Collection of all his writings, publication of a commemorative volume and launch of an annual memorial lecture would be a befitting tribute to the internationally acclaimed Odia historian and Professor, Biswamoy Pati who passed away recently.
This was the unanimous opinion of the historians, scholars and intellectuals who assembled at the National Archives here on Wednesday to pay profound tributes to the departed soul.
The New Delhi-based Professor, who studied at the Jawaharlal Nehru University and taught at the Delhi University, passed away early at 61 on June 24 spreading a shock amongst the scholars and readers.
“He was a great friend and advisor to the National Archives. He used to spend hours here whenever he visited Odisha. Hence, we wished to offer our humble tribute to him through this assembly,” explained lalatendu Das Mohapatra, head of the Bhubaneswar center of the Archives. An annual memorial lecture would be a befitting honour for him, he opined.
“History demands telling of the truth and Biswamoy was a fearless historian who had the conviction and courage to think and express independently that made him a leading figure among the contemporary historians,” maintained Professor Nibedita Mohanty who chaired over the assembly.
“Though he had established himself at the international level, he was lesser known in his own State and that is a misfortune for Odisha. He redefined and redesigned the trend of research in Odisha. Alongside a highly regarded historian and serious scholar, he was an activist who was rooted and never believed in drawing room deliberations. His research that ranged from medicine to conversion and was diverse with depth,” observed scholar and journalist Kedar Mishra who had worked with him.
Professor Chandi Prasad Nanda and Professor Pritish Acharya, who were his friends and were associated with the late professor since their student days in Delhi, recollected how sincere and serious was he towards study of history since beginning and how he was intimately associated with the sources as a historian and researcher. Editors of two rare magazines in Odia – Sudhir Patnaik of Samadrushti and Sangram Mohanty of Nishant, dwelt upon Professor Pati’s concern for the marginalized sector as a historian and also as a human being.
Noted writer and Professor Jatindra Nayak from the Department of English of Utkal University suggested collection of all writings of Professor Pati and preservation at the National Archives while the Pati’s student Priyadarshi Kar from Ravenshaw University proposed for publication of a commemorative volume on him.
Among others, Professor Atul Chandra Pradhan, Professor Ashok Patnaik and Professor Umakant Mishra offered glowing tribute to Pati.