Biju Patnaik

Biju Patnaik (1916–1997) was an Indian politician. Son of Lakshminarayan and Ashalata Patnaik, Bijayananda Patnaik was born in Cuttack, Orissa (India) on March 5, 1916. He studied Aeronautics at the Aeronautical Training Institute of India. He joined the Indian National Airways, where he was involved with the war effort from 1940 to 1942. He was thereafter imprisoned until 1945 due to his activism efforts with the Quit India Movement. Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, Gopabandhu Das, and Madhusudhan Das, Patnaik dedicated himself to the Indian Freedom Movement.

Patnaik was closely associated with the Nepalese Democratic Movement since 1953 and he was also instrumental in assisting Indonesia with its bout for Independence from the Dutch in 1947. Using his piloting skills, Patnaik was able to fly Indonesian Prime Minister Sultan Sjahrir and staff to Singapore, and finally to Delhi where Sjahrir was able to meet Jawaharlal Nehru. And so, the indebted Indonesia conferred the highest civilian award, Bhumi Putra to this valiant personality and even it is heard that the Indonesia government offered a huge land to him which he returned back politely. Nehru affectionately called Patnaik "India's buccaneer". During his time in the Parliament of India, Nehru said of him, "Biju Patnaik has the courage, dynamism, and zeal to work. So there is no blunder in giving more aid to Orissa."

Patnaik was also the Chief Minister of Orissa from 1961 to 1963, as well as for a second term starting in 1990 until 1995. He was also a prominent member of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. Patnaik's political ideals were centred in socialism and federalism. His strong advocacy for equal resources to all Indian states who needed such, made him a champion of his Oriyan constituents.

The projects which he was known to have spearheaded include the Port of Paradip, Orissa aviation centre, Bhubaneswar Airport, the Cuttack-Jagatpur Mahanadi highway bridge, and the Choudwar and Barbil industrial belts.

He died in New Delhi on April 17, 1997 of cardio-respiratory failure. In 1992, Bijayananda Patnaik left this quote for the people of Orissa;

"In my dream of the 21st century for the State, I would have young men and women who put the interest of the State before them. They will have pride in themselves, confidence in themselves. They will not be at anybody’s mercy, except their own selves. By their brains, intelligence and capacity, they will recapture the history of Kalinga."

He is the founder of Kalinga Prize, that UNESCO has been conferring on, for excellency in the field of science.

Biju Patnaik's son, Navin Patnaik, is the current Chief Minister of Orissa. His daughter, Gita Mehta, is a well known writer.

External links

• New York Times article on Biju Patnaik
• Biju Patnaik : The Vision of a Patriot
• Eminent Oriyas - Biju Patnaik
• Tribute to Patnaik
• Legacy of Biju Patnaik in Orissadiary

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