Once, ‘king’ of Ali (Aul) was sitting in the garden of his palace. A gentleman arrived and thanked him for giving an opportunity to visit the SKD High School at Mulasahi. The students were well-disciplined; the teachers were smart and expert in their subjects. But there were some infrastructural shortcomings and non-availability of indoor sports equipments.
The visitor told the king, “If you allow me to build some rooms, it will be my pleasure to do something for the students.”
The king replied, “Stop, my dear gentleman. Build a character, teach more values, instil honesty in the young minds. These are the best gifts, more valuable than your monetary donations. I feel delighted that you came here, but I need no economic support from anyone.”
That king was late Raja Sharat Deb, whose heart was full of compassion, love and affection for the poor and downtrodden people of his ‘kingdom’ of Ali (AUl) in Kendrapada district.
In 1972, a huge devastation was caused by floods, claiming umpteen lives and vast properties. Deb was generous in helping homeless people. He did not wait for any help from the Government. He himself went to the affected people and provided them with clothes, food, medicines and other things of domestic use.
Deb also produced an Odia film, Mala Jahna, involving the rural people. Every year, he organised cultural programmes at the time of Dussehra. He had no discrimination among people of different castes, creeds, colours and communities. Md Hassimuddin was his political guru, who guided him in taking important decisions.
Popularly called “Raja Sahib”, Deb was instrumental in building the Patrapur Setu linking rural people to the urban areas. He also urbanised the medical scenario in rural areas in Ali. He was a bold and fearless man. He did not hold any grudges against anyone.
The words ‘hatred’ and jealousy were not in his dictionary. Deb of the erstwhile royal family was for a period leader of the Opposition in the Odisha legislative Assembly before becoming a Minister later.
Raja Sharat Deb was born on October 24, 1941 and passed away on March 24, 1988. He was immortalised in the heart of millions of people after his death. He will continue to be remembered forever for his motto -- Don’t run after money; run after how to help the people who are in distress.
(The writer, a teacher, is from lokapada, Ali)