Biju Patnaik
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'''Biju Patnaik''' (1916–1997) was an Indian politician.
Son of Lakshminarayan and Ashalata Patnaik, '''Bijayananda Patnaik''' was born in [[Cuttack]], [[Orissa]] ([[India]]) on [[March 5]], [[1916]].
== Early life and role in freedom movement ==
He studied [[Aeronautics]] at the Aeronautical Training Institute of India. He joined the Indian National Airways, where he was involved with the war effort from 1940 to 1942. He was thereafter imprisoned until 1945 due to his activism efforts with the [[Quit India Movement]]. Inspired by [[Mahatma Gandhi]], [[Gopabandhu Dash]], and [[Madhusudhan Das]], Patnaik dedicated himself to the Indian Freedom Movement.
Patnaik was closely associated with the Nepalese Democratic Movement since 1953 and he was also instrumental in assisting [[Indonesia]] with its bout for Independence from the [[Netherlands|Dutch]] in 1947. Using his piloting skills, Patnaik was able to fly Indonesian Prime Minister Sultan Sjahrir and staff to [[Singapore]], and finally to [[Delhi]] where Sjahrir was able to meet [[Jawaharlal Nehru]]. And so, the indebted Indonesia conferred the highest civilian award, [[Bhumi Putra]] ( Son Of Soil ) to this valiant personality and even it is heard that the Indonesia government offered a huge land to him which he returned back politely. He was the only Indian for whom a other nation's national flag was also down when he died. Nehru affectionately called Patnaik "India's buccaneer". During his time in the [[Parliament of India]], Nehru said of him, "Biju Patnaik has the courage, dynamism, and zeal to work. So there is no blunder in giving more aid to Orissa."
== Politics ==
Patnaik was also the Chief Minister of Orissa from 1961 to 1963, as well as for a second term starting in 1990 until 1995. He was also a prominent member of both the [[Lok Sabha]] and the [[Rajya Sabha]]. Patnaik's political ideals were centred in [[socialism]] and [[federalism]]. His strong advocacy for equal resources to all Indian states who needed such, made him a champion of his Oriyan constituents.He was a minister with cabinet rank in [[Morarji Desai Ministry]].
The projects which he was known to have spearheaded include the [[Hirakud Dam]],[[Port of Paradip]], Orissa aviation centre, [[Bhubaneswar Airport]], the Cuttack-Jagatpur Mahanadi highway bridge, [[Rourkela Regional Engineering College]], [[Rourkela Steel plant]] and the [[Choudwar]] and Barbil industrial belts.
He died in [[New Delhi]] on [[April 17]], [[1997]] of cardio-respiratory failure. In 1992, Bijayananda Patnaik left this quote for the people of Orissa;
"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 (India)|Kalinga]]."
He is the founder of [[Kalinga Prize]], that [[UNESCO]] has been conferring on, for excellency in the field of science.
== Family ==
Biju Patnaik's son, [[Navin Patnaik]], is the current Chief Minister of Orissa. His daughter, [[Gita Mehta]], is a well known writer.
==External links==
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E05E4DD173EF932A15757C0A961958260&sec=&spon=&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink New York Times article on Biju Patnaik]
* [http://orissagov.nic.in/e-magazine/Orissareview/febmar2005/englishpdf/bptvoapatriot.pdf Biju Patnaik : The Vision of a Patriot]
* [http://www.orissaindia.com/personalities/display1.asp?nm=Biju%20Patnaik Eminent Oriyas - Biju Patnaik]
* [http://orissagov.nic.in/e-magazine/Orissareview/febmar2005/englishpdf/bpatribute.pdf Tribute to Patnaik]
* [http://orissadiary.com Legacy of Biju Patnaik in Orissadiary]
{{Indian independence movement}}
[[Category:People from Orissa]]
[[Category:Chief Ministers of Orissa]]
[[Category:Indian independence activists]]
[[Category:Brahmos|Patnaik, Biju]]
[[Category:1916 births]]
[[Category:1997 deaths]]