Biju Patnaik Biography

Bijayananda Patnaik, popularly known as Biju Patnaik was one of the country’s greatest politicians who made several contributions to the country both in pre and post-independence. He has been admired not only in his state but across India for his courage, idealism, and statesmanship. He is also known as the finest architect of modern Odisha.

He was truly a people’s leader, that’s the reason millions of his admirers called him Biju Babu. People of Odisha also called him Kalinga Kharavela because of his courageous acts and his dedication to the cause of the common man. He was that kind of personality who was always ready to create history through his actions.

Early Life

Biju Patnaik was born in Cuttack, Odisha, on 5th March 1916 in a rich and well-status family to Lakshminarayan and Ashalata Patnaik. He completed his early education at the Mission Primary School and Mission Christ Collegiate of Cuttack. In 1932, he got admitted into the intermediate science in Ravenshaw College, where he was a talented sportsman and headed within most sports. 

But due to his interest in Aviation, he dropped out from Ravenshaw in 1934. He studied Aeronautics at the Aeronautical Training Institute of India. There he got Pilot training from Delhi Flying Club. In 1936 he got a Pilot job in Indian National Airbase.

Role In Indian Freedom Movement

From his student life, Biju was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi. In 1927 when Gandhiji made the Khadi Tour, he went there to see a glimpse of the father of the nation. The Britishers caught Biju and beat him severely. From that moment, he had decided to contribute his life to the Indian Freedom Movement.

During the period of the Second World War, he joined the Royal Indian Air Force. In 1940 Gandhiji had refused the participation of Indian people with Britishers in World War Two, but some of the other sections in the country had given their support to the British Army. Later in 1942, the Quit India Movement was launched by Mahatma Gandhi. Although Biju had joined the Royal Indian Airforce as a Pilot for the Britishers, he worked in different undercover operations favoring the Quit India Movement.

Biju Patnaik did many great things during that period, like circulating political leaflets and pamphlets with detailed descriptions of the Azad Hind Fauj and Quit India Movement. He was dropping those leaflets from his plane to Indian soldiers fighting under British command in Burma. Also, he had helped many leaders like Jay Prakash Narayan, Ram Monohor Lohiya, Aruna Asaf Ali, and many to reach one place to other with his undercover operations.

Unfortunately, his undercover operations helping the freedom struggle did not last long. In January 1943, Pattnaik was caught by the British authorities and sent to jail for four years.

Role In Saving Kashmir

After the independence of India in 1947, the newly carved out neighbour nation Pakistan attacked Kashmir with the help of tribals. That time PM Nehru called Bijayananda Pattnaik. He took this task as a challenge and showed his aviation skills to ferry Indian soldiers to Kashmir to fight the Pakistani forces as the conflict intensified between the two nations. As a result, our brave Indian soldiers showed their bravery and succeeded in eliminating Pakistan forces to go back.

Role In Indonesian Freedom Movement

In 1947 there was a power struggle going on in Indonesia, and Dutch were ruling that country. The Indonesian Prime Minister Sutan Sjahrir was kept under surveillance by the colonial Dutch. Also, they had complete control over Indonesian sea and air routes and did not let him leave the country. 

Here again, Nehru entrusted the task of rescuing Sutan Sjahrir to Biju Babu, an expert Pilot, and had such adventure experiences in his past. Pattnaik came up for instant action because he knew how Kalinga and Indonesia had a cultural link in the past, and now it was the opportunity to render some service to the people of Indonesia at their crucial time. 

By showing his bravery, he flew to Java and brought Sutan Sjahrir and his staff aboard from Java islands on 22 July 1947 by his own Dacota to Delhi via Singapore. Finally, the Indonesian PM was able to meet Jawaharlal Nehru. Later, the Indonesian government gave the highest civilian award, Bhumi Putra to Biju Patnaik for his Brave act in their struggle movement.

Career In Politics

Between 1952 and 1990, Bijayananda Patnaik was elected to the Odisha assembly seven times. Pattnaik also served as a member of both Houses of the Indian Parliament. He was elected to Rajya Sabha in 1971 and Lok Sabha four times in 1977, 1980, 1984, and 1996.

First Time Chief Minister

Following the 1961 midterm elections, he became Odisha’s CM for the first time. However, in support of the Kamraj Plan, he resigned from his post in 1963. The plan had proposed that all senior politicians should resign from their posts to revitalize Congress.

Clashes With Indira Gandhi

Bijayananda was very close to India’s first PM Jawaharlal Nehru even after his demise; Pattnaik continued that support with Nehru’s daughter Indira Gandhi also, who took over the Congress Party in 1967. However, they clashed in 1969 over the Presidential election. So he left the Congress and formed a regional party with the name Utkal Congress. 

In the 1971 assembly poll, his party did quite well. Biju then again contacted his old friend Jayaprakash Narayan and jumped 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. 

From Union Minister To Homecoming

In 1977, he was released and elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time from Kendrapada. He became union minister for steel and mines in both the Moraji Desai and The Charan Singh governments until 1979.

With the Congress defeat in 1989, he bounced back into the political limelight. He again chose to go back to Odisha and prepared for the assembly election with his renamed party Janata Dal. In the 1990 state assembly election, the Janata Dal received a thumping majority (two third assembly seats) which saw Biju Patnaik being the Chief Minister of Odisha for the second time until 1995.

An Empire From A True Visionary Industrialist

• In Post Independence years, Pattnaik started to build an industrial empire in the economically backward state of Odisha. During the inauguration of the Orissa Planning Board on 15th June 1962, Biju Babu said, “People cannot grow unless the industries are developed and established here.”

• He started Kalinga Airlines and helped in establishing textile mills, iron ore as well as managing mines. Patnaik also used his political influence to build one of the premier marine gateways, Paradeep Port, and played a key role in constructing India’s first integrated steel plant in the public sector, Rourkela Steel Plant.

• In 1951 he established the international Kalinga Prize for popularisation of Science and Technology among the people and entrusted the responsibility to the UNESCO. He also founded the Kalinga Cup in football for the encouragement of youth in the sport.

• In 1992 he conducted the historical Kalinga Sand Festival at Paradip Port by restarting shipping transport between India and Indonesia.

Biju Patnaik Family

When we talk about Biju Patnaik family, his family was well established and belongs to the richer section of society. His father name was Lakshminarayan Patnaik, and his mother’s name was Ashalata Patnaik.

Biju Patnaik wife name Gyan Patnaik, who belonged to Punjab, due to which he is also known as the son-in-law of Punjab. They got married in the year of 1938. Gyan Patnaik was also a pilot. The couple has three children in their life with two sons and one daughter.

Their Younger son, Naveen Patnaik, is the current Chief Minister of Odisha. Daughter, Gita Mehta, is a writer also making documentary films, and the elder son Prem Pattnaik is an industrialist.

Unparalleled Contribution To The State Of Odisha And India

In today’s Odisha, whatever Institutions, Organisations, Plants, Dams, Research Centres, etc are available, nearly 70% of those were made during his leadership. Within a short period, whatever he did for his state today is a dream for people to expect from their modern-day leaders. The following are just some of the outstanding works of his life. There is no comparison among his works; today, everything is a milestone!

• The Choudwar and Barbil Industrial Belts
• The Orissa Aviation Centre
• Hirakud Dam
• Rourkela Steel plant
• The Cuttack-Jagatpur Mahanadi Highway Bridge
• Paradeep Port
• The Bhubaneswar Airport ( Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar )
• Hydro-Electric Project at Balimela
• Regional College of Education at Bhubaneswar
• Thermal Power Plant at Talcher
• The MIG factory at Sunabeda
• The Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT)
• The Odisha State Planning Board
• Engineering & Medical Colleges at Burla
• Express Highway linking Daitari with Paradeep
• Ferro Silicon Complex at Theruvali
• Engineering College at Rourkela
• Sainik School at Bhubaneswar
• Re-organisation of districts (created 17 news districts)
• Regional Research Laboratory

Biju Patnaik Death

On 17th April 1997 in New Delhi, Biju Babu died due to cardio-respiratory failure. The glimpse of his stature can be understood by the fact that when he died, his coffin was wrapped in national flags of three nations, India, Russia, and Indonesia.

Before he died, he left with some great words for the people of Odisha, which he had said in 1992, is so inspirable for every Odia. His famous quote –

“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.”

The Voice Of The State Demanding Bharat Ratna

Sri Biju Patnaik’s ideals were centered on socialism and federalism. In the true spirit of federalism, he strongly advocated for equal resources to all Indian states. He was one of the great examples of a true statesman. He always showed his bravery for the welfare of the country. He helped build the nation in different forms, as bureaucratic, as a great leader in Indian politics, as an aviator in the freedom movement, and many more on the list.

He was a politician among statesmen and a statesman among politicians who had influenced both the state and the national politics for more than four decades. Whether in power or in opposition, he was one of the most influential politicians of India.

That’s the reason people of Odisha have demanded Bharat Ratna for their legendary leader Biju Patnaik for his immense contribution towards the country’s freedom movement and nation-building. As a result, the whole state and all the political parties unitedly raised this demand with one voice after discussing it in the state assembly In March 2021.

Awards And Recognition

• Patnaik was given Honorary Citizenship in Indonesia and awarded the ‘Bhoomi Putra‘, the highest Indonesian award.
• In 1995, when Indonesia was celebrating its 50th Independence Day, he was awarded the highest national award, the Bintang Jasa Utama.
• In 2018 a Postal Stamp was launched dedicated in his name.
• The 5 Rupee commemorative coin was released in 2016 on the occasion of his 100th birth anniversary.
• The Odisha state government dedicated several institutes in his name.
• The sports award of the state is dedicated to his name.
• Every year on the day of Biju Patnaik Jayanti (5th March 1916), The Odisha government celebrates Panchayati Raj Diwas in the memory of the former Chief Minister.

Biju Patnaik Bio Details

Name  – Biju Patnaik

Birth Name – Bijayananda Patnaik

Nick Name – Biju, Biju Babu, Kalinga Kharavela, Bhumi Putra, Architect of Modern Odisha, Daredevil Pilot

Date of Birth – 5th March 1916

Gender  – Male

Nationality – Indian

Birth Place – Ananda Bhawan of Tulasipur from Cuttack, Odisha

School – Mission Primary School, Cuttack

College – Mission Christ Collegiate of Cuttack

Profession  – Aviator, Politician, Industrialist

Religion – Hindu

Father – Lakshminarayan Patnaik

Mother – Ashalata Patnaik

Marital Status – Married

Wife – Gyan Patnaik

Children (3) – Prem Patnaik (Son), Geeta Mehta (Daughter), Naveen Patnaik (Son) 

Milestone – Former Chief Minister of Odisha

Date of Death – 17th April 1997

Cause of Death – Cardio-Respiratory Failure

Late Sri Biju Patnaik was a top-rank freedom fighter, philanthropist, aviator, industrialist, politician apart, he was the man of masses. Odisha Darsan prays to God to bless his soul, rest in peace, and the country’s youth shall follow this great Icon to do something great in their life.

Dear Reader, If you like the article, then kindly share your thoughts here. Also, if you think I have missed something to mention here and need to update within this list, please let me know below in the comment section. – Odisha Darsan