Madhusudan_Das

His Life and Achievements: 35
It is not that he did not have defects. Probably he had some,
but the time has come when he should be recognised for all that the
did. Every normal man has his defective traits and he was no exception.
But the elements were so mixed in him that we should stand out and
proclaim that here was a great man who lived and died for Orissa.
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MADHUSUDAN - A PEN PORTRAIT
SRIKRISHNA MAHAPATRA
Madhusudan was the greatest production of English education
in Orissa. Born in a village when Orissa was looked upon as a
benighted country, he built an amazing career for himself. To the
masses he was a wonder. "Did you meet Madhu Babu ?" "DM you
see Gourishankar Babu's Printing Press ?" "Did you see the Tiger of
Golak Babu ?"— these were the questions that a villager returning
from Cuttack was almost invariably asked by his village folk in those
days. To the student he was an inspiration. To the Chiefs of the States
of Orissa he was a trusted counsellor. An eminent Englishman, who
visited Orissa early in this century, described him as the "uncrowned
King of Orissa." He was a fighter and fought to the end. In his veins
flew the blood of a family of warriors known as Mallas of Abertock
who later on migrated to Satyabhamapur. His grandmother was a Suttee
and when ever he went to his village, he said he went on a pilgrimage
to the shrine.
Madhusudan began his career as a teacher and never ceased
to be one. He imparted lessons to students for only a few years but
went on imparting lessons to his nation throughout his life. He
inculcated into the mind of his countrymen the national spirit which
enabled them to realise that they belonged to a nation which had a
glorious past. He was at first an admirer of the Indian National
Congress but soon discarded it as he felt that the Oriya needed a
separate organisation for his growth. He himself founded that