Freedom is the life breath of every individual and every nation. Devoid of it, no individual or nation can rise to full stature. But freedom is not a gift from heaven, those who struggle for it are entitled to enjoy it. Due to lack of vigilance and unity the people of India lost their freedom to foreigners, belonging to a far-off land and became drawers of water and hewers of wood in their own country. The British subjugated the Indian people politically, culturally and spiritually while exploiting them economically. But the darkest of clouds have silver linings. From time to time our people elite, peasants and tribals resisted the colonial rule. Finally The Indian National Congress, spearheaded by the intelligentsia class emerged as an organised nationalist movement.
Orissa has a long and glorious saga of Freedom Struggle. During the nineteenth century not only persons belonging to traditional elite group, such as Jai Rajguru, Buxi Jagabandhu and Surendra Sai but also tribals and peasants revolted against the British. In the Ghumsur Zamindari the tribal rebellions during the first half of nineteenth century were led by Dora Bissoye and Chakra Bissoye. In the princely states the people rebelled against the misrule of the autocratic chiefs who were protected by the British Imperialistic Power.
The Oriyas joined the Indian National Congress almost from its inception. When Mahatma Gandhi launched the Non-cooperation movement. Orissa joined the national mainstream ignoring the problem of Oriya irredenta. In course of time Gandhian movement drew into its fold all sections of the people and spread to Garjats where the people also wanted representative institutions and end of the British rule. In 1936 Orissa became a separate state. Soon after independence steps were taken for the merger of princely states with the province. Independence has given us a challenge-the challange of building a vibrant, progressive and prosperous state. This scholarly evaluation of the struggle and sufferings of our people for the cause of freedom will definitely guide us on the path of progress towards building a new prosperous Orissa and India.
State Archives has undertaken the task of recording the long and glorious saga of Freedom Struggle relating to Orissa which by itself is ardous and challenging. State Archives has done a good job and I sincerely hope that this volume will throw much needed light on the history of freedom struggle.
Orissa's contribution to the history of anti-British uprisings and resistance movements of the Pre-Nationalist era is quite impressive. The armed clash and annexation of Khurda in 1804 inaugurated the historic process which witnessed the prolonged resistance in Parlakhemidi and Ghumsur, anti-colonial movement in Klurda, unabated uprising in Nayagarh, wide-spread rebellion of the Khonds and spirited uprising in Angul. Orissa participated in the Revolt of 1857 by presenting Surendra Sai, Chakhi Khuntia and others and witnessed the later uprisings in the Princely States of Keonjhar, Baud, Mayurbhanj, Nilgiri, Khandapara, Saraikella-Kharswan, Athamallik, Kalahandi, Gangpur and the like Each of these anti-British outbursts had peculiarities and significance of their own.
The present volume titled Freedom Struggle in Orissa, Voll is the first in series under the main project of Authentic chronicle of Freedom Movement in Orissa based on twelve point initiative programme of the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Orissa. It consists of fifteen chapters on anti-British uprisings during the pre-nationalist era. Each chapter is contributed by reputed scholars of the State.
Each chapter of this publication has been meticulously edited by an august body of editors. The entire frameworks such as chapterisation and indentification of scholars etc. have been planned by the Chairman and Members of the Editorial Board to whom we owe a deep sense of gratitude. We regret the sad demise of Prof. Jagannath Patnaik, and Dr. Dandapani Behera, the former Members of the Editorial Board who could not live to see the completion of this work.
First of all I am grateful to Dr. Damodar Rout, Hon'ble Minister of Panchayati Raj and Culture for evincing a keen interest in implementing this laudable project. My profound gratitude is due to Sri Livinus Kindo, Principal Secretary to Government, Department of Sports & Culture for his kind guidance and attention despite his busy work schedule. Sri G.N.Mohanty, Director, Culture has played a key role in monitoring the progress of work from time to time and streamlining the whole process for its timely publication. We are grateful to him.
Our hear-felt gratitude is also due to Sri R.Balakrishnan, former Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Culture and Sri N.M.Mohanty, former Director, Culture who were quite enthusiatic about the implementation of this project.
I am thankful to Sri Bibekananda Das, Technical Asst. in charge of publication Division and other Archivists and Technical Assistants of State Archives for their active involvement in bringing out this publication. My thanks are also due to all the staff members of Orissa State Archives for their timely assistance and cooperation. I thank M/s. Mayur Press and M/s. Udyog Printers, Bhubaneswar for undertaking and completing the D.T.P. and printing works respectively in time. Sri Baladev Maharatha also deserves thanks for designing the cover page.
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