Change Management for Organizations by Sadangi Chandan Kumar;Mohapatra Sanjay;

Author:Sadangi, Chandan Kumar;Mohapatra, Sanjay;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Emerald Publishing Limited
Published: 2017-03-22T00:00:00+00:00

Movement in Nilgiri

The initial impulse for protest against the autocratic feudal chief of Nilgiri dates back to 1928, when over 1,000 tenants left the state for Balasore protesting against the systems of shikar and bethi of the state.26 Their main grievance was that the chief was repeatedly forcing them to render bethi or forced labour for the kheda or elephant-catching operation.27 The people of Nilgiri also vehemently opposed the imposition of magan for the marriage of the chief’s daughter.28 The congress workers aided the fugitive rebels from Nilgiri by providing them with food and shelter.29 Dr. Mahatab published an anonymous booklet called Nilgiri Atyachar (Oppression in Nilgiri) and distributed it, which further aroused the people. He also asked C. F. Andrews, the Christian missionary and philanthropist, to intervene in the matter.30 Andrews came to Nilgiri in February 1928.31 Though the arbitration of Andrews and the intervention of political department, a settlement was reached and the fugitives returned home.32

Hadibandhu Raj of the village Ajodhya in Nilgiri played an important role in this movement.33 Hadibandhu Raj was sentenced to imprisonment for one year by the Raja on the charge of goat theft to discourage and punish him for playing an important role in this movement. Dr. Mahatab made the following eulogistic remark about the movement: ‘To leave homes and go on self-exile, as a technique of satyagraha, was widely known all over India after the Bardoli satyagraha of 1930. The people of Nilgiri and Orissa may justly feel proud of the fact that they learnt and implemented the technique earlier’.34

Later, the Civil Disobedience Movement in India also influenced the politics of Nilgiri. An association named Yuva Sakha Samiti was formed in 1931 in Ajodhya. This association undertook programmes like Harijan upliftment and literary campaigns, which pointed to the impact of Gandhian constructive and reform activities. The Samiti also organized common dinners, where both high and low caste people ate together to send a clear message about the stigma of castism.35 The ration was contributed by the villagers themselves. This dinner naturally encouraged unity and discussion about everything from the national movement to the unfair administration of the state and eventually became overt with congress activities. This provoked the rulers and resulted in conviction of a few of its activists.36 The state administration proceeded against Hadibandhu Raj and others for spreading the activities of the Harijan uplift on the grounds of violation of ancient customs and usages and pressurising the Harijan community to join the programme. In May 1938, inspired by activists who had gone to attend the States’ Peoples’ Conference held in Cuttack in 1938, the tempo increased. The formation of a congress ministry further increased the ambition of the people.

In a meeting at Ajodhya (1 May 1938), a group of leaders including Hadibandhu Raj, Maheswar Pradhan, Pranabandhu Agasti and Banamali Das (the first three had been involved in the samiti since the Civil Disobedience Movement and were thus convicted and the fourth was a student activist doing his matriculation) addressed a gathering of 200 people and announced the formation of Yuva Sakha.

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