New Delhi: Vice President Dr Mohammad Hamid Ansari today described the legendary leader and former Odisha chief minister Biju Patnaik as a visionary leader and man of multi-faceted genius.
“There was a generation of leaders who had played a role across national borders in the service of good causes and Biju Babu was one such leader. He was honoured with highest civilian award by the Indonesian government for support of its independence struggle. He was also honoured by the Soviet Union government for fighting against Fascist forces. His international profile was such that in a rare but rare occurrence the national flags of three nations—India, Indonesia and USSR—were draped on his body at his funeral,” Ansari said while addressing the Biju Centenary Celebration at Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium this afternoon.
He also said Biju Babu was not just a political leader. He was also an astronaut, aeronautical engineer, Air Force pilot, entrepreneur, a man of unimpeachable integrity and a freedom fighter. “He was a true nationalist and still the interest of his beloved Odisha was always close to his heart. During his formative years, he was impressed by the nationalist writings of Madhusudan Das and Gopabandhu Das. He was also deeply impressed by Mahatma Gandhi. As a student he loved sports and adventure,” Ansari said.
Talking about the adventurism of the legendary leader, Ansari said his daring was evident as he actively joined the Quit India Movement in 1942 and collaborated with underground leaders like Jayaprakash Narayan, Aruna Asaf Ali and Dr Ram Manohar Lohia even while in British service. He was eventually caught and imprisoned by the British government for three years.
He said during his days in prison, Biju Babu had come close to Jawaharlal Nehru. “Pandit Ji used to call him as ‘India’s buccaneer’ and Biju Patnaik was deeply impressed by Nehru’s commitment to democratic ideals and his vision for a new, progressive India. An understanding developed between the two to shape the future events not only in India but in other countries as well,” the Vice President added.
He also said the service Biju Babu had rendered to the nation at the call of Pandit Nehru in flying a daring sortie to Java to extract the then Indonesian Prime Minister Sultan Sjahrir by defying the Dutch embargo is now legendary.
“Biju Babu was a firm believer in democracy and was a socialist at heart. He was a popular leader serving seven terms in Odisha Legislative Assembly and three terms in Lok Sabha. Besides, he was elected thrice as the chief minister of Odisha. His great contribution to the country’s democracy was a role he had played tenaciously and repeatedly in Odisha and at the national level for forging opposition unity through times of factional politics,” Ansari said.
Biju Patnaik shared Pandit Nehru’s vision of an India steeped in scientific temper and saw technology as the key to solving India’s myriad problems. “This vision led to the establishment of the Kalinga Foundation to popularize science and the prestigious Kalinga Award given by UNESCO every year,” he informed.
Ansari also said Biju Babu was a strong believer in socialism and federalism. He had the feeling that India could not become strong unless the constituent states progress on equitable levels.
Speaking about the intense passion of Biju Babu towards Odisha, Ansari said he had a vision for the growth and development of his beloved state. He believed that the backbone of the country was a strong peasantry and wanted modernization of agriculture. "At the same time the natural entrepreneur and founder of Kalinga Airlines and Orissa Textile Mill as he was, he wanted agrarian feudalism to be dismantled and Industrial Revolution to take place", the vice president pointed out.
He said the Paradip port, the industrial belts of Choudwar-Barbil, the highway bridge over the Mahanadi, the airport at Bhubaneswar, MIG Factory at Sunabeda, NTPC power plant at Talcher, and the Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) were all the result of his vision. He was also a champion of building social capital as pivotal to bring about social change.
Concluding his speech, the Vice President said he is among all those present on the occasion to pay respects to a great leader, a hero to his people, a visionary and an ideologist who inspired adventurous ideas.
“Biju Babu lives on not only in the memories of people who have met him, but people who have heard of him and read about him. His legacy continues to inspire us,” he said.
In his address, chief minister Naveen Patnaik said Biju Babu, who had started his career as a pilot, later joined the freedom movement. For his intense love towards his home state and make it a developed state he had dedicated himself for the welfare of the people. “The stride made by Odisha in the industrial sector was his contribution. Apart from this, his efforts to set up world class educational institutions in the state are beyond comparison,” he pointed out.
Patnaik also said it was during the tenure of Biju Babu the state government had taken major decisions including hike in the wage of daily wage labourers, empowerment of women and one-third seat reservation for women in the three-tier Panchayati Raj.
Among others, former Supreme Court Justice Ananga Patnaik, BJD MPs and ministers and several distinguished guests were present on the occasion.