renowned social reformer and freedom fighter from Odisha, India, provide an intriguing comparison of two significant individuals who worked in different contexts but had some fundamental philosophical similarities. Although both individuals made substantial contributions to their respective cultures, a critical examination highlights the advantages and disadvantages of comparing their ideas and accomplishments.
Both individuals were products of an almost similar timeline, they worked in different environments. In contrast to Gopabandhu, who developed his theories in the furnace of social injustice and anti-colonial struggle, Mill developed his ideas in a country undergoing fast industrialisation and democratic reforms. Since it affects the focus and extent of their effort, this contextual difference is important to consider when comparing their contributions. Though their intellectual bases are very different, both thinkers stressed the value of education and societal advancement.
Gopabandhu's beliefs were primarily focused on the welfare of the community and social responsibility. Mill, on the other hand, was an individualist who believed that personal liberty has inherent value. The analogy, then, emphasises a basic conflict between personal freedoms and group obligations, a topic that is still pertinent in discussions about social policy and government today.
The contrast between Mill's emphasis on institutional and legal reforms to safeguard individual rights and Gopabandhu's community-focused activity draws attention to the divergent approaches to social reform. Gopabandhu's research emphasises on tackling social inequality and the state's responsibility in guaranteeing the well-being of the people, whereas Mill's theories provide insightful analysis of the role of liberty in social progress.
This divide is especially important when talking about the function of government in contemporary democracies since striking a balance between social obligations and individual rights is still a major issue. When comparing Mill to Gopabandhu Das, the differences in their legacies demonstrate the greater extent of Mill's effect. While Gopabandhu's influence is relatively confined, Mill's theories have proven fundamental to contemporary liberal democracies. This comparison emphasises how difficult it may be to compare individuals from radically different circumstances and how crucial it is to take into account both the breadth and depth of their contributions.
Gopandhu’s community-focused activism provides a counterpoint to Mill’s individualistic liberalism and institutional focus. The comparison though has similar points at different tangents but also highlights the diversity of thought in the pursuit of social progress.
Hence, we can conclude that Gopabandhu Das, a patriot of the highest order, an activist, and a follower of Bentham did not hesitate to respond to any call of nature. He along with his close aide Harekrushna Mahtab worked closely with Mahatma Gandhi, Lala Lajpat Rai. Nothing was dearer to him except for the independence of his nation and the emancipation of the wretched and underprivileged community. He died young but lived long. Had he lived a little longer, he would have carved an indelible mark not only on the hearts of Oriyas but also on the hearts of the Indians.
By Abhipsha Dash
Abhipsha Dash is an undergraduate student at Symbiosis Law School Pune. Coming from a diverse family background which always have fostered her inclination towards her roots and culture. Her parents played a pivotal role in shaping her semantic skills. While navigating through legal affairs she finds solace in exploring new realms of her culture and presenting them through her lens.
References
Dash, S. C. (1977). Gopabandhu Das as a Social Reformer. Indian Literature, 20(3), 24-32.
Mohapatra, R. L. (2017). THE EDUCATIONAL LOCALE OF PANDIT GOPABANDHU DAS: A BIRD’S EYE VIEW. Scholar, 1(4).
Barik, R. (1978). Gopabandhu and the national movement in Orissa. Social Scientist, 40-52.
ROUT, S. K. Gopabandhu’s Innovations and Experimentation in Educational Practices. addressed to the Academic Editor, Journal of Indian Education, Department of Teacher Education, NCERT, Sri Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi 110 016., 99.
Well Written
Precise yet touching every corner.
Comprehensive yet very detailed..well written