Just after Biju Patnaik’s death, his followers lost wits. Dilip Ray, Bijay Mohapatra and a few others rightly decided to plant a ‘Biju figure’ to persuade the gullible masses that Biju lived on. That’s how Naveen was chosen, a political novice and a perfect gentleman who would only listen and take orders as the true masters kept enjoying kingship. Madam Gyan Patnaik only marked the beloved kid’s predicament. She reassured the confused son that help was available. Pyaribabu, who served as Biju’s aide and guide, was still kicking and live with no wit, grit or guts lost. Thus did Pyari appear in the BJD horizon, and there was no looking back for him ever afterwards. Pyari had known too well the ‘puppet show’ design of some of BJD founders. He had helplessly tolerated these characters in the Government because Bijubabu was a forgiving, huge-hearted statesman. So at the outset, he convinced Madam and Naveen that the puppet masters would soon pack Naveen back to nowhere once the polls were over.
Naveen listened and trusted him and executed the dramatic ouster of Bijay Mohapatra which caused massive impact on the party honchos. Bijay, an invincible force as one of the JD founders, was tossed onto the garbage yard in a manner that sent shock waves up among all erring BJD politicians. Pyari had never forgiven Bijay for abusing authority behind Bijubabu’s back. He had tried to caution the master, the latter would trash all that he whispered into his ears. So pampering and protective was Bijubabu about a few like Bijay and Nalini Mohanty then! The third of the trio, Srikant Jena, had burnt himself down after being caught displaying utmost disloyalty to the mentor-master. Pyari had told Naveen that without methodical weeding he would have no future. Naveen surrendered to him completely as Gyan Patnaik kept taking pride in her assessment of the grand advisor. Successive strokes eliminated more, and the BJD turned a force to reckon with.
Pyari was particularly hateful of corrupt politicians. He didn’t give a damn to dismiss Ministers from the ally BJP too. At one go, he kicked out Prashant Nanda (BJP), Kamala Das and Nalini Mohanty (BJD), some of whom came to know they were gone only while watching news in their office chambers. Dilip Ray was dropped because of Advani’s pressure for some other security confusion. Naveen did not have any personal score to settle with Dilip. The high drama moved the masses in favour of the reformed, cleansed BJD. Naveen also did not pretend to be the sole master. He openly sought Pyari’s advice in every critical matter. Thus, Pyari earned the reputation of a modern day Chanakya whose political calculations and moves proved unfailing, particularly when he severed the BJP from the coalition. So, from 2009, the BJD cruised on its own and with mounting popularity.
It is also not untrue that power went into Pyari’s head. Genetically an arrogant person, he would not hesitate to override Naveen even in public glare or amid bureaucrats. His house was anytime overcrowded with creatures that needed help or favour from the Government such as businessmen, politicians and, of course, bureaucrats. Pyari was christened the ‘Super Chief Minister’.
It was rumoured that for the first time, some shrewd, smart bureaucrats kept feeling increasingly suffocated while taking Pyari’s orders without being able to put in their views in important matters. They remained aggrieved. The ones with some proximity to Naveen kept informing him to rein Pyari in as he had gone wild with pride. They told him that the BJD advisor religiously made it public that nothing big could happen without his approval. Naveen kept ignoring the poison for quite some time as the BJD was gaining popularity and he had nothing to lose.
Incidentally, Pyari had a couple of tragic flaws apart from arrogance: he imagined he was omniscient and infallible, the wisest and the brightest among the political and bureaucratic classes. This was the cause of the beginning of his fall. He was so sure of himself that he did not even hesitate once before picking garbage quality sycophants from nowhere and placed them in positions of dignity. He made Sanjay Dasburma, Arun Sahoo and Atanu et al eminent politicians because they remained unconditionally slavish and Men Friday to him. later, during his nightmarish days, these ungrateful creatures did not have any compunction in looking away first. His biggest shock was that a nobody called Dasburma stabbed him the hardest by poisoning Naveen with more evil tales and wicked accusations than real to become dear to the reticent CM. Sanjay may have been right about Pyari’s coup attempt designs, but he betrayed his godly master against all ethical standards. “He would land in hell one day. He is the worst human creature I have ever come across,” Pyari had rued in a television talk show. People keep saying that if Naveen lands in any trouble (though unlikely in near future), Sanjay would stab him in broad daylight.
Elected political masters had invariably ruled the State until Pyari landed in their midst after Naveen became CM. Pyari knew too well that smart bureaucrats connived with pinhead politicians to make hay. So, he first told politicians to seek advice of the bureaucracy and take their own decisions. The bureaucracy in turn was instructed to keep him fully informed about all critical decisions. Naveen would only endorse routinely what Pyari desired.
The BJD was born around a time when the mining boom was happening. Mining made Odisha more famous than usual; and businessmen of all hues from all over kept bee-lining in Odisha to open shop. Pyari made optimum use of this unique situation. The hitherto fundraiser, a former prince and close Naveen chum, was instantly dethroned. This prince allegedly put twenty per cent of the collection into the party coffers and carried the rest to his private treasury. Pyari became the fundraiser, and the BJD grew wealthy soon. later he even dismissed the Advocate General who allegedly made fortunes by orchestrating defeats for the Government he served. A believably honest AG was inducted who lasted a full term. Senior civil servants who frightened politicians with the rulebook and posed as superior creatures simply melted down before Pyari who understood the dynamics of administration and politics thoroughly well.
Pyaribabu did not found the BJD, but he turned it into a formidable regional outfit to smash and shame leading mainstream national parties by consolidating the cadres and publicising the achievements very effectively. As a result, Naveen kept bagging the ‘best Chief Minister’ award successively for years.
The greatest blunder Pyari committed was to accept a Rajya Sabha seat, the temptation of which he couldn’t resist. He left for Delhi and the enemies began having a gala time devoted to poisoning Naveen. The Pyari detractors kept misinterpreting all his present and past moves as ‘wilful coup attempt’ against Naveen. Pyari’s highhanded behaviour and strong likes and dislikes were all painted as ‘anti-Naveen’ which perhaps appeared as true to Naveen. Gyana Patnaik was no more to contain the rebellious group and persuade son to discard rumours against Pyari, who coincidentally had unconditional support of at least sixty MlAS who had told him their life would be given to keep him at the top. But when emergency came up, they slipped away one by one. Pyari was slowly but steadily being ignored by senior bureaucrats. Naveen too had by now started believing Pyari was a potent rebel, but did not remotely imagine there would be any coup attempt. Until this day, no one knows clearly if the May 29, 2012-midnight act was a coup or a party briefing session. Dasburma played Brutus splendidly and created a war situation. Naveen believed this guy and dismissed mentor-guide-protector Payri after hurling names like ‘betrayer’ and ‘backstabber’. Pyari never admitted to such allegations though he seemed to have attempted some kind of rebellion. The rest is too well-known history.
But it’s absolutely true that Pyari died earlier than usual under tremendous mental turmoil and pressure. Once defamed in public for failing to hit back, he could not swallow the truth of being so weak and helpless against the Naveen team. All that he could not figure out is the fact that one may be superbly sharp in getting things done by resolving critical issues, but without stellar glamour to attract votes, one is just as small as a street guy. He had the brain and the brawn but not the beauty and glamour of attracting the masses.
Heavy smoking was pushing Pyari toward death. But slander and shame killed his immune system too fast. The BJD, even Naveen, cannot ignore Pyari.
(The writer is a core member of Transparency International, Odisha)