Madhusudan_Das

His Life and Achievements 139
whose heart was with the suffering people did not remain content with
this. He made another attempt to expose Commissioner Grunnmg's antipeople
attitude and Governor Edward Gait's lack of courage and moral
stamina. Some time later Gopabandhu brought another resolution in the
Legislative Council for having a survey of all the flood affected areas of
Orissa and for finding out ways and means for its remedy. Accordingly, a
Committee was appointed in 1922-23 and the Committee alter
investigations made certain very useful recommendations. But the
Government accepted only a lew recommendations and rejected most of
them on financial grounds.
MADHUSUDAN'S UNYIELDING PERSONALITY
Madhusudan also never yielded to the British overloads and the
bureaucrats on questions involving principles.
Most of the Commissioners and the Lieutenant Governors of
Bengal/Bihar and Orissa provinces were friendly to him. But he did seldom
sacrifice the just causes or the principles to please them. There were a
number of instances when he took stiff attitude and bold stands against
the unjust orders of the Commissioners and the Governors and convinced
them to see the reasons. During the tunc of the first session oi the Utkal
Sammilani at Cuttack Idga ground m 1903. the then Commissioner of the
Cuttack Division Mr. Gupta issued a circular prohibiting the Go\ eminent
employees from attending the session of the Sammilani. This circular
also created dilemma in the minds of some of the Garjat rulers who came
to attend the Session which was being held under the Presidentship of
Maharaja Shri Rama Chandra Bhanja Deo of Mayurbhanj). When Madhu
Babu came to know about this unjust circular of the Commissioner he
sent a lengthy telegram to the Lt. Governor at Calcutta and got the
Commissioner's order rescinded. The matter did not end there. The
Governor also directed the Commissioner to announce the Government
's decision personally at Sammilani in which permission was given to the
Government employees to attend the Sammilani.
Earlier to this, there was a similar incident in 1891 with
Commissioner Toynbee of Orissa Division during the time of uprising in
Keonjhar State. The Commissioner Mr. Toynbee and some of the British
officers were sympathetic to the uprising in Keonihar and were bent upon
tor dethroning the Raja Dhanurjaya Bhanj. The Raja had to run away
from his State to save himself. He came to Madhu Babu and took shelter
under him. Madhu Babu who was a fnend of Rajas and Maharajas did