With the sad demise of Janaki Ballabh Patnaik on the auspicious day of Akshsya Trutiya (April 21, 2015), an era in Odisha politics was over. Born in 1927 with a humble background, JB graduated with Sanskrit Honours from the Revenshaw College in 1947 and procured a Postgraduate Degree in Political Science from the Banaras Hindu University. Journalism became his career choice in which he excelled. His second inclination was politics, which gave him many accolades as head of the youth wing of the Congress and later as member of the powerful CWC and on many occasions as the OPCC president.
He was editor of the Prajatantra and The Eastern Times for long years. He also shined in the field of literature, translation and scholarly writings, mainly in his brain product the Paurusha magazine. JB entered into active politics in 1967 and was elected to lok Sabha from the prestigious Cuttack seat in 1971. A Nehru-Gandhi loyalist, he started his Ministerial career in 1973 from Union Deputy Minister, then Minister of State and later Cabinet Minister, all under Indira Gandhi.
After the Janata experiment failed in 1979, JB revived the Congress in Odisha and put a brave challenge to Biju Patnaik and, thus, the State witnessed the JB era since 1980. He became CM for 14 years. Naveen Patnaik has by now become CM for 15 years whereas his legendary father Biju Patnaik could remain in power for only five years. With JB’s passing away, two-thirds of the Patnaik era has gone and the way people of Odisha paid tribute to the departed soul he became a legend after his death.
JB was a true human being. Many misplaced his silence as his demerit and saw it in negative terms, but he was a gentleman in politics and slowly proved his five decades of political sojourn as the fair playing ground. A three-time Chief Minister under different central leaders and dispensation, JB had tried to put Odisha at the right spot in the national geography.
JB was not an adventurist or extrovert like his co-contestant senior Biju Patnaik. His media connections gave him a true picture of Odisha’s concerns and challenges. By providing political stability to the State known for unstable past, JB’s primary concern was growth and development. The slogan ‘Thousand industries, thousand crore and thousand days’ might have been misjudged by his detractors, but though this he could provide both dream and hope to Odias who entered into an investment era.
It is rightly said that Odisha is rich but Odias are poor, and JB wanted to turn the wheel of richness though planned agricultural and industrial development. He gave industry status to hotel and tourism, developed the areas of religious interests, expanded women education, established a Sanskrit university and a Hundi for development of the Jagannath cult and conducted the 1996 Nabakalebar with dignity and precision.
A devout Sanskrit scholar and a restless translator, JB, when on sabbatical from politics, engrossed himself in scholarly pursuits. This is a rare character in politicians, and he brought many honours for himself in this pursuit which was much better than what he achieved in politics. JB is known for his soft spoken trait, patience and analytical frame of mind. He is now more loved by people of Assam as no other Governor of their State had done so much for society, culture and education as JB did during 2009-14.
History will remember JB for his success in politics, literature and humanitarian approach. His tenure as Chief Minister is really a true phase of all-round development of the State - agriculture, irrigation, communication, education, power sector and tourism. He was the unchallenged leader in the Odisha Congress and was above all factions. With his death, an ‘era of Congressman’ is over and only a ‘period of Congress members’ will continue.
(Prof Surya Narayan Misra is a retired Head of the Political Science Department of Utkal University. Presently, he is Adjunct Professor at the KIIT School of law, Bhubaneswar)