Madhusudan_Das

His Life and Achievements: 103
honoured partner in the league of the nations which is the
commonwealth of India, and in death, it might well be said of him
in the words of the Christian Burial Service "how shall this mortal
put on immortality ?" He ever obeyed the command "Fight the good
fight with all thy might" ; the fight against the power of evil, against
injustice, humiliation and inhumanity, manfully he led the way towards
the promised land of self-governing Orissa, and if it was not given
to him to enter it, at the end he stood, like the dying Moses, on the
highest peak of Pisgah, in full view of it below him, in the certain
assurance that it should be the heritage of the people ; and so could
cry :
"Oh grave, where is thy sting,
Oh death, where is thy victory
He is not dead : he layeth down
His sword and cross to take his crown"
Let us not forget that we owe him more than honour to his
memory. He strove not for his own honour but for the honour of his
nation. It is for his people to prove themselves worthy of that honour,
and, as he dedicated his life to the union of the nation, so to dedicate
themselves to the future of that nation. Above all he served in that
selfless devotion which is perfect love. The union of Orissa by map
and constitution will be an empty shadow of reality unless it is to
be union of hearts, the spiritual brotherhood of all, working in selfless
harmony for the common will, and we shall be unworthy of his love
unless we also love."
An Englishman can really appreciate the work of an honest,
selfless man, unfortunately, though we have got the privilege of being
independent and we are under our own national government, there
are very few men who can appreciate the work of such a man. It
is really to be regretted that efforts to keep up his memory in his
now State have been made so far by his daughter. His countrymen
forget that they owe him more than honour to his memory.
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