Cuttack: The Culture department has proposed to declare a portion of the building of Shailabala Women’s Autonomous College here as a memorial of Utkal Gourab Madhusudan Das, one of the greatest statesmen of Odisha.
It is worth mentioning that Shailabala Women’s College, the oldest higher education centre for women in the state, had come up at the residential building of Das.
It is learnt that the Culture department has proposed to relocate the college principal’s office, the institution’s administrative block and its three departments to declare the building as a memorial to Das.
Sources said the department has proposed to the state government to construct a new building to house the principal’s office, administrative block of the college and its three departments.
Madhu Babu’s residential building here was the epicentre of a movement for a separate state for Odias. Das, a barrister, had hosted several political leaders and dignitaries from across the country at his residence. The residential building had a stable, a pond and quarters for employees on its premises.
Earlier, the state government had set up a museum at Shailabala Women’s College displaying the memorabilia of Odisha’s greatest leader.
According to sources, several social outfits had urged the state government to renovate the residential building of Das and declare it as a memorial to the legendary leader.
“It has been proposed to relocate the college principal’s office, its administrative block and three departments-Anthropology, Philosophy and Sociology – to declare the building as Das Memorial,” said a source in the Culture department.
“It will be a great honour for us that the Culture department has proposed to declare a portion of our college building as a memorial of Madhu Babu after renovating it. The state government should construct a new building for our requirements,” said principal PK Mohanty.
Cuttack district Utkal Sammilani president Rabi Ranjan Sahu welcomed the Culture department’s proposal. “The proposed memorial will help Odia people and researchers to know more about Utkal Gourab,” Sahu said.