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Pandit Nilakantha Das (1884-1967) was one of the most illustrious sons of Odisha, who appeared both in its political and literary arena at the most crucial period of its history, when Odisha had no political identity in the map of India, and Odia as a language was about to be extinct. He worked relentlessly for Odisha's recognition both politically and linguistically, and helped bring to fruition the dreams of Utkala Gaurab Madhusudan Das, Utkalamani Gopabandhu Das and all other Odia loving people.

As a colleague of Mahatma Gandhi, Motilal Nehru and Dr. Rajendra Prasad, among others, Nilakantha played a key role in the Indian Independence movement. He was a polymath who was an eminent teacher, exceptional leader, erudite scholar, renowned writer, great orator, and a powerful legislator. Pandit Nilakantha was renowned as the headmaster of Satyabadi Bana Bidyalaya, the brainchild of Utkalamani Gopabandhu. He was a prime architect in creating the independent Odisha Province in 1936, who worked untiringly as the right-hand man of Madhusudan Das to achieve this goal. Because of his legislative efforts in Delhi Central Assembly, Odisha became the first Province in India to be formed on a linguistic basis.

His in-depth research on the evolution of Odia language revealed a number of facts that helped establish Odia as the sixth Indian classical language. Odia is also the first language from the Indo-Aryan group of languages to get the classical tag.

Because of his unfathomable knowledge in many important fields, Nilakantha Das is also revered as Utkala Guru.

Life history

Early life and education (1884-1911)

Nilakantha Das was born in a respected Brahmin family in the village of Sri RamachandraPur, a Brahmin Shasan, near Puri, Odisha on 5 August 1884. He was the only surviving son of his parents, born to them late in life. His grandfather was a well-to-do landowner and the chief of his village, but died young at the age of 28.The family then lost all their property due to British Government imposed ‘Sunset laws’ for tax collection from the people of Odisha. Consequently, Nilakantha's father Ananda Das could not pursue higher education, but he was a man of firm character and progressive ideas, and was a strong supporter of all Nilakantha's social reforms and other activities at a big social cost to himself.

After completing the middle school education in his village, Nilakantha studied at Puri Zilla School, and also briefly in Ravenshaw Collegiate school. He completed his bachelor's degree from Ravenshaw College, Cuttack in Chemistry and Philosophy. Later, Nilakantha went to Calcutta to earn his MA in Literature/Philosophy. He also studied Law simultaneously, but did not complete the degree. His education was supported by scholarships all through. He was also a voracious reader with an impeccable memory, and educated himself on both eastern and western cultures, literature, religions and folklore. He was equally eloquent in Odia, English and Sanskrit.

Influence of Pandit Gopabandhu Das

During his high school days, Nilakantha came under the strong influence of Pandit Gopabandhu Das, whom he always respected deeply and regarded as his mentor. Along with Acharya Harihara and another friend, he took a vow with Gopabandhu on the banks of river Bhargavi near Puri, not to accept any jobs under the British Government, and to dedicate their lives for the service of their motherland. They worked together on relief efforts in several flood and cholera-devastated areas, both in Nilakantha's student days and afterwards. Throughout Gopabandhu's lifetime, Nilakantha sought his advice before taking any major step, and worked as his right-hand man - trying to translate Gopabandhu's visions into reality.

Pandit Nilakantha was a simple and righteous man, prone to sudden flair of temper upon witnessing wrong things, but equally apt to cool down immediately if realized his own mistakes. He was a worshiper of the Truth, with deep love for Odisha and its heritage. He was always an original and unconventional thinker, and known as a Fighter par excellence for just causes. Nilakantha was never intimidated by criticism, threats, denouncement or personal discomfort, though he had to face it often for his critical thinking and indomitable spirit. In the true sense, he was forever a strict school master, who did not tolerate any weakness in his students, but appreciated and encouraged all their good qualities and helped them whole-heartedly to achieve their best.

Nilakantha was also a man of the soil and loved his village Sri RamachandraPur. On his infrequent trips to the village during his active life, he met the elders and young men there in his front porch almost daily - to get the village news and learn of the villagers' plights.

When Nilakantha wanted to join the Indian Independence movement, on the advice of Gopabandhu Das, he requested his father-in-law to take care of his young family and elderly parents. Two of his daughters died in their childhood at the age of four or five, when Nilakantha was away on his mission for the country, first in 1921 at Sambalpur, and the other time in 1923 while being transferred from Puri Jail to Hazaribagh. But it did not deter him from his goal.

For most part of his active life, Nilakantha did not even possess a car, and on returning from Delhi, Cuttack or other places, used to travel the two miles from the Sakhigopal Railway station to his village home in bullock carts. He never built a house outside his village, not even in Puri to spend his old days there, and had simply renovated his village home for the convenience of his parents and family. After retirement from politics, he often stayed with his children in the cities for medical treatment and other activities.

Courtesy – Wikipedia
- Nilakantha Das

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