Pandit Nilakantha Das
(5 August 1884 – 6 November 1967)
In the early part of the twentieth century, those highly qualified youths who wanted to bring renaissance in the field of education and culture on Orissan soil, Pandit Nilakantha Das is one of them. The others were Pandit Utkalamani Gopabandhu Das, Acharya Harihar Das, Pandit Godabarisha Mishra and Pandit Krupasindhu Mishra. These five comrades are popularly known as “PANCHA SAKHA OF SATYABADI ERA”. At the prime of their youth these five comrades had taken a vow not to enter into Government Service and serve the country and ensure its prosperity.
This illustrious son of Orissa was born on 5th August, 1884 in the family of Ananda Das at Sri Ramachandrapur village in the district of Puri. He had his early education at the village school. In 1899 he was admitted to Puri Zilla School. In 1909 he passed his B.A. and had been to Calcutta to continue his M.A. and B.L. studies. In 1911 after returning from Calcutta Pandit Nilakantha joined as a teacher in Satyabadi School. He then continued as a Headmaster of the school for a large period. Later he joined as a Professor in Oriya and Philosophy but relinquished his service in order to join non-cooperation movement.He was elected as a working member of Utkala Pradesh Congress Committee and also a member to All India Congress Committee. He edited a newspaper titled ‘Seba’ from Sambalpur. After staying nine months at Sambalpur he returned to SriRamachandrapur. He was arrested in 1922 for anti-British activities and put to Hajaribag Jail for six months. In consultation with Pandit Gopabandhu Das he decided to contest for General Assembly. In 1923 he was elected as a member of Central Assembly. He participated in Simla Conference in 1926. In 1928, after the death of Pandit Gopabandhu he took up the leadership of Congress in Orissa. As per Lahore Congress decision he resigned from Central Assembly and joined ‘Salt-Satyagraha’ movement and was imprisoned for 6 months. He started untouchable movement and served for the depressed class. For the second time he was also elected as a member to Central Assembly. In 1933 he edited a monthly Oriya Journal titled ‘Naba Bharat’. In 1934 after the death of Madhusudan the entire burden fell on his head and the first phase of Mahatma Gandhi’s tour to Orissa was arranged by him.
In 1936, Orissa became a separate province, Pandit Nilakantha joined as the President, P.C.C. For his able leadership, out of 60 seats, the congress got 36 seats.
Under his chairmanship for the spread of higher education in Orissa, he decided to establish an university for which a committee was constituted and later on as per recommendation of the committee, Utkal University was established. In 1951 he was elected to Orissa Legislative Assembly from ‘Swadhin Jana Sangha’ a new party. In 1955 as per request of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru he joined Congress. In the said year he was appointed as Pro-Chancellor of Utkal University. He was re-elected in 1957. He remained as Speaker of Orissa Legislative Assembly from 1957 May to 1961 July.
Death laid its icy finger on him on 6th November 1967. With his death, Orissa lost a patriot, freedom fighter, able legislator, reformer and a poet and one of the architects of modern Orissa.
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