Acharya Harihar Das
Acharya Harihar Das was a renowned freedom fighter, poet and writer of Odisha who was one among the newer Panchasakhas. Utkalmani Pandit Gopabandhu Das, Nilakantha Das, Godabarish Misra and Krupasindhu Mishra were the other four new Panchasakhas of Odia literature and freedom struggle.
Early Life[edit]
Born on 1879 in the auspicious full moon of Phalgun, Acharya Harihar was born in a conservative Brahmin family in Sriramchandrapur village, Sakhigopal in Puri District. His father's name was Mahadev Brahma and his mother's name was Sraddhadevi. After completing his primary studies in the village he studied in the Puri District School. From his early childhood Acharya Harihar was dedicated towards social service.[1]
Education[edit]
After his F.A. completion Acharya Harihar went to Kolkata for his P.L. studies. He returned as he had no interest in law studies. After serving as a teacher in Puri District School, Acharya Harihar became a teacher at one of the Nilagari Gadjat School. Later, Acharya Harihar became a teacher at Pyarimohan Academy School at Cuttack. By then the Bakula Bana Vidyalaya had been set up by Utkalmani Pandit Gopabandhu Das, Pandit Nilakantha, Godabarish babu, Pandit Gopabandhu and Nandakishore babu were serving there as teachers then. Acharya Harihar became a teacher at Bakula Bana Bidyalaya in 1921. He was a favorite teacher of the students and they called him 'Acharya'. Later Acharya Harihar established "Widow Ashram" where he under took the responsibility of educating the students.[2]
Role in Freedom Struggle[edit]
"How to liberate India from the British-Yoke" was the sole thought from his childhood which he tried to translate into action through creating people of extra ordinary calibre who could face all the grim situations heroically. He wrote a book called "Child's Easy First Grammar" for the development of English Grammar among the students. He left Pyari Mohan Academy to join in the nearly opened Satyabadi Open Air School which was to be conducted in the green verdant trees of vakula and chhuriana at Sakhigopal. Virtually, the school was the brain child of Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das and Acharya Harihara. The school came into existence because of the persistent effort made by Nilakantha, Godabarish, Krupasindhu, Basudev and Ananta. As a Superintendent of the hostel, he became popular among the students. Though students referred to other teachers as 'Pundit', but Harihara was referred by them as 'Acharya'. The basic objective of the Satyabadi school was to inculcate the sense of nationalism among the masses through uniting the whole people irrespective of caste, creed and religion. The decline of Satyabadi school did not cast any negative impact on his mind rather he cheerfully accepted Gopabandhu's proposal to work for "Bidhaba Ashrama" opened in the house of Dr. Balakrushna Misra at Puri. The young girls who were widow just at the age of 5/6 were brought to this ashram where all sorts of care like education, for moral and mental development was extended by Acharya Harihara. But this ashram could not run for a long time due to peculiar trouble and it broke down just two years after. At the instruction of Gopabandhu, he roamed around Kanika to collect information and direct evidence on the tyrannical and oppressive measures of Kanika zamidar. When Gopbandhu was imprisoned, he became the editor of 'The Samaj'. After the breaking down of 'Bidhaba Ashram', he organised a 'Seva Samiti' to which people like freedom fighters and social-workers became the member. Apart from serving the diseased, other works like Khadi, prohibition of liquor and social-reform, etc. were carried out. It also helped the poor to earn something. After the death of Gopabandhu Das, he left Puri on the request of Gopabandhu Choudhury to manage the Swaraj Ashram at Cuttack. The clarion call of Mahatma Gandhi to carry out Salt-satyagraha in 1930 created a stir in the nook and corner of India. Accordingly Gopabandhu Choudhury took the leadership of the Satyagrahis by taking a march on foot from Cuttack to Inchudi at Balasore to break the saltlaw. Gopabandhu was arrested at Kakatia village after which Acharya Harihar led the procession to Inchudi receiving welcome from village to village till arrival at the destination. All of them were arrested there by the police who were well aware of them. He spent six months at Hazaribag jail in Bihar. Then he spent a number of times in the Hazaribag jail for spreading messages against the British rule. He was a true disciple of Gandhiji who sincerely worked for attaining freedom of India. He spent hours together in the 'Harijan' residences 86 Orissa Review August - 2007 sharing cold-watered-rice with them, sometimes spinning thread with the girls, collecting contributory funds from the people to people and instructing them to dig the latrines in their homestead lands. The creation of separate province of Oissa on 1st April 1936 made some leaders hankering after power and leading there to play hide and seek game. Harihara kept himself away from such type of vested interests and devoted his time for the development of the village. Once a tough conflict arose over the issue of selecting the President for Provincial Congress Committee. The discussion was going inside the Satyanarayan temple of Nayasarak at Cuttack. The apple of discord was where to organise the next conference of the congress whether at Puri or at Cuttack. Two names for the President came to the front, one was Pandit Nilakantha and other one was Gopabandhu Choudhury. Finally a group of workers suggested Acharya Harihara's name which was not objected and he was elected unanimously as the president. A group of youngsters proposed that a moral pressure should be imposed on the wealthy people for the removal poverty and hunger of the poor which was outrightly rejected by the National Congress Committee. This group formed parallel committee named as 'Congress Samajvadi Committee." Harihara became a prey to such type of idelogical conflict in the year 1938 when the election was held. He was called as "Acharya Harihara" by the Congress Samajvadi party and got defeated by oen of his former students named as Mohan Das of Nuapara. The launching of Quit India Movement by Gandhiji in the year 1942 gave new incentive and moral boost to the freedom fighters. Acharya Harihara and other freedom fighters were arrested because of their active participation and imprisoned at Berhampur jail. A number of students leaving studies joined the movement without carring for the cudgel-beat and bullet firing of the police. They were also arrested and put to jail. Acharya taught these fellows inside the jail. Inside the jail he did hard labour as he did in the Swaraj Ashram. The trio Gopabandhu Choudhury, Acharya Harihara and Brajamohan Singh (nicknamed Chatu) formed their own mess inside the jail to maintain their resolution i.e. to take the food just for sustenance. While others resorted to delicious dishes, the trio-mess popularly called as 'go Achu' remained stick to rice, dal and a curry. Here he translated of Bhagabat Gita. He got released from the jail in the year 1944. He took initiative for mosquitoeradiction from the district of Puri. Both Pandit Krupasindhu Hota and Acharya Harihara decided that a day would be fixed for algae-cleaning from the ponds and tanks just like people were celebrating Raja or Kumarapurnima, Dipabali, Holi etc. Both of them requested the Zilla Board Chairman to extend financial support to expedite the work. But the Chairman refused to came into aid showing the plea that the Zill-Board had certain limits. But this did not deter Acharya and Hota who incited people adopting a novel technique. A day was fixed and the cleaning process was carried out which was visited by Chief Minister and other ministers. He became active member of Bhoodan Movement and accompanied Vinobajee from village to village in the year 1955. Presiding over the 12th Annual Conference of Sarvodaya Sammilani held at Sevagrama on 26th March, 1960 the day coinciding with his 83rd birth day, he told that, "Freedom has come. But it does not reach village. The sun rises in the east. But does not find the bright sunrays as we close our doors." The great soul did the unceasing work for the uplift of the people of Orissa and passed away on 29th February, 1971.[3]
Legacy[edit]
The Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Centre at Cuttack, Odisha is named after him.
References[edit]
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