If his students’ expectation comes true, eminent Indian English poet Jayant Mahapatra would not only represent Odisha in the Upper House of the Parliament, the ruling BJD could prove its stand against ‘intolerance’ better.
The backdrop of the legendary poet desiring to return Padma Shri in protest against growing ‘intolerance’ should be exploited by the BJD by sending Mahapatra to the Rajya Sabha, said a student of Mahapatra in his political analysis.
“The BJD can kill two birds with one stone by sending Mahapatra to the Rajya Sabha, by proving its secular credentials (as Mahapatra belongs to Christian community) and its vociferousness of being against intolerance in any form,” said the student.
The buzz is also heard in other sections too ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls, scheduled to be held on December 14. The BJD has also not yet announced its candidate’s name yet. The buzz has been further fuelled as Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Sanjay Dasburma has come out in support of the prominent English poet’s “Award Wapsi” decision.
According to them, Mahapatra deserves the post most as he is an internationally-acclaimed writer, with 27 poetry books, including 20 English, and many prose volumes to his credit, besides being a senior citizen of heritage city Cuttack and a Christian.
Mahapatra’s another student is of view that the BJD would consider Mahapatra’s name to avenge what the party avers the BJP’s ‘communal stand’.
“Mahapatra was conferred on Padma Shri in 2009 when there was coalition Government of the BJD and the BJP. The State Government had not sent his name for the Padam award. Rather, he got the award on recommendation of Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit,” observed another student of Mahapatra.
Mahapatra is also a recipient of Sahitya Akademi award as the first English writer of the country. He was also awarded the Allen Tate Poetry Prize for 2009 from The Sewanee Review, Sewanee, USA. He received the SAARC literary Award, New Delhi, 2009.