Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today paid his humble tributes to eminent freedom fighter and first Chief Minister of Odisha Utkal Keshari Dr. Harekrushna Mahatab on his birth anniversary.
Dr. Mahatab’s contribution towards formation of modern Odisha, journalism and literature will always be remembered, Naveen tweeted.
ବିଶିଷ୍ଟ ସ୍ଵାଧୀନତା ସଂଗ୍ରାମୀ ତଥା ଓଡ଼ିଶାର ପ୍ରଥମ ମୁଖ୍ୟମନ୍ତ୍ରୀ ଉତ୍କଳ କେଶରୀ ଡଃ. ହରେକୃଷ୍ଣ ମହତାବଙ୍କ ଜୟନ୍ତୀରେ ଶ୍ରଦ୍ଧାଞ୍ଜଳି। ଆଧୁନିକ ଓଡ଼ିଶାର ନିର୍ମାଣ ସହ ସାମ୍ବାଦିକତା ଓ ସାହିତ୍ୟ ଜଗତ ପ୍ରତି ତାଙ୍କ ଅତୁଳନୀୟ ଅବଦାନ ପାଇଁ ସେ ସର୍ବଦା ସ୍ମରଣୀୟ ରହିବେ। pic.twitter.com/gaumIGoYud
— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) November 21, 2020
Mahatab was a prominent figure in the Indian independence movement. He was the first Chief Minister of Odisha from 23 April 1946 to 12 May 1950 and again from 1956 to 1961. He was popularly known by the sobriquet “Utkal Keshari”.
He was the founder of the Prajatantra Prachar Samiti and started the weekly magazine Prajatantra in 1923 at Balasore, which later became the Daily Prajatantra. He was the chief editor of a monthly journal Jhankar.
He also published the Weekly English paper The Eastern Times and was its Chief Editor.