WikiDwarfBOT at 07:20, 22 July 2023

2023-07-22T07:20:46Z

New page

{{Short description|Indian politician, aviator, and businessman}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2018}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{NPOV language|date=October 2020}}
{{more citations needed|date=February 2014}}
}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Biju Patnaik
| image = Biju Patnaik 2018 stamp of India.jpg
| caption = Biju Patnaik commemorative stamp
| order1 = 3rd
| office1 = Chief Minister of Odisha
| term_start1 = 5 March 1990
| term_end1 = 15 March 1995
| governor1 = [[Yagya Dutt Sharma (Punjab politician)|Yagya Dutt Sharma]] [[Saiyid Nurul Hasan]] [[B. Satya Narayan Reddy]]
| predecessor1 = [[Hemananda Biswal]]
| successor1 = [[Janaki Ballabh Pattanaik]]
| term_start2 = 23 June 1961
| term_end2 = 2 October 1963
| governor2 = [[Y. N. Sukthankar]] [[Ajudhiya Nath Khosla]]
| predecessor2 = [[Harekrushna Mahatab]]
| successor2 = [[Biren Mitra]]
| office3 = [[Morarji Desai Ministry|Minister of Steel, Mines and Coals]]
| primeminister3 = [[Charan Singh]]
| term_start3 = 30 July 1979
| term_end3 = 14 January 1980
| predecessor3 = ''Vacant''
| successor3 = [[Pranab Mukherjee]]
| term_start4 = 26 March 1977
| term_end4 = 15 July 1979
| primeminister4 = [[Morarji Desai]]
| predecessor4 = [[Chandrajit Yadav]] (As [[Minister of State|MoS]])
| successor4 = ''Vacant''
| office5 = [[Member of the Lok Sabha|Member of Parliament]], [[Lok Sabha]]
| term_start5 = 1977
| term_end5 = 1985
| constituency5 = [[Kendrapara (Lok Sabha constituency)|Kendrapara]]
| predecessor5 = [[Surendra Mohanty]]
| successor5 = [[Sarat Kumar Deb]]
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1916|03|05|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Cuttack]], [[Bihar and Orissa Province|Orissa]], [[British India]] (now [[Odisha]], India)
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1997|04|17|1916|03|05|df=y}}
| death_place = [[New Delhi]], India
| birth_name = Bijayananda Patnaik
| party = [[Janata Dal]] (1989–1997)
| otherparty = [[Janata Party]] (1977–1989) [[Utkal Congress]] (1969–1977) [[Indian National Congress]] (1946–1969)
| alma_mater = [[Ravenshaw College]]
| profession = [[Aeronautical engineer]], [[Aircraft pilot|pilot]], [[politician]], security advisor to [[Jawaharlal Nehru]], [[industrialist]], [[diplomat]]
| spouse = Gyan Patnaik
| signature =
| children = Prem Patnaik [[Naveen Patnaik]] [[Gita Mehta]]
| relatives = [[Sonny Mehta]] (son-in-law)
| awards = {{ubl|[[Orders, decorations, and medals of Indonesia|Bintang Jasa Utama]] (1995)|[[Order of Lenin]]}}
}}
'''Bijayananda Patnaik''' (5 March 1916 – 17 April 1997) was an Indian politician, aviator and businessman. He served as the 3rd [[List of Chief Ministers of Odisha|Chief Minister]] of the State of [[Odisha]] from 1990 to 1995 and from 1961 to 1963. He was also the 14th Steel and mines and 1st Coal Union Minister of India from 1979 to 1980 and from 1977 to 1979 and a member of Lok Sabha from Kendrapara from 1977 to 1985. He was the father of [[Naveen Patnaik]], who is the current CM of Odisha and currently the longest serving CM of Odisha.
[[File:Biju_Pattnaik_statue.jpg|thumb|Statue of Biju Pattnaik]]

== Early life ==
His parents lived near [[Bhanjanagar]], [[Ganjam district]], around 80 km from [[Bramhapur]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Biju Patnaik Profile|url=http://www.kalingafoundationtrust.com/website/biju-patnaik-profile.htm|via=kalingafoundationtrust.com}}</ref> He was educated at [[Ravenshaw College]] in Odisha but, due to his interest in aviation, dropped out and trained as a pilot. Patnaik flew with private airlines but at the start of the [[Second World War]] he joined the [[Royal Indian Air Force]]. He eventually became the head of air transport command. While in service, he developed an interest in nationalist politics and used air force transports to deliver what was seen as subversive literature to Indian troops. He was jailed by the British for dropping political leaflets to Indian soldiers fighting under British command in [[Burma]] and flying clandestine missions that carried Congress Party leaders from hideouts across India to secret meetings that charted the independence struggle. However Patnaik remained committed to fighting the [[Axis Powers]].

==Role in Indonesian freedom struggle==
{{see also|Sutan Sjahrir}}
Biju Patnaik met with [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] during his participation in [[Indonesian National Revolution|Indonesian freedom struggle]] and became one of his trusted friends. Nehru viewed the freedom struggle of the Indonesian people as parallel to that of India, and viewed Indonesia as a potential ally. When the Dutch attempted to quell Indonesian independence on 21 July 1947, President [[Sukarno]] ordered [[Sutan Sjahrir|Sjahrir]], the former prime minister of Indonesia, to leave the country to attend the first Inter-Asia Conference, organised by Nehru, in July 1947<ref>{{Cite news |title=Ajit Singh praises Biju Patnaik |date=5 March 2013 |newspaper=Zee News (Zee Media Corporation Ltd) |url=http://zeenews.india.com/news/odisha/ajit-singh-praises-biju-patnaik_833198.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140728192128/http://zeenews.india.com/news/odisha/ajit-singh-praises-biju-patnaik_833198.html |archive-date=28 July 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> and to foment international public opinion against the Dutch.<ref>{{Cite journal |author=Joshi, Dina Krishna |title=Biju Patnaik: The Legendary Hero |year=2010 |journal=Orissa Review |volume=2010 |issue=2, February/March |pages=53–56, page 55 |url=http://odisha.gov.in/e-magazine/Orissareview/2010/Feb-Mar/engpdf/feb-march-2010.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808165437/http://odisha.gov.in/e-magazine/Orissareview/2010/Feb-Mar/engpdf/feb-march-2010.pdf |archive-date=8 August 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> Sjahrir was unable to leave as the Dutch controlled the Indonesian sea and air routes. Nehru asked Biju Patnaik, who was adventurous and an expert pilot, to rescue Sjahrir and other Indonesian resistance fighters who were fighting their Dutch colonisers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Biju Patnaik Biography – Biju Patnaik Profile, Childhood, Life, Timeline |publisher=India Guide (iloveindia.com) |url=http://www.iloveindia.com/indian-heroes/biju-patnaik.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140622220017/http://www.iloveindia.com/indian-heroes/biju-patnaik.html |archive-date=22 June 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> Biju Patnaik and his wife Gyanwati, flew to [[Java]], dodging the Dutch guns, he entered Indonesian airspace and landed on an improvised airstrip near Jakarta. Using left-over fuel from abandoned Japanese military dumps, Patnaik took off with prominent rebels, including Sultan Sjahrir and Achmad Sukarno, for a secret meeting with Nehru at New Delhi and brought out on a [[Douglas C-47 Skytrain|Douglas C-47]] (Dakota) military aircraft reaching India via [[Singapore]] on 24 July 1947. For this act of bravery, Patnaik was given honorary citizenship in Indonesia<ref>{{Cite news |title=Biju Patnaik |date=24 April 1997 |newspaper=[[The Economist]] |url=http://www.economist.com/node/148026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141020163936/http://www.economist.com/node/148026 |archive-date=20 October 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> and awarded the 'Bhoomi Putra',<ref>{{Cite news |author=Singh, Kuldip |date=2 May 1997 |title=Obituary: Biju Patnaik |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-biju-patnaik-1259246.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150215081542/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-biju-patnaik-1259246.html |archive-date=15 February 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref> the highest Indonesian award, rarely granted to a foreigner. In 1995, when Indonesia was celebrating its 50th Independence Day, Biju Patnaik was awarded the highest national award, the ''[[Orders, decorations, and medals of Indonesia|Bintang Jasa Utama]]''.<ref>{{Cite news |author=Ansari, Javed M. |title=The Hero in Winter |date=15 September 1995 |newspaper=[[India Today]] |url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/indonesian-govt-bestows-biju-patnaik-with-country-highest-honour-bintang-jasa-utama/1/289380.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160226131452/http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/indonesian-govt-bestows-biju-patnaik-with-country-highest-honour-bintang-jasa-utama/1/289380.html |archive-date=26 February 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2015, Sukarno's daughter [[Megawati Sukarnoputri]] recounted how it was Patnaik who suggested she be named Meghavati or "daughter of clouds". She, whose full name is Diah Permata Megawati Setiawati Sukarnoputri, later became Indonesia's first female president, serving [[List of Presidents of Indonesia|from 2001 to 2004]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Megawati Sukarnoputri meets Sushma Swaraj, recalls story behind her name |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/megawati-sukarnoputri-meets-sushma-swaraj-recalls-story-behind-her-name/articleshow/47030381.cms |website=The Economic Times |date=23 April 2015 |publisher=The Economic Times |access-date=17 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Kuldip |first1=Singh |title=Obituary: Biju Patnaik |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-biju-patnaik-1259246.html |work=The Independent |date=May 1997 |access-date=17 April 2020}}</ref>

In 2021, the Indonesian Embassy in New Delhi designated a room on the name of Biju Patnaik. On the walls of the Biju Patnaik room are photographs, newspaper clippings and letters that document Mr. Patnaik's secret assignments to fly out Indonesian leaders, as well as his relations with the Indonesian leadership.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Haidar|first=Suhasini|date=2021-01-23|title=A room for an Indian hero at the Indonesian embassy|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/a-room-for-an-indian-hero-at-the-indonesian-embassy/article33644733.ece|access-date=2021-01-25|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

==Landing with DC-3==
Biju Patnaik flew many sorties on his Dakota [[Douglas DC-3|DC-3]] from Delhi [[Safdarjung Airport]] on 27 October 1947, after the first Dakota DC-3 (Reg. No: VP 905) flown by Wg. Cdr. KL Bhatia landed in [[Srinagar Airport]] early morning. He brought 17 soldiers of 1-Sikh regiment commanded by Lt. Col. Dewan Ranjit Rai. He flew low on the airstrip twice to ensure that no raiders were around. Instructions from Prime Minister Nehru's office were clear: If the airport was taken over by the enemy, he was not to land. Taking a full circle the [[DC-3]] flew ground level. Anxious eyeballs peered from inside the aircraft – only to find the airstrip empty. Nary a soul was in sight. The raiders were busy distributing the spoils of war amongst them in Baramulla.

==Politics in independent India==

Patnaik's political ideals were centered in socialism and [[federalism]]. His strong advocacy for equal resources to all Indian states who needed such, made him a champion of his Odia constituents.

In 1946 Patnaik was elected uncontested to the [[Odisha]] Legislative Assembly from North [[Cuttack]] constituency. In 1952 and 1957 he won from [[Jagannathprasad]] and [[Surada]], respectively. In 1960 he assumed the presidency of the state Congress. Under his leadership, the Congress Party won 82 of 140 seats and Patnaik (representing Chowdwar constituency) became the chief minister of Odisha on 23 June 1961 and remained in the position until 2 October 1963 when he resigned from the post under the [[Kamaraj Plan]] to revitalise the Congress party. He was the Chief Minister of Odisha at the age of 45.

Patnaik was close to Indira Gandhi who took over the Congress Party in 1967. However, they clashed in 1969 over the Presidential election. He left the Congress and formed a regional party—the [[Utkal Congress]]. In the 1971 assembly poll, his party did reasonably well. Patnaik then re-established contact with his old friend Jayaprakash Narayan and plunged into the JP movement as it picked up momentum in 1974. When the Emergency was declared in 1975, Biju Patnaik was one of the first to be arrested along with other opposition leaders.

He was released in 1977. Later, in the same year, he was elected to the [[Lok Sabha]] for the first time from [[Kendrapara (Lok Sabha constituency)|Kendrapara]] and became Union minister for steel and mines in both the [[Morarji Desai]] and the [[Charan Singh]] governments until 1979. He was re-elected to the Lok Sabha again in 1980 and 1984 from [[Kendrapara]] as [[Janata Party]] candidate despite the Congress wave in 1984 following [[Indira Gandhi]]'s death. With the Congress defeat in 1989, he bounced back into the political limelight. However, after playing a key behind-the-scenes role in manoeuvring [[V. P. Singh]] to the Prime Minister's post, he again chose to go back to Odisha, and prepared for the assembly election. In 1990 state assembly election, the [[Janata Dal]] received a thumping majority (two-thirds of the assembly seats) which saw Biju Patnaik being the [[Chief Minister]] of [[Odisha]] for the second time until 1995.

Patnaik was re-elected to the Lok Sabha in 1996 from Cuttack and [[Aska (Lok Sabha constituency)|Aska]] constituencies as a Janata Dal candidate. He retained the latter until his death on 17 April 1997 of cardio-respiratory failure.<ref>{{cite news |title=Biju Patnaik dead |url=http://www.rediff.com/news/apr/17biju.htm |access-date=29 October 2018 |work=Rediff.com |date=18 April 1997}}</ref>

In 1992, [[Bijayananda Patnaik]] left this quote for the people of Odisha;

"In my dream of the 21st century for the State, I would have young men and women who put the interest of the State before them. They will have pride in themselves, confidence in themselves. They will not be at anybody's mercy, except their own selves. By their brains, intelligence and capacity, they will recapture the history of [[Kalinga (historical region)|Kalinga]]."<ref>{{cite web |title='Biju Babu was a man of the masses and a visionary' |url=https://www.sundayguardianlive.com/news/5865-biju-babu-was-man-masses-and-visionary |website=Sunday Guardian Live |date=30 July 2016 |publisher=The Sunday Guardian |access-date=17 April 2020}}</ref>

===Achievements as a public representative===

Biju Patnaik set up Kalinga tubes, [[Kalinga Airlines]], Kalinga Iron work, Kalinga Refractories and the Kalinga, a daily Oriya newspaper. In 1951 he established the international [[Kalinga Prize]] for popularisation of Science and Technology among the people and entrusted the responsibility to the UNESCO. The projects which he was known to have spearheaded includes the [[Port of Paradip]], [[Orissa aviation centre]], [[Bhubaneswar Airport]], the Cuttack-Jagatpur Mahanadi highway bridge, [[Regional Engineering College, Rourkela]], [[Sainik School Bhubaneswar]], [[Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology]]-[[Bhubaneswar]], [[National Aluminium Company|NALCO]] (National Aluminum Company), [[Talcher Thermal Power Station]], [[Balimela Reservoir|Balimela Hydel Project]], [[Hindustan Aeronautics|HAL]]-[[Sunabeda]] and the [[Choudwar]] & [[Barbil]] industrial belts.

He also established the [[Kalinga Cup]] in [[association football|football]].

=== Family ===

Biju Patnaik was married to Gyan Patnaik, who belonged to Punjab, due to which he is known as a son-in-law of Punjab as well. Just like Biju his wife too was a pilot. In fact, she was the first Indian lady to get a commercial pilot's license. In the 1940s, Gyan Patnaik accompanied Biju in the freedom struggle movement and evacuation of British families from Rangoon when the Japanese laid siege on the region.

Biju Patnaik's younger son, [[Naveen Patnaik]], is the current Chief Minister of Odisha. His daughter, [[Gita Mehta]], is an English writer. His elder son Prem Patnaik is a [[Delhi]]-based industrialist.

== Commemoration ==

The Government of Odisha has named several institutions after the name of Biju Patanaik. They include the [[Biju Patnaik Airport]] at [[Bhubaneswar]], the [[Biju Patnaik University of Technology]], [https://web.archive.org/web/20150116222840/http://www.nalcokhabar.com/tag/independence-day-nalco-stadium/ Biju Patnaik Stadium] at Nalco Nagar, [[Angul]] etc. Also his son [[Naveen Patnaik]] made his birthday 5 March as the Panchayat Raj Divas, a holiday in Odisha in his memory. The Biju Patnaik 5 Rupee commemorative coin was released in 2016. The glimpse of Biju Patnaik's stature can be understood by the fact that when he died, his coffin was wrapped in the national flags of India, Russia, and Indonesia.
[[File:Biju Patnaik Memorial.JPG|thumb|Biju Patnaik Memorial]]

== Personal life ==
An avid [[Contract bridge|Bridge]] player,<ref>
{{cite web |last1=Kuldip |first1=Singh |title=Obituary: Biju Patnaik |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-biju-patnaik-1259246.html |work=The Independent |date=May 1997 |access-date=17 April 2020}}</ref> Patnaik was the father of author [[Gita Mehta]], Odisha Chief Minister [[Naveen Patnaik]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/geeta-mehta-writer-and-sister-of-odisha-cm-naveen-patnaik-declines-padma-award-361084.html|title=Gita Mehta, Writer And Sister Of Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, Declines Padma Award Citing Polls|date=26 January 2019|website=indiatimes.com}}</ref> and Prem Patnaik.

==Legislative history==
{| class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align:left;"
|-
!House
!Constituency<ref>[http://orissa.gov.in/e-magazine/orissaannualreference/ORA-2011/pdf/453-501.pdf List of Members of Odisha Legislative Assembly (1951–2004)] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131217121136/http://orissa.gov.in/e-magazine/orissaannualreference/ORA-2011/pdf/453-501.pdf |date=17 December 2013}}</ref>
!Start
!End<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.parliamentofindia.nic.in/ls/lok11/biodata/11or01d.htm|title=Shri Biju Patnaik, J.D. – Aska (Odisha)}}</ref>
!Party
!Notes
|-
|[[11th Lok Sabha]]
|[[Aska (Lok Sabha constituency)|Aska]]
|1996
|17 April 1997*
|[[Janata Dal]]
|*Expired
|-
|10th [[Odisha Legislative Assembly|Vidhan Sabha]]
|Bhubaneswar
|1990
|1995
|Janata Dal
|
|-
|9th Vidhan Sabha
|Bhubaneswar
|1985
|1990
|Janata
|
|-
|[[8th Lok Sabha]]
|[[Kendrapara (Lok Sabha constituency)|Kendrapara]]
|1984
|25 March 1985*
|
|*Resigned
|-
|[[7th Lok Sabha]]
|Kendrapara
|1980
|
|
|
|-
|8th Vidhan Sabha
|Patkura
|1980
|11 June 1980*
|Janata (S)
|*Resigned{{citation needed|date=April 2020}}
|-
|[[6th Lok Sabha]]
|Kendrapara
|1977
|
|
|
|-
|6th Vidhan Sabha
|Rajnagar
|1974
|1977
|[[Utkal Congress]]
|
|-
| [[Rajya Sabha]]
|[[List of Rajya Sabha members from Odisha|Odisha]]
|13 May 1971
|6 October 1971
|Janata Dal
|
|-
|3rd Vidhan Sabha
|Choudwar
|1961
|1967
|[[Indian National Congress|Congress]]
|
|-
|2nd Vidhan Sabha
|[[Surada (Odisha Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Surada]]
|1957
|1961
|Congress
|
|-
|1st Vidhan Sabha
|[[Jagannathprasad]]
|1951
|1957
|Congress
|
|}

==See also==
* [[List of chief ministers of Odisha]]
* [[Biju Sena]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==

* [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E05E4DD173EF932A15757C0A961958260&sec=&spon=&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink New York Times article on Biju Patnaik]
* [http://www.orissa.gov.in/e-magazine/Orissareview/febmar2005/englishpdf/bptvoapatriot.pdf Biju Patnaik: The Vision of a Patriot]
* [http://www.orissa.gov.in/e-magazine/Orissareview/febmar2005/englishpdf/bpatribute.pdf Tribute to Patnaik]

{{s-start}}
{{Succession box
|before=[[Harekrushna Mahatab]](1st term) [[Hemananda Biswal]](2nd term)
|title= [[List of Chief Ministers of Odisha|Chief Minister of Odisha]]
|years=28 June 1961 to 2 October 1963 (1st term) 5 March 1990 to 15 March 1995 (2nd term)
|after= [[Biren Mitra]](1st term) [[Janaki Ballabh Pattanaik]](2nd term)
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Chief Ministers of Odisha}}
{{Energy Ministries and Departments of India}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Patnaik, Biju}}
[[Category:1916 births]]
[[Category:1997 deaths]]
[[Category:Chief Ministers of Odisha]]
[[Category:Indian independence activists from Odisha]]
[[Category:Brahmos]]
[[Category:India MPs 1977–1979]]
[[Category:India MPs 1980–1984]]
[[Category:India MPs 1984–1989]]
[[Category:India MPs 1996–1997]]
[[Category:Utkal Congress politicians]]
[[Category:Members of the Odisha Legislative Assembly]]
[[Category:V. P. Singh administration]]
[[Category:Indian aviators]]
[[Category:Lok Sabha members from Odisha]]
[[Category:Rajya Sabha members from Odisha]]
[[Category:People from Ganjam district]]
[[Category:People from Kendrapara district]]
[[Category:Indians imprisoned during the Emergency (India)]]
[[Category:Leaders of the Opposition in Odisha]]
[[Category:Chief ministers from Indian National Congress]]
[[Category:Chief ministers from Janata Dal]]
[[Category:Janata Dal politicians]]
[[Category:Indian National Congress politicians from Odisha]]
[[Category:Janata Party politicians]]
[[Category:People from Cuttack]]
[[Category:Janata Party (Secular) politicians]]
[[Category:Orissa MLAs 1961–1967]]

Biju Patnaik - Revision history

WikiDwarfBOT at 07:20, 22 July 2023