CUTTACK: That the history of modern Orissa is intertwined with the erstwhile Ravenshaw College, now Ravenshaw University, is wellknown. But the rarest and most invaluable pieces of Orissa's history are now being unearthed as scholars are rummaging through a treasure trove of old, motheaten documents stacked in the wornout and termiteinfested Record Room of the institution.
The ambitious project, initiated by Vice Chancellor Devdas Chhotray, has got underway to not only retrieve the documents and preserve them for posterity but also to trace the shaping up of Orissa over the past century and more. Supported by the National Archives and the State Archives, the project has brought out materials and documentary evidences that are set to throw new light on the State's history and progress.
From the happenings during the World War I to issues of governance and policymaking during the colonial rule to education and administration, the Record Room is virtually a minefield of historical documents. Scouring through the stacks of files and papers, the team of scholars, led by lecturer of History and project coordinator Umakanta Mishra, has found original gazette notifications issued by the British Government and covering departments from Revenue, Home, Finance, Education to Army, War and Civil Administration.
Hitherto unknown facts like Orissa's role in the World War I, contribution to the War Bonds issued by Indian Government to raise money from the people of the State during the War, notification on change of Passport Rules by America and Canada in 1918, launch of State Technical Scholarship to enable meritorious students of the State study abroad, start of the Orissa Education Fund by Gopabandhu Das, the Revenue administration of the early 1900s and the finance and security issues have been uncovered through official files laced with original notings and file sheets. Annual reports of the Ravenshaw College over the years from 1915, furtherance of education activities and moves to bring in examination reforms through introduction of compartment system in the State have also been discovered.
"We have been astounded with the findings. The documents and materials, in fact, reflect a different kind of visual history of the State and Cuttack City," said Mishra.
The team has its task cut out _ that of screening for important and relevant materials from the heaps of wornout, torn and faded documents.
There are lakhs of files in the room. After segregation, that will be documented in an electronic database, scanned and integrated into hyperlinks that would be posted on the Ravenshaw University website for free public access. The original documents would also be preserved properly by lamination and kept in appropriate care.
"We are currently segregating and processing documents from 1915 to 1955. Many valuable documents have also been lost due to fires in the room a couple of times," Mishra said.