My Days in Swaraj Ashram

         I lived in Swaraj Ashram, Cuttack. There were three hundred residents in the Ashram at that time. Among them were local leaders such as Bhagirathi Mahapatra, Harekrushna Mahtab, Jadumani Mangaraj and Raj Krushna Bose. Dase came at times to stay there for a few days; he would leave abruptly for some place. Dr Atal Bihari Acharya was the Ashram's Superintendent. My work in the Ashram was to spin thread on the spinning wheel for one hour everyday and after that to go and collect alms. Different lanes and slums were allotted to different groups. Accordingly, each group went to lanes and slums set apart for it. Every week they had to go to a slum. After a month's stay in the Ashram I became adept at spinning thread.Atal babu's cousin, Hema had taken some money meant for the Ashram's shopping, which was revealed by me. After this incident I won the trust of Atal babu and others. Slowly a number of responsibilities were given to me. I took upon myself the responsibility of selling spinning wheels, cotton and cotton seeds. Apart from that I asked the volunteers to collect alms, which they deposited with me.            

          The roads of Cuttack were neither wide nor clean as it is today. Big trees by road side  made the roads dark in the daytime. The kerosene light of the municipality could not illuminate the entire road in the night. Chhatrabazar - Station bazar area was like a jungle and people feared to go there even during daytime. Tinikonia Bagicha and Buxibazar were also covered by big trees. Cuttack at the time did not have metalled roads. All roads were full of red dust. Rickshaws were not in use. People travelled in horse carriages and bullock carts. The town had six to seven motor cars in all, including that of the officers. Horse carriages were numerous. Red dust kicked up by horse carriages covered the mansions, houses, plants, trees and everything looked red. If one went outside wearing clean clothes it became dirty in thirty minutes. To escape Cuttack's red dust,  I dyed my  clothes saffron. Dust and dirt gathered on my head and dandruff formed. To be free from dandruff, I tonsured my head. Looking at my saffron image everyone started calling me 'Saint'.          The town's Marwari business people started calling me 'Gandhi's disciple', 'the country's leader.' They also asked for news about Swaraj. Saying all this they would take me inside their shops.The drivers of empty horse carriages would call me and drop me at my destination. The passengers would ask me to sit beside them. Mahatma Gandhi's  message in 1921 on the spinning wheel became so popular that prostitutes of Cuttack came under its way and bought one spinning wheel each. To teach them about spinning, volunteers went to their homes. When news came that the volunteers were engaged in antisocial activities in the prostitutes' quarter, the Superintendent, Atal babu called me and said that he was going to stop the volunteers from going there. 'You go and teach them how to spin thread', he said. I said, 'If I go out, how will the spinning class run here ?' He said, 'I will do something about that. When you go out spinning class will be stopped.' Atal babu gave his verdict.

          At that time Balu bazar's Masjid lane and Telenga Bazar were centres of prostitution. To stop people from drinking alcohol, volunteers of Swaraj Ashram would stand in front of wine shops in Cuttack and picket from six o' clock in the evening to nine o' clock in the night. There were also illegal wine shops inside the red light areas. The picketers stood in front of these wine shops. The prostitutes of Masjid lane were so notorious that they would throw hot water on the Congress volunteers. That is why the volunteers were reluctant to picket in Masjid lane. But one prostitute named Hema of that lane had brought a spinning wheel. When I went to her house to teach her about spinning he would call me 'Maharaj' ! 'Maharaj' and showed me much respect. In a few days she learnt how to spin. Rajani babu (Dr. Rajani Chandra Ghose) had a reputation as a good doctor in Cuttack. Sri Ram Chandra Bhanja Medical College of today was known as Medical School at the time. Diseases like cholera, smallpox and malaria caused the death of thousands and the sight of people lying dead was a harrowing experience. Out of all the cholera patients who would go to the Medical School hospital for treatment, half would come to Rajani babu's dispensary. Rajani babu was a good physician. Patients came from far off villages to his dispensary.

          I used to go to Rajani babu's house to teach him and his wife spinning. He would order tiffin for me: two pieces of luchi, one rasgolla of the size of a betel nut. At that time such small rasgollas were made in Cuttack. Spending only three paise one could entertain a guest. But I did not eat luchi. From my childhood butter and milk were not to my taste.   When the eldest son of our headmaster was born, he had given bundis mixed with puffed rice. I put a handful of puffed rice in the mouth, but did not like the bundis for the smell of butter in them. I also expressed my distaste for luchi and rasgolla. Rajani babu would carry me and made me seat in front of the leaf on which luchi and rasgolla were served. But somehow I would not bring myself to eat there. Although he knew I did not eat luchi and rasgolla, he would insist on my eating these whenever I visited him.

          A student of Class Eight, Uday Kar Mishra, who had been campaigning in Raj Kanika, wrote a letter to me after two months. He wrote that the king of Kanika was sending one lawyer. He would catch me from the Ashram and flog me. He asked me to take care. I showed that letter to Atal babu. He also showed it to prominent leaders like Bhagirathi babu. They gave me courage and asked me not to be afraid of him. 'How will they take you from us ? We shall see. Rest assured.My brother at that time was working in the veterinary hospital at Jajpur. He lived there with his family. After a few days he came to Swaraj Ashram. I informed Atal babu when I saw him. Bhagirathi babu and Jadumani babu came to know of his visit. They called my brother to the second floor of the Ashram. I don't know what  passed on between them, but my brother, without telling me, quietly left the place.           For breakfast the Ashram residents were served flattened rice and molasses, and for lunch and dinner they had rice, dal and curry. Dase came at times and spent two to four days before going off. Whenever he came one Ram barber, who was devoted to him, always accompanied him. Ram worked as his cook as well as servant. He would cook an extra curry and a vegetable fry for Dase's meals.One day when Ram barber was frying potatoes, I arrived. I said, 'Ram ! Can we get a share from this ?' He smiled and said, 'All right, you wait till others finish their meal.Ashram's dining bell rang. Everyone went to eat. I did not sit with others but waited: Ram barber served me some fry and some curry. I had a nice meal that day. From that day, whenever Dase stayed in the Ashram, I had a good time. The Ashram had some empty land, where khada was planted.

         The plants grew and at today's price one khada plant would fetch no less than two rupees. But at that time one plant was sold for only two paise. Bhagirathi Mahapatra's younger brother Srikrushna Mahapatra was the Police Saheb (S.P.) at the time. The Samaj, a weekly founded by Pandit  Gopabandhu, was being published from Satyabadi. The newspaper, Hitabarta supported by the government was published from Cuttack. In this paper, news against the Congress regularly appeared. Srikrushna Mahapatra, S.P. also wrote in that paper. Hitabarta vilified and ridiculed the Congress and did not forget to mention that khada plants were available for two paise each at Swaraj Ashram.             When Mahatma Gandhi first came to Orissa at Pandit Gopabandhu's invitation, it was decided that a meeting would be arranged in Cuttack's Barabati premises.

          The police clamped Section 144 in Cuttack in order to prevent the Congress from holding this meeting. The local leaders of Orissa were confused. But Pandit Gopabandhu Babu in his ingenious way arranged the meeting on the sands of the Kathjodi river where Section 144 did not apply. In an hour all preparations for the meeting were finished. As scheduled before, the meeting started at 4 P.M. Thousands of people gathered on the sands of Kathajodi under a clear sky. As Mahatma Gandhi gave this speech, a broken winnowing fan was thrown into the meeting by the police. Someone shouted loudly that this should be presented to Mahatma Gandhi. At the end of the meeting Gopabandhu babu asked for the winnowing fan to be auctioned. The auction started. A gentleman paid the highest price of twenty rupees and bought the winnowing fan.

 

WESTERN ORISSA RURAL LIVELIHOOD PROJECT :

          On August 18, Hon'ble Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the Western Orissa Rural Livelihood Project carried out with the assistance of DFID. The Rs.220 cr project would benefit the people of Bolangir and Nuapada districts.