Madhusudan_Das

44 Madhusudan Das :
war of the gods against the demons. As he preached so he lived, a
noble example of sacrifice and suffering for his country. He was also
a great Indian : as president of the All-India Christian Conference
at Madras he said, "We are Indians first and Christians afterwards".
Yet he was an Oriya out and out. He believed that Orissa presented
problems that were typical of Indian problems and that in the uplift
of his countrymen lay the progress of India. He gave up the promising
and lucrative career in Calcutta when he lost his beloved and pious
wife and left for Cuttack to devote his energies wholeheartedly to the
service of his motherland. He belonged to the old school of politicians
like Surendra Nath Banerjee Gokhale, Ranade and Dadabhai Naoroji,
and believed that Providence linked the fate of India with England
with a purpose. He was proud of English institutions and of his English
friends, but he stood fearlessly against them when his country's cause
required opposition.
He was a great conversationalist. He could inspire men and touch
their hearts. When he talked his eyes brightened, he could pierce into
the very core of hearts, he could enthuse. The greatness of a man
shine in his little acts and not in spectacular shows...
At his 29th year his partner of life, the noble divinity who nursed
and fed the poor, had left him. It was the wish of God. In those days
men of his education were wanting among the Hindus of Calcutta
and also among the Christian community. Offers of a beautiful wife
and dowry of Rs. 50,000 came from many quarters. Yet he remembered
the brethren of the land of his birth, how they were suffering in the
grip of ignorance and poverty. He decided in the name of the partner
of his life to relieving the distress of the poor, in bringing the light
of education and learning to his countrymen. He left Calcutta and
came to live the life of a worker in Orissa.
An incident I will relate, which showed how great and
magnanimous was his heart. It was during the later days of his life,
just after he had applied for insolvency. His love of industry cast him
into debt and he had to undergo trials and tribulations of an insolvency
proceeding. It was about 8 O'clock in the evening. An erstwhile rich
but now impoverished gentleman came to him for help. He opened
his box, he had Rs. 50 left to him. With tears gliding down his cheek
he said, "What have I got now to give you ? This is all I have, please
do take ", and placed the notes in his hands.