Panchanan Agrawalla
BHUBANESWAR: The story of Fakir Mohan Senapati is the story of the ‘Renaissance’ of Oriya literature. Fakir Mohan, who was a social reformer and educator who used his pen to set right the social ills prevalent in society, played a leading role in establishing the identity of Oriyas in a state dominated by the English.
Born to Laxman Charan Senapati and Tulsi Devi Senapati, at Mallikashpur in Balasore, he dedicated his life to the progress of the Oriya language in the late 19th and early 20th century.
Fakir Mohan is regarded as the father of Oriya nationalism and modern Oriya literature, particularly Oriya fiction. A contemporary of Gurajada Appa Rao of Telugu literature, Fakir Mohan had translated from Sanskrit, written poems in Oriya and attempted many literary genres. The four novels of Fakir Mohan, written between 1897 and 1915, reflect the socio-cultural conditions of Orissa during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Three novels — ‘Chhamana Atha Gunth’, ‘Mamu’ and ‘Prayaschita’ — explore the realities of social life in its multiple dimensions, while his short stories reflect the social ills and lash like satire. ‘Lachhama’ is a historical romance dealing with the anarchical condition of Orissa in the wake of the Maratha invasion during the 18th century.
‘Chhamana Atha Gunth’ is the first Indian novel to deal with exploitation of landless peasants by feudal lords. It was written much before the October revolution of Russia or much before the emergence of Marxist ideas in India.
Fakir Mohan also wrote the first autobiography in Oriya, ‘Atma Jeevan Charita’. His short story ‘Rebati’ (1898) is widely recognised as the first Oriya short story. ‘Rebati’ is the story of a young girl whose desire to study is placed in the context of a conservative society in a backward Orissa village, which was hit by a killer cholera epidemic.
His stories such as ‘Patent Medicine’, ‘Dak Munshi’, ‘Adharma Bitta’ and ‘Randi Pua Ananta’ are masterpieces in their own right and delineate his times meticulously.
Fakir Mohan wrote a long poem, ‘Utkal Bhramana’, which first appeared in 1892. Literally, it meant a tour of Utkal, the ancient name of Orissa. It was a commentary on the state of affairs in Orissa of his times, written in the form of a satire.
Today, he is popularly known as Vyasakabi Fakir Mohan Senapati. He played a major role in the formation of Orissa province, which was constituted on the basis of the language spoken by the majority of the people in a particular geographical territory during the British Raj.
Vyasakabi married Leelavati Devi in 1856 when he was only 13. “God has sent Krushna Kumari to relieve me of all my worldly miseries and bring me happiness and prosperity,” he said.
Fakir Mohan bought a printing press in Kolkata and brought it to Balasore on a bullock cart in 1868. He published periodicals Sambad Bahika and Bodhadayani at Balasore.
He also organised regular public meetings on various socio-political issues of his time. He had published articles in Utkal Deepika challenging the British move to abolish Oriya language from schools at the behest of non-Oriyas and aroused public opinion in this regard.
This great son of our soil breathed his last June 14, 1918, at Balasore.
