Madhusudan_Das

His Life and Achievements 169
politician, as a legislator, as a lawyer, as a minister and above all as a
patriot. In the early seventies Late Biju Patnayak, an ex-chief Minister of
Orissa and an entrepreneur of post-independent era, announced to
distribute fifty thousand copies of Mr. Das's photograph in Orissa. Late
Dr. Harekrishna Mahatab. another ex-chief-minister and political leader
of Orissa, has written that Mr. Das can be put on a par with Gopal Krishna
Gokhale, Pandit Madan Mohan Malavia. Rt. Hon'ble Srinivas Sastri, Sri
Surendranath Banerjee and other equals. 3 But "Mr. Das died a martyr to
the cause of Industry and to the uplift of his countrymen" said late Acharya
P.C.Ray of Bengal. 4 In other words in the field of enterprises he met with
defeat. Perhaps that was also actually tragic as he became bankrupt and
lost his all. because of these economic adventures.
Why did he fail ? Or why did those enterprises prove grinding
stones round his neck ? Even at any point of time it could have been a
bold reality to see an economically regenerated Orissa as Orissa politically
united and reinforced, as well as culturally rejuvenated and reoriented.
But very strangely the cart was put before the horse. The humble attempt
in this paper is to assess the entrepreneurial personality of the Grand old
Man of Orissa and to explore the futures of the social milieu in which he
had to articulate. It has been said by an U.N.O. Committee of Experts
that —
...there cannot be rapid economic progress unless the leaders of a country
at all levels - politicians, teachers, engineers, business leaders,
trade unionists, priests, journalists- desire economic progress
for the country, and are willing to pay price, which is the creation
of a society from which economic, political and social privileges
have been eliminated. On the other hand given leadership and
the public will to advance, all problems of economic development
are soluble. We wish to emphasize that the masses of people take
the cue from those who are in authority over them. If the leaders
are reactionary, selfish and corrupt the masses in turn are dispirited
and seem to lack initiative. But if the leaders win confidence of
the country and prove themselves to be vigorous in eradicating
privileges and gross inequalities, they can inspire the masses
with an enthusiasm for progress which carries all before it. 5
To what extent then the entrepreneurial leadership of Mr. Das was pervasive
and persuading during that period ? Was he like that proverbial baniyan
tree not allowing lower echelons to take up the place of innovators and