Madhusudan_Das

His Life and Achievements: 25
organisation) which has been today a very powerful organisation in
India. Madhusudan combined in him the imagination of a poet,
eloquence of an orator and the keen perception of a debater. He was
thus a force by himself —in the long and glorious period of his
existence in the Legislative Assembly called Imperial Council and
Provincial Legislature called the Legislative Council and the Central
Assembly. He combined in him the greatest critic of British
imperialism and the greatest believer in the self-government of India
in the British commonwealth of nations. A Christian by faith
Madhusudan was the most tolerant Christian in action.
Office, wealth or title never captivated him. He was one of the
few mofussil practitioners in India that has earned millions of rupees
and died as an insolvent, living on his own earning till his death.
He earned and spend like a prince. He was selected as a Minister
by the Government of Bihar and Orissa under the Montfortdispensation.
His was the solitary instance among Minister in India
who resigned his office of position and pay of Rs. 5,000 a month
on the ground that a Minister for Local Self-Government having to
deal with honorary workers in the field of local autonomy, should have
his option of serving the country as an honorary worker.
A lifelong dyspeptic Madhusudan always took pleasure in giving
best of dinners. He was regarded as the one host where hospitality
is manifested itself. A lover of boys, a sympathiser of womenfolk, the
greatest critic of youthful young men, Madhusudan was the idol of
his country for 50 long years. ""Madhu Babu" is thus the household
word in Orissa.
The writer was one of those who took his inspiration from the
illustrious life of this great soul. I distinctly remember the day when
Madhu Babu wanted me to take to politics and inculcated in me the
necessity of devoting wholly and solely to the service of the country.
If I am anything today it is due to the soothing and softening and
shaping influences of two illustrious soul of Orissa, the late lamented
Madhusudan Das and Gopabandhu Das.