The Kendrapara District Jana Suraksha Manch will organise a Biju Swabhiman Rally from Tinimuhani to the district Collectorate here on December 19, demanding country’s highest civilian award Bharat Ratna to late Biju Patnaik and naming the Paradip Port as Biju Patnaik Port.
Over 500 Biju fans, intellectual masses, farmers, students and people from all sections of society will join the rally, informed Manch president Ganesh Chandra Samal.
The Manch said former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik is a freedom fighter, and patriot. Had Biju not shown daredevilry of piloting his aircraft that landed at Srinagar airport by carrying 17 soldiers of Sikh-1 regiment to fight against Pakistan in 1947, Kashmir might have gone to Pakistan. Similarly, in 1948 at the direction of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Biju rescued two key Indonesian independence leaders from a remote hideout in Indonesia and flew them to India, outraging the Dutch colonialists then ruling Indonesia. For his act of bravery, he was given honorary citizenship of Indonesia and awarded ‘Bhoomi Putra’, the highest Indonesian award and a rare distinction ever granted to a foreigner, Samal said.
Biju Patnaik set up Kalinga Airlines, Kalinga Enterprises, Orissa Textiles, Regional Engineering College, Rourkela Steel Plant, Bhubaneswar Airport, Sainik School, Cuttack-Jagatpur Mahanadi highway bridge, Regional Engineering College, Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology-Bhubaneswar, NAlCO (National Aluminum Company) and the Choudwar and Barbil industrial belts, besides establishing the Kalinga Cup in football.
Biju is the one and only leader of India who participated in independence movements of India, Indonesia, Nepal, Tibet and Bangladesh. Hence, the great son of Indian deserves India’s Highest Civilian award, claimed Samal.