Making Of Odissi: The Infighting And The Unity

Attacking Nehru’s minister Nityananda Kanungo inside the Lok Sabha for creating hindrances to recognise Odissi as a classical dance form was basically a consequence of infighting amongst the cultural icons of Odisha based in the city of Cuttack. There was a serious professional rivalry between two principal institutions: Kala Vikash Kendra led by Babulal Doshi and National Music Association led by Ramananda Kanunogo and Gobind Tej.

It is noteworthy to say that Ramananda Kanungo was the son of Minister Nityanand Kanungo. Apart from his duty as a minister, he was also an executive council member of the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi. In January 1958, Kalicharan Patnaik was invited by the Akademi to present a paper on Odissi dance. Earlier in 1954, Kalicharan Patnaik had published a booklet on Odissi dance and until 1958, that was the only published document on Odissi.

In the national dance seminar along with Kalicharan Patnaik, the National Music Association also got an invitation to demonstrate the dance form. Kalicharan Patnaik wanted Guru Debaprasad Das and Jayanti Nandi to demonstrate the practical aspects of Odissi following his lecture. Somehow, due to political pressure, the Akademi wanted Kanungo’s institute to be a part of the demonstration, which was not acceptable to Shri Patnaik. That was the bone of contention which culminated in a full-blown controversy in the Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi and later in the Lok Sabha.

On the first week of April 1958, Kalicharan Patnaik reached New Delhi to present his paper at the historical dance seminar and he was accompanied by Babulal Doshi, Guru Deba Prasad Das, Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra and Guru Balakrushna Das. In his autobiography, “Kumbhara Chaka” (The Potter’s Wheel) Kali Babu wrote how dedicatedly MPs from Odisha – Shraddhakar Supakar, NC Samantasimhar and PK Deo and others took care of the artistes and how they diffused the political conspiracy to stop the lecture demonstration of Patnaik.

The Odissi presentation of Kalicharan Patnaik and Guru Debaprasad Das caught the attention of the Delhi press and there were rave reviews on Odissi. There was a moral pressure on SNA to recognise Odissi as a classical dance with immediate effect. Putting the details of the seminar proceedings, Mohan Khokar outlined what exactly was discussed on Odissi in the SNA. The record of the proceedings shows Kanungo’s apathy and indifference to recognise the dance form of his own state to get due recognition.

In the SNA meeting, legendary writer and Yakshagana maestro Shivram Karanth, Guru Gopinath, K Vasudev Shastri, Assamese scholar  Maheshwar Neyog and Mohan Khokar strongly advocated Odissi to get recognition as a part of India’s classical dance system. When non-Odia dance Gurus and scholars were batting hard for Odissi, the most influential member from Odisha was simply trying to delay the process and ultimately suggested forming a committee and the issue was referred to that committee. At a particular point of debate,  Kanungo wanted to know- “How to decide what forms should be adopted for the Award? How are we to measure the artistic value of the different forms of dance?”

Bluntly answering the minister Mohan Khokar said, “We have material enough.” Supplementing Khokar, US Krishna Rao firmly proposed Orissi and moving a step forward Maheshwar Neog said, “I would like to say about Orissi that so far as I understand, it is nothing but classical.” Somehow, the demand to recognise Odissi as a classical dance on that day was deferred and the proposal was referred to an expert committee. Due to the lack of political will and Kanungo’s support, a decade lapsed and after 11 years, in 1969, Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra got the first Sangeet Natak Akademi award as the first Odissi dancer in the classical dance category. (The Dance Orissi- Mohan and Ashish Khokar; Abhinav-2010)

Taking note of Kanungo’s delaying tactics, Odia MPs brought this issue inside the parliament. Sharpening the attack one by one, Odia MPs stood in favour of Odissi and demanded the dance form to get its due recognition. In a vital intervention, PK Deo, MP from Kalahandi presented a critical overview of the dance form, which can best be described as an envy of a seasoned dance critic. The erstwhile royals of Kalahandi stood up and said- “Regarding the Odissi dance, I would like to view it with a different perspective. It is a classical dance with beautiful fluidity of movements of the body which has been still practised in various Orissa temples by the Devadasis and which has been clearly expressed in the various beautiful images of dancing Apsaras in the Sun Temple of Konark and the Rajarani Temple of Bhubaneswar. It is very much akin to the Kuchipudi dance of Andhra because of the common heritage of Andhra and Orissa culture for thousand of years. Even though there are many similarities between the Abhinaya and the mool mudras with Bharatanatyam, I think the footwork and the dance technique are quite different and original and it is a clear departure from the conventional type of classical dances we have got in this country. In this dance, we find the grace of the Manipuri, the swiftness of the Bharatanatyam and the vigour of the Kathakali.”

PK Deo further demanded the grant of adequate funds to advance the research and documentation in Odissi. He added,  “I requested much more funds be made available for the research and for the uplift of the Odissi dance, especially for the various manuscripts which have been found on palm leaves to get them published. I know definitely that four manuscripts – Sangeet Narayana, Abhinaya Chandrika, Natya Manorama and Sangeet Abhinaya Darpana, have been found in palm leaves. They are fully illustrated and especially the last one is the compilation of Sanskrit shlokas with commentaries in Oriya poetry. These manuscripts could fine publication.”

Responding to Deo, Humayun Kabir, the minister said that, “We have asked Shri Kali Charan Patnaik to prepare a general bibliography of the manuscripts of Odissi dance. As soon as it is ready, publication on Odissi dance will be taken up”. In fact, at a later date, the ministry approved a project submitted by Kali Charan Patnaik and generously helped these manuscripts to get published.