Nandakishore Das and his times

Abstract

When India was in the hot bed of revolutionary movement and agitation carried on by the Indian National Congress leaders ,Mother Orissa was fortunate enough of to have a worthy son in his lap .He was none but Nanda Kishore Das ,who blossomed out of the dust and rose to the pinnacle glory by dint of his bright career and scholastic approach. He was a freedom fighter,social activist ,educationist ,litrurateur ,journalist, and a parliamentarian per excellence .Being born in a poor family in 1894 at Guhariasahi of Soro P.S in Balasore district ,he dazzled like an evening star in the history of Orissa . After getting degree of M.A in English from reputed Calcutta University he joined in Non Cooperation Movement as a student leader. As an educationist, he started his career as teacher in English in Satyabadi Bana Vidyalaya founded by Gopabandhu Das. As a journalist he helped in editing the Samaj News paper in the absences of Gopabandhu Das and an English daily . As a freedom fighter ,he played an important role in the freedom struggle from Non Cooperation Movement of 1920 till the achievement of independence and suffered a long term imprisonment for three occasions . During the Salt Satyagraha in 1930 he led the revolutionaries at Inchudi and was imprisoned for 18 th Months . In Quit India movement he also actively participated in the Iram incident and Tudigadia incident and impresond for two years . newlineAs a social reformer ,he devoted his time towards Harijan Movement under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. He dedicated his life for the upliftment of the poor ,the downtrodden and the destitute by becoming the President of Harijan Sewak Sangha of Orissa . In his later age he joined the Bhoodan movement and had a close association with Gandhi and Binoba Bhava. He was the Chairman of statutory Orissa Bhoodan Yagna Samiti for two decades . newlineAs a political leader, he took interest in the formation of Orissa province. He was the President of Balasore District committee, President of Orissa Provincial congress and was the member of Bihar and Orissa Legislative Council for three terms . newlineAs a parliamentarian, he became the first Deputy speaker of Orissa from 1937-39 and the speaker of Orissa Legislative Assembly from 1952-57 .He acted as a member of Constituent Assembly of India that drafted the Indian Constitution . In 1960 he was nominated to Rajya Sabha as a Congress candidate . newline newline