Madhusudan_Das

14 Madhusudan Das:
Choudhuri, Babu Biswa Nath Singh, Babu Gokulanand Choudhury
and Babu Durga Prasanna Das Gupta, all men of intelligence and
ability. Apart from the position as a leader of the Bar Mr. Das was the
most influential person in Orissa at the time. Indeed in those days one
could hardly think of Cuttack or even Orissa without Madhusudan
Das. Mr. Das had a very extensive practice in the province and he
seemed to have a wide influence over the Tributary Chiefs of Orissa
as he helped them on occasions when they were in real troubles and
difficulties.
Soon after my arrival in Cuttack my wife joined me. She was
about the same age of Miss Shoila Bala Hazra whom Mr. Das
subsequently adopted as his daughter. Being of about the same age
Miss Das and my wife soon became fast friends : a friendship that
subsisted until my wife died in 1929. Mr. Das also began to look
upon us as his children. Both my wife and I were inexperienced
young people at the time and Mr. Das was of considerable help and
assisted us in many ways.
Mr. Das's hospitality in those days knew no bounds. He lavishly
entertained people both official and non-official and there was no
occasion of any importance without an entertainment of some kind
or other from Mr. Das. But it was not by giving food and drink only
that Mr. Das entertained. He was always full of epigrams and short
stories with witty endings.
Mr. Das was a true friend of the poor. He was determined to do
all in his power to help a poor man if he was ever convinced that he
had been wronged or had been the victim of an injustice,. I have a
vague recollection of a case in which some poor Oriyas who, Mr.
Das was convinced, were perfectly innocent and were put on their
trial and ultimately convicted. But even after their conviction Mr.
Madhusudan Das would not give up the matter. He continued his
efforts unabated until he succeeded in getting the men freed.
Orissa was indebted to Mr. Das in more than one way. It was
he who showed that excellent filigree work could be done'by the
Oriya gold and silversmiths and it was he who showed how a lucrative
trade could be developed in Indian crocodile skins.
It was Madhusudan Das again who by his ceaseless and untiring
energy made the creation of a separate and distinct province of Orissa
an accomplished fact, a lifelong dream of his. It is a thousand pities he
did not live to see the newly created province actually functioning.