Kedarnath Sahoo (90) of the Old Town, Bhubaneswar, is a Gandhian and also a great follower of late Chief Minister Biju Patnaik.
As an artisan of silver and gold works, he has earned much reputation. Though he faced many hardships in life, he never deviated from the path of truth. He rues the present day world for growing selfish, materialistic and ignoring the old people.
He had met many great leaders in his life like former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik. Sahoo had given a chakra (wheel) and a nangala (plough) made up of silver to Patnaik. The former CM was so pleased with the workmanship, that he gave him a certificate as a mark of his appreciation of the products. At that time, Biju’s Jana Congress party’s symbol was chakra and nangala.
Sahoo’s works were admired by former CMs Nilamani Rout, Dr Harekrushna Mahtab, besides many towering personalities. When he made a silver button for Mahtab’s coat and gifted it to him, Mahtab gave a tight hug to Sahoo. He says, “I have followed the ideology of Biju and I will follow till my last breath. Biju told me to follow truth ever and I’m doing it,” said Sahoo.
Sahoo was also a witness to the inauguration of the Paradip Port by late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
Sahoo regrets that the present day world has been materialistic; old people are being treated as a useless thing and money is considered everything.