This is the 14th in the series of recapitulation in my own words portions of Pandit Nilakantha Das's Biography in Odia. Enjoy...
NILAKANTHA DAS AND SUBAS BOSE
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In 1939, just before the World War II, Netaji Subash Bose called Nilakantha Das to his 32/8, Elgin Road residence in Calcutta. He heard about impressive leadership quality and charisma of Sri Das. In spite of an extremely busy schedule, he huddled a conference with the triumvirate of Pandit Nilakantha, Jadumani Mangaraj and Godabarisha Mishra.
Netaji told them - "My hunch is, Japan is going to win this war as British are on decline". Anticipating it, he laid out his vision of an independent India where the Eastern region is going to play an important role. He continued further, "It's now time to start the groundwork of governance for the eastern states of Bengal, Bihar and Odisha. So, Mr. Das, I would leave Odisha to your leadership as I can't think of anyone better than you".
Nilakantha interacted extensively with both Nehru and Subash Bose. No doubt, Subash Bose was the more charismatic and a fiery, arousing speakers compared to Nehru. Nilakantha fell to Netaji's charm and his blood curdling, goosebumps arousing slogan - "Give me blood, I will give you freedom".
Alas, he missed UTKALAMANI (Jewel of Odisha) Gopabandhu Das and the later's poem which was no less inspiring
MISU MORA DEHA E DESA MATIRE
DESA BASI CHALI JAANTU PITHIRE,
DESARA SWARJYA PATHE JETE GAADA,
PURI TAHIN PADI MORA MANSA HADA.
May my body blend in this country's soil
May on my back my countrymen take a walk,
The potholes on path of self rule of my nation,
May it get filled with my flesh and bone.
Fully motivated by Subash Bose, upon returning to Odisha the troika went on political blitzkrieg, building a formidable combination of personalities from different spectrums, as diverse as the King of Paralakhemundi and Suhaan Khan of Muslim League - a Party who at that point riding the crest of Jinnah wave was giving Congress run for money, drastically cutting into later's support among Muslims.
In the meantime Hitler's tanks blitzkrieged into Poland on 1st of September, 1939 - marking the beginning of World War II. Later that month Subash Bose came to Odisha. As President of State Congress Nilakantha Das took Netaji around Cuttack atop an elephant. During that jaunt, both stayed in the same house in Odisha. During that period Netaji would consult Nilakantha, his Man Friday in Odisha before taking any decision during his campaign in the state.
Many of his colleagues were trying to persuade Netaji to give speech in Bengali. Nilakantha told him bluntly - "Please give speech in Hindi, English or Odia. Not in Bengali". Subas Bose duly obliged. In Puri BADA DANDA Netaji gave a fiery speech in Hindi, mocking Gandhi SUTA KAAT KE KYA SWARAJ MILEGA (isn't it preposterous to get self rule by making threads out of cotton) ?
(My grandfather, then in his 20s heard this speech by Netaji and mentioned it in his Diary which I still hold on to like a Precious Jewel. I used to ridicule him when he showed me his photograph from 1939, wearing starched DHOTI or loincloth, thick, well drenched hair combed to a side divided by a prominently visible thin hairline, with RASHI TELA or til oil conspicuously dripping from it. I, as the NAATI or grandson was entitled to poke fun at my Grandpa ).
As expected, Nilakantha Das's closeness to Netaji aroused jealousy, especially in his native Satyavadi (Odias are champion in harboring jealousy towards the success of the fellow Odias, especially your near and dear ones). It shows the difference between leaders like Subash Bose and ordinary ones. A la GUNA CHINHE GUNIA, SUNA CHINHE BANIA (A talented person can spot a talent, as a goldsmith. can truly judge the quality of gold), Netaji Subash Bose was head above the rest. It was shameful and disgusting that the small time leaders of Odisha, rather than working under Pandit Das's leadership and making our state progressive, did everything to clip his wings.
This trait of his fellow Odias neither surprised Nilakantha Das and hardly perturbed him. This was an expected, inevitable political hazard, about which he was well advised and warned in advance by his mentor UTKALA MANI Gopabandhu who once told him - "JETE TU SAPHALA HEBU, SETE SHATRU SHRUSTI HEBE. HELE KANA KARIBA. EMANANKU NEI TA JATI NADNDIGHOSA KU AGAKU NEBA KU PADIBA, (The more successful you will be, more enemies will be created. But what can we do, we have to live with them to keep the Juggernaut of Odia race chugging ahead). Nilakantha harbored no ill will towards his jealous detractors, so also the pragmatic Gopanadhu whose thinking was well ahead of his time.
(TO BE CONTINUED, AS I READ 📖 FURTHER)
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