Bhubaneswar: Everything about him now has become a legend and perhaps no other leader of Odisha has ever occupied the imagination of the people like Bijayananda Patnaik, affectionately known as Biju Babu, a great freedom fighter, pilot, industrialist, politician and philanthropist. Biju Patnaik was undoubtedly a great intellectual legislator, political leader and above all a reformer and architect of Odisha. He was Odisha’s restless son and a legendary hero. His ability to create confidence among people and inspire them to achieve big was phenomenal.
Like a colossus, Biju strode Odisha’s political arena for more than four decades. Be in power or in the opposition, he was one of the most influential politicians of the country.
Earlier in life, he was influenced by Mahatma Gandhi’s freedom struggles against colonial rule, so Biju Babu joined the independence movement and often sheltered prominent revolutionaries in his house. His political activity since boyhood was full of adventurous works. During student life, he set out on cycle from Cuttack to Peshawar. During “Quit India” Movement, he collaborated with underground leaders and was imprisoned for several months.
On ‘Orissa (now Odisha) of my dream’ on 27th January, 1992 at Bhubaneswar, he had said : “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 brain, intelligence and capacity, they will recapture the history of Kalinga. I would like my Orissa of the 21st century to have excellent artisans, superb craftsmen and sculptors, greatest musicians and poets”.
During World War II, it was Biju Babu, who pioneered risky operations across the Himalayas to help the Chinese revolutionaries in Chiang Kaishek’s china. He once flew all the way to Stalingrad on yet another mission.
The British government particularly appreciated Biju Babu’s efforts to evacuate British families from Rangoon when the Japanese invaded Burma during the Second World War.
Even while serving the British, Biju Babu remained loyal to the Indian freedom struggle. While heading the Royal India Air Force‘s air transport command, he sheltered in his home the likes of Jayaprakash Narayan, Ram Manohar Lohia and Aruna Asaf Ali who were on the run from the British.
Biju babu is considered as a pioneer of the industrial growth of Odisha. He often said, “To be born poor is not a crime but to remain so is indeed a crime, so he established a string of industries in mission. Some of his major contributions included – the Choudwar and Barbil Industrial Belts, Cuttack-Jagatpur Mahanadi Highway Bridge, Bhubaneswar Airport, Regional Collage of Education at Bhubaneswar, The Orissa Aviation Centre, Paradeep Port, The MIG factory at Sunabeda, Thermal Power Plant at Talcher , Hydro-Electric Project at Balimela, The Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (now Odisha University of Agriculture & Technology), Engineering & Medical Colleges at Burla , The Orissa State Planning Board, Reorganization of districts, Ferro Silicon Complex at Theruvali, Engineering College at Rourkela , Express Highway Linking Daitari with Paradeep, Sainik School at Bhubaneswar , Regional Research Laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Odisha
Tales and anecdotes about him are a legion. There is a story that Pt. Nehru once asked Dr. B.C. Roy – ‘Have you met a young man called Biju Patnaik’. “I have heard about him; but not yet met him”, was the reply of the Bengal Chief Minister. Nehru said, “Meet him sometime. I like such forward-looking, brave people. The only difficulty is that sometimes you don’t know where he will land you”.
Biju Babu came in contact with Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru during his participation in Indian Freedom Struggle. He became one of Nehru’ trusted friends. Nehru paralleled the freedom struggle of the Indonesian people to that of India. While flying the British to safety from Rangoon he also used to drop leaflets from his plane supporting the Indian National Army’s cause.
After Independence, Jawaharlal Nehru chose the young, lanky pilot for a danger-fraught mission, to carry the first contingent of Indian troops to Srinagar, surrounded by invading Pakistani tribesmen.
A few months later Nehru entrusted him with another task — rescuing Indonesian freedom fighters from the occupation of Dutch forces. Biju Babu, ably assisted by wife, piloted his old Dakota to Singapore on the way to Jakarta, leaving behind their 14-day-old-son Naveen at home.
Landing on an improvised air-strip and using little petrol from abandoned Japanese military dumps, he flew out Indonesian leaders including Dr Sultan Sjharir and Sukarno for a secret meeting with Nehru at New Delhi amid severe bombardment from the Dutch forces.
After independence, the Indonesian government bestowed on him its Bhumiputra (son of the soil) award and honorary citizenship. In 1996, on the occasion of its 50th independence day, he was conferred with the Bintang Jasa Utama, Indonesia’s highest national honour.
In an obituary reference the prestigious magazine, “The Economist” says, “It is worth writing about Biju Patnaik for at least two reasons. His long life can be read as something of a history of India back to the time when the country was run by the British. And he gave Indian politics a rare fresh of colour”.
The Encyclopedia Britannica described Biju as “Indian Politician; who parlayed his fame as a World War-II aviator, anti-British freedom fighter and commercial airline entrepreneur into a political career, notably as Chief Minister of Orissa State, 1961-63 and 1990-95”.
Sir Julian Huxley, UNESCO’S First Director General and also a Kalinga Prize Winner, had described Biju Patnaik as a “remarkable Indian whose adventures would fill a book”.
Kashmir Problem: Biju Patnaik took up the first plane that left Palam Airport at Delhi on 27 October 1947 at dawn and landed at Srinagar Airport in the early morning. He saved 17 soldiers of 1-Sikh regiment commanded by Lt.Col. Dewan Ranjit Rai.”… the pilot flew low on the airstrip twice to ensure that no raiders were around… Instructions from Prime Minister Nehru’s office were clear. If the airport was taken over by enemy, you are not to land. Taking a full circle the DC-3 flew ground level. Anxious eye-balls peered from inside the aircraft – only to find the airstrip empty. The raiders were busy distributing the war booty amongst them in Baramulla.”
The national flags of 3 countries – India, Indonesia and Russia – were wrapped on Biju Babu’s body in his last journey. Heads of countries, Premiers often do not have such privilege what Biju Babu enjoyed. His contributions in different fields are matchless. He will be remembered for ever.
Comments are closed.