Dr. Harekrushna Mahatab

Orissa Review

of Bhadrak (Orissa) he was educated in his village primary school, secondary education in Bhadrak High School and lastly his college education in the Dr. Harekrushna Ravenshaw College, Cuttack. During his school days he was Mahatab : greatly moved by Swami Vivekananda and became a A Versatile Genius revolutionary in his outlook. When he was continuing his study in the Ravenshaw College, the Non- Dr. Bhagabat Tripathy Co-operation Movement Asaf Ali, Dr. Pattabhisitaramaya started. At the clarion call of etc. for about three and half Gandhiji he discontinued his years and was released in May, study and plunged into freedom 1945. His autobiography movement and became a true Sadhanara Pathe itself is the The name of Dr. Harekrushna disciple of Gandhi. After the main source to reconstruct the Mahatab has become a untimely demise of Pandit history of freedom movement household name in Orissa. He Gopabandhu Das he became in Orissa. was a versatile genius who had the spearhead of the freedom possessed the qualities of a struggle in Orissa till India As a political leader he great man. He was in a line a achieved independence. He became the first Chief Minister freedom fighter, an astute was nominated by Subhas of independent Orissa and held politician, a prolific writer, an Chandra Bose, the then the same office in another term eloquent speaker, a social President of the Indian National in 1960. He became the scientist, a reputed journalist, a Congress to the All India Minister for Commerce and celebrated historian, a popular Working Committee of the Industries in the Central leader, an architect of modern Congress in 1938. He was the Cabinet and was the Secretary Orissa, a nation builder and only fortunate man from Orissa General of the Congress Party above all a statesman in the true who was arrested in the Ahmed in Parliament. In 1955, he was sense of the term. Pioneering in Nagar Fort along with other appointed as the Governor of multidimensional fields he top ranking politicians of India undivided state of Bombay. himself had become an who were the representatives Besides holding these offices he institution. of contemporary India like was elected to the Parliament Sardar Patel, Moulana Azad, and the Orissa Legislative Born on 21st Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr. Prafulla Assembly several times. November, 1899 in an Chandra Ghose, Acharya Directly or indirectly till his aristocratic noble family at Kripalini, Acharya Narendra death, he was the pivot around Agarapara, now in the district Dev, Gobinda Ballav Panth, whom the whole administrative

14 November - 2010 Orissa Review machinery of the state revolved Milan¶ which is a unique literary He not only wrote whether he was in office or not. institution in India. Taking their history but he himself became birth under this huge marquee history by his remarkable As a man of litterateur of this Visuv movement many achievement for merging the he authored many books viz. writers to-day are well Princely States taking initiative Pratibha, Tautor, Avyapara, established in their own from Nilagiri State with the Chhayapathara Yatri, respective fields and their Province of Orissa. Speaking Charichakshu, Sesha Ashru, contribution in making our of Mahatab¶s role in the merger Palasi Abasane, Chudanga- literature rich and glorious is of States Sardar Patel said, deva, Jivana Samasya, Odisha unforgettable. He was the ³He was the living spirit in that Itihasa, Nutana Dharma, guardian of modern Oriya drama. I am happy that I Atmadana, Yuga Sanketa, literature and acted as a bridge helped him to realize what was Gandhiji-O-Orissa, Sadhanara between literature and politics. not only his dream and his Pathe (Autobiography), Gan Considering all his ambition, but also the dream Majlis (1st & 2nd Vol.), Trutiya achievements we can conclude and ambition of all Oriyas. I am Parva, 1975, Anandara that he was a versatile genius. happier still that it was that Sandhana, Dasha Varshara He was the President of Orissa backward province as they call Orissa (all in Oriya) which Sahitya Academy, President of it, which led the way for the rest touched upon various branches the Orissa Sangeet Nataka of India to follow.´ He of literature comprising novel, established Hirakud Dam story, essay, drama, poem etc. Academy, Lalitakala Academy for two terms and was the Project, inaugurated the New He also authored in English, Capital at Bhubaneswar, History of Orissa, Beginning of member of the Executive Committee of the Central Kalinga Iron Works, Ferro- the End, While Serving My Manganese Work at Joda, Nation. He patronized the Sahitya Academy for two terms. He was a researcher as Cement, Steel and Aluminum upliftment of Oriya language Plants which served as the and literature. He instituted well as a historian. He wrote history of Orissa for the first milestones on the path of µPrajatantra Prachar Samiti¶ in economic progress of Orissa. 1947 through which he time in a scientific manner. established himself as a true Andhra University, Utkal According to S.C. journalist and culminated in University and Sagar University Dash, a political scientist of Jhankara. µPrajatantra¶ became have conferred on him the Orissa ³This was a wrong a laboratory where both Honorary Degree of Doctor of decision for him (Mahatab). journalism and literature were Letters, Doctor of Literature Otherwise, with his reputation experimented. His µGan Majlis¶ and Doctor of Laws as a Governor, he might have is a feature of this class. respectively. As a historian he developed just on the model of Through µGan Majlis¶ he was selected Bhubaneswar, the one of his distinguished able to mould the political and sacred land of Kharavela and contemporaries (Zakir social character of Orissa. He Kapilendra Deva, the two Hussain) who left education to became the Editor of µJhankar¶ invinicible heroes of Orissa become the Governor of Bihar since its inception in 1949. He history, as the capital of Orissa from where he ultimately was the founder of µVisuv which is an epoch making step. entered the Rashtrapati Bhavan

November - 2010 15 Orissa Review through the office of the Vice- thousands of people from all had rendered to the state, President. Had not power walks of life along with Mahatab can rightly be called hunger obsessed Mahatab the celebrities had come over there the Maker of Greater Orissa. history of Orissa would have Galaxy of writers, politicians, References : flown through a different course artists, journalists and above all and he himself would have been the Hon¶ble Governor B.N. 1. H.K. Mahatab, Sadhanara a different man.´ Pande assembled which Pathe (Oriya), Cuttack, 1987. proved that he was the real Such a great soul 2. Sunit Ghose, Orissa in representative of the state departed on 2nd January, 1987 Turmoil, Bhubaneswar, 1991. intelligentsia. creating a great vacuum in every 3. Souribandhu Kar, sphere of human life. When his Speaking highly of Harekrushna Mahatab dead body was proceeded Mahatab the Sardar said, ³A (Oriya), Orissa Sahitya from his residence Ekamra true patriot in that he loves Akademy, Bhubaneswar, 2004. Nivas to his birth place Orissa but loves India more. A 4. Souvenir, Indian History Agarapara for cremation, the practical and a born leader of Congress, Bhubaneswar whole path from Bhubaneswar men, Mahatab has carved out Session, 1978. to Agarpara was crowded by for himself a name which will the sea of humanity to pay live in Orissa¶s history. More tribute to their beloved than ten years ago he conceived departed leader which proved a future for Orissa which he had how he had won the heart of the good fortune to realise in his Dr. Bhagabat Tripathy is a Reader mass millions. When his dead own life time.´ Taking into in History, Agarapada College, body reached Agarpara account the yeomen service he Agarapada, Bhadrak.

Hon'ble Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik launching the Calf Rearing Scheme under Rashtriya Krishi Vikash Yojana at Jagannathpur on 2.11.2010.

16 November - 2010