Veer Surendra Sai

Sundar Sai alias Surendra Sai is one of the most valiant sons of the soil who sacrificed his life fighting against the British and died in obscurity. Surendra Sai has a demi-god status in Western Orissa alias Kosal region. Sundar Sai and his associates Madho Singh, Kunjal Singh, Airi Singh, Bairi Sing, Uddant Sai, Ujjal Sai, Khageswar Dao, Salegram Bariha, Govind Singh, Pahar Singh, Rajee Ghasia, Kamal Singh, Hati Singh, Salik Ram Bariha, Loknath Panda/Gadtia, Mrutunjaya Panigrahi, Jagabandu Hota, Padmanave Guru, Trilochan Panigrahi and many others fought with the Britishers selflessly and successfully protected most part of Kosal region for some time from British succession [cite web |url = http://orissagov.nic.in/e-magazine/Orissareview/august-2007/engpdf/Page66-69.pdf |title = "Associates of Veer Surendra Sai"|publisher = orissa Govt] . Most of them died unnoticed fighting for freedom of their motherland from the Britishers. Many of them were hanged by the Britishers; a few died in the Cellular Jail in the Andamans. Sundar Sai himself died in Asirgarh Jail on 28 February 1884.

Introduction

The great Indian Revolt of 1857 is one of the greatest events of modern Indian History. The revolution which broke out against the British rule, for some time it gave a feeling that once for all the British Empire would vanish from India. The English scholars like John Lawrence and Williamkey called this event as Sepoy Mutiny. However, some Indian historians preferred calling it the first war of Independence, in the light that this great event was not simply a sepoy mutiny. The uprising leaders during this period were Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi, the Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah of Delhi, Maratha leader Nana Saheb, Tantya Tope, Kunwar Singh of Bihar and Surendra Sai of Sambalpur, none of them were sepoys. It was the sepoys as well as the common people both heroically fought against the empire. The common people helped and encouraged the sepoys in many places. The public played a vital role in fighting with British. They were ready to sacrifice their life for the sake of the motherland. Indian nationalists like V D Savarkar, Ashok Mehta and other scholars strongly voiced to support it as a National Movement. They say this revolt was an organised movement. V D Savarkar described the Revolt of 1857 as the "Indian War of Independence". Many causes were responsible for the outbreak of the Revolt of 1857. They were political, economic, social and even religious. Our history says that it all started with Barrackpore and immediately broke out in many parts of India. However, much earlier to this so-called war of independence Sundar Sai had began his Ulgulan against the British in the year 1827.

Veer Surendra's background

Born on 23 January, 1809 in a Village called Khinda about 30 kms to the north of Sambalpur town in kosal region , Surendra Sai was one of the seven children of Dharma Singh. Surendra Sai was a direct descendant from Madhukar Sai,the fourth chouhan king of Sambalpur and therefore was legally entitled to be crowned as king of Sambalpur after demise of King Maharaja Sai in 1827.

Veer Surendra's revolt for the throne

Maharaja Sai, the King of Sambalpur died issueless. The British Government allowed his widow Rani Mohan Kumari to succeed him, as a result of which disturbance broke out and conflict increased between the recognised ruler and other claimants for the throne of Sambalpur. The most prominent claimant among them was Surendra Sai of Khinda who was the descendant from Madhukar Sai, the fourth Chauhan Raja of Sambalpur. In time Rani Mohan Kumari became unpopular. Her land revenue policy did not satisfy the Gonds and Binjhal tribal zamindars and subjects. The British authorities removed Rani Mohan Kumari from power and put Narayan Singh, a descendant of royal family but born of a low caste, as the king of Sambalpur. The British Government did not consider and ignored the claim of Surendra Sai for succession. Rebellion broke out in the regime of Narayan Singh. Surendra Sai and his close associates, the Gond zamindars, created many disturbances. In an encounter with the British troops Surendra Sai, his brother Udyanta Sai and his uncle Balaram Singh were captured. They were sent to the Hazaribagh Jail as life prisoners. Balaram Singh died in the jail. King of Sambalpur Narayan Singh died in the year 1849. By virtue of the Doctrine of Lapse, Lord Dalhousie annexed Sambalpur in 1849, as Narayan Singh had no male issue to succeed him. During the uprising of 1857 the sepoys broke open the jail and set Surendra Sai and his brother Udyant Sai free. The resistance to British continued in Sambalpur under the leadership of Sundar Sai. He was heartily supported by his brothers, sons, relatives and some Zamindars.

Veer Surendra's Uprising

Many historians put Veer Sundar Sai parallel with Napoleon of the French Revolution of 1789. The heroic achievement of Sundar Sai and his uncommon sacrifice for the cause of his people have few parallels in history. His role in shaping the cause of the Revolution of 1857 and 1858 in the hilly tracts of Western Orissa was highly inspiring. The British became a formidable power in the World after the victory of the Crimean War (1856) and their success in crushing the Revolution in India in 1858. Veer Sundar Sai carried on an uncompromising war against the forces of imperialism till 1862. These four years were the momentous period for the last phase of the Indian Revolution and Sundar Sai was the torch bearer. Sundar Sai was a born rebel and an uncompromising enemy of the British Raj from his young age. His revolution against the British commenced from 1827 when he was only eighteen years of age and continued till 1862 when he surrendered and even after that, until he was finally arrested in 1864 - a total period of 37 years. He suffered imprisonment in Hazaribagh Jail for 17 years in course of his revolutionary career and after his final arrest for another term of 20 years including his detention of 19 years in the remote Asirgarh hill fort till he breathed his last there.

Veer Surendra as a Mass leader

He was not only a great revolutionary throughout his life but also an inspiring leader of the people. Sundar Sai espoused the cause of the downtrodden tribal people who were being exploited by the higher caste and who became tools in the hands of the British for the establishment of their political power in Sambalpuri region. The aim of Sundar Sai was to drive the British out of Kosal region.His Love for his cuture and mothertongue Sambalpuri is also well known. He was the torch bearer of Sambalpuri culture.

Attempts made to supress Veer

The Indian Revolution collapsed by the end of 1858 and law and order was restored by the British throughout India, but Sundar Sai could not be suppressed and he continued his revolution. The military resources of the British were pulled up against him and the brilliant Generals like Major Forster, Capt. L. Smith and others earned credit in suppressing the rebellion elsewhere in India were brought to Sambalpur to stamp out his revolution. But all attempts failed and Sundar Sai succeeded in foiling the skill and strategy of the British for a long time. Major Forster, the reputed general who was vested with full military and civil power and the authorities of a Commissioner to suppress Sundar Sai and his followers, proved discredited and removed by the British authority in 1861 after three years of his services in Sambalpur. His successor Major Impey could realise the futility of military operation against Veer Sundar Sai. He had no hesitation to declare that ‘Surendra Sai was never defeated and would never be defeated’. This remark of the Deputy Commissioner of Sambalpur shows the strength and greatness of Sundar Sai. In fact his glorious struggle after the suppression of the Indian Revolution of 1857-58 against a vastly superior power for long four years is a unique achievement. The British not only seized the entire food-stock of the rebels but also stopped all resources of the supply of food and other necessaries of life for them. But that could not damp the fighting spirit of Sundar Sai. Major Impey abandoned the idea of violent war and cautiously followed the policy of peace and good-will with the approval of the Government of India. Sundar Sai, one of the greatest revolution arise in history, and a warrior who knew no defeat in his life surrendered with full faith in the honesty and integrity of the British Government. However, after the death of Impey situations took a sudden change and the British administrators revived their inimical attitude towards the great hero.

Veer Surendra's last days

Sambalpur was brought under the jurisdiction of the newly created Central Provinces on 30 April 1862; Sundar Sai decided to surrender soon after that. However, he was very soon disillusioned and the new setup indulged in reversal of the old liberal policy. The administrators found that the lion did not cease to be a lion even after his surrender. The British Administrators were surprised to find that the surrender of Sundar Sai did not bring the revolution to an end. They stepped down to organise a conspiracy and made sudden arrest of Sundar Sai and all his relations, friends and followers. Veer Sundar Sai and six of his followers were subsequently detained in the Asirgarh hill fort. The great hero spent the last part of his life like Napoleon in Saint Helena. Thus, by passing of time Veer Sundar Sai lives in his glory as a great martyr. He fought almost single-handed against the most formidable forces of Imperialism, staking all that was near and dear to him and suffered untold miseries all though his life. In the year 1884 on 28 February Sundar Sai died in the Asirgarh fort, away from his native land which he loved very much.

urendra becomes Veer

Sambalpur was the last patch of land that was ever occupied by the British Empirein India. This was largly due to the effort of Surendra Sai. He was strong, sharp and popular. Though very well mannered, he was a spirited swordsman and too proud to be subjugated, because of his dynamic heriosm people of the kosal region affectionately called him as Veer Surendra Sai. "Veer" in sambalpuri language means strong, fearless, heroic.

Ignoring Veer Surendra's Contribution

Citizens of Sambalpur and Kosal region feels the name of Sundar Sai, who fought an epic struggle against the British Rule, should have been recorded in golden letters in the history of India's struggle for independence, but he is yet to get the right place because of the state administrations ignorance and carelessness. Even historians and research scholars have not done justice to Sundar Sai. Many important documents and papers relating to Sundar Sai are still laying at different archives in Bhopal, Nagpur and Raipur. The Government of Orissa is doing nothing in this regard. No one to date has spent more time in jail than Sundar Sai. The fearless warrior Sundar Sai had spent 37 years of his life in prison and had fought relentlessly against the Britishers for 20 years i.e. between 1827 and 1840 in the first phase and between 1857 and 1864 in the second phase but had never bowed down his head before the enemies. He has remained an obscure figure.

Recognition for Veer Surendra sai

*Finally in the year 2005 ,Government of India decided to put a statue of veer surendra Sai at the premises of Parliament of India [cite web |url = http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050907/asp/jamshedpur/story_5204824.asp |title = "Centre okays patriot statue"|publisher = The Telegraph] .
*One of the Oldest and Biggest medical college in Burla,Sambalpur has been named after him as Veer Surendra Sai Medical College operating from 1959.
*Numerous Institutions and Industries in Kosal region are named after him.
*Government of India has released his postal stamp

This year on 23 January 2008 people of Kosal region as well as India celebrated the 2nd birth centenary of Veer Surendra Sai.

Notes and references