By Sambeet Dash
In 1955, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the then President of India visited Bhubaneswar. Due to his chronic diabetes, Nilakantha Das could not meet him. On hearing this, the President himself went to Pandit’s house. Both were inmates in the Hazaribagh Jail. It was here that they formed a special bonding. Even though he was the First Citizen of India, Dr. Prasad made it a point to see his ailing friend.
Pandit Das was never inclined to forget about his wife Radhamani Devi who played a supportive role to her husband in politics. She was once the President of Satyavadi’s NARI MANDALA SAMITI, a women’s group and chief proprietor of the local Girl’s school. In 1931 she went to jail for protesting against British. In the same year, Nilakantha was elected as the pro-Chancellor of the newly formed Utkal University, along with Godabarisha. In 1957 he was honoured with PADMA BHUSAN.
In 1957 general elections Nilakantha Das was elected unopposed on a Congress ticket and became the speaker of the house. But his term lasted only 3 years, as the coalition ministry headed by Harekrushna Mahatab collapsed due to the differences among alliance partners, followed by imposition of President’s rule.
President rule was lifted and fresh elections were announced in May, 1961. This time the Congress party in Odisha was led by Biju Patnaik, a strapping 6 feet-tall man and an industrialist with a reputation for flying his own plane on daredevil missions. A sidelined Mahtab refrained from campaigning, as Nilakantha Das watched from the sidelines how nasty, low level politics and corruption slowly creeping into the system.
He was soon to be vindicated. Under Biju Patnaik, who was in charge of ticket distribution, his application to re-contest was rejected. It surprised not just Nilakantha Das, but many stalwarts of Odisha’s muddy politics, for in the previous election he was elected unopposed.
Pandit Nilakantha Das was reminded of the HADA BALADA RA ATMA KAHANI (The biography of an ageing Ox). Already getting old, he felt as helpless as an old Ox, taking the scheming and manoeuvrings of the political newcomers into his stride.
During his last days of politics, this picky incident of being denied a ticket marked the end of his political career. A few years later, Pandit Nilakantha Das breathed his last – 6th November, 1967.
Nilakantha was the last of the Mohicans, the last of the PANCHA SAKHA (The five friends) whose demise marked the end of an era .After Pandit Nilakantha’s death; Odisha has produced many MPs, MLAs but hardly any leader.
(CONCLUDED)
(This is the 17th in series of recapitulation in the writer’s own words portions of Pandit Nilakantha Das’s Biography in Odia.)
Sambeet Dash is an Odia technocrat living in Georgia US.
