Why Biju Patnaik Has Become Latest BJP vs Opposition Flashpoint In Odisha

Over a hundred years after his birth, the legendary Odisha politician Biju Patnaik's birthday has become a political flashpoint between the ruling BJP and former chief minister Naveen Patnaik's party, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD). The Odisha government, led by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, has decided to delink the celebration of Panchayati Raj Divas from the birth anniversary of Biju Patnaik. 

This decision has been met with strong opposition from both the BJD and the Congress, who view it as an affront to the legacy of Biju Patnaik.

Why Biju Patnaik Is Celebrated 

Born on March 5, 1916 in Cuttack, Biju Patnaik belonged to a family rooted in India's freedom struggle. While his father, Lakshminarayan Patnaik, hailed from the literary and culturally rich village of Nuagaon in Ganjam district, his mother, Ashalata Devi, had an interesting subplot involving East Bengal. Biju Patnaik's maternal uncles were among the revolutionary youths responsible for the Chittagong Armoury Raid of 1930, along with Surya Sen.

At the age of sixteen, Biju Patnaik got on a bicycle and embarked on a 2,385-kilometre journey from Cuttack to Peshawar, accompanied by friends Amar Dey and Bhramarbar Sahu. He would return to Pakistan in 1938, not on a cycle but with band, baaja, baraat, and a plane to marry Gyan, a Punjabi woman from Lahore.

Biju Patnaik's daredevil feats included flying missions during World War II with the Royal Indian Air Force and sheltering political dissidents like JP Narayan, RM Lohia, and Aruna Asaf Ali. During the Indian freedom struggle, Biju Patnaik dropped bags of Mahatma Gandhi's "Quit India" leaflets over Indian soldiers under British command. In 1943, Biju Patnaik's clandestine double-life and covert activities caught up with him, leading to his arrest and a two-year imprisonment. Upon his release in 1945, he entered politics, winning a seat in the Orissa Assembly from North Cuttack constituency in 1946.

Jawaharlal Nehru's trusted lieutenant back then, Biju Patnaik was tasked with rescuing Indonesian Prime Minister Sutan Sjahrir and Vice President Mohammad Hatta out of Java. Despite Dutch overwatch around the islands, Biju Patnaik rescued both of them.

He eventually went on to become Chief Minister of Odisha and upon his death, his son Naveen Patnaik carried his legacy forward by forming a party in his name. 

What Is Happening Now 

Traditionally, March 5 has been observed as both Biju Patnaik's birth anniversary and Panchayati Raj Divas in Odisha. This practice dates back to the early 1990s, honoring Biju Patnaik's contributions to the state. In 1991, under his leadership, Odisha became the first state to reserve one-third of the seats in Panchayati Raj institutions for women.

However, the current administration has announced that while March 5 will continue to commemorate Biju Patnaik's birth anniversary, Panchayati Raj Divas will be observed on April 24, aligning with the national celebration. Consequently, March 5 will no longer be a public holiday, and all schools and government offices will remain open.

This shift has been perceived by opposition parties as a deliberate attempt to diminish Biju Patnaik's legacy. BJD leaders staged a demonstration near the Biju Patnaik statue near the airport in Bhubaneswar. Senior BJD leaders expressed their frustration over the change, stressing that previous administrations, including those led by the Congress, had consistently celebrated March 5 as Panchayati Raj Divas.

Former minister and Opposition Chief Whip Pramila Mallik praised Biju Patnaik's role in introducing the three-tier panchayat system in Odisha during his second term as Chief Minister in 1990. She accused the BJP of attempting to erase his relevance to the state.

The Congress has also condemned the move. Odisha Congress chief Bhakta Das alleged that the move is an attempt to bury the legacy of the legendary leader. Other senior Congress figures, including Jaydev Jena, Taraprasad Bahinipati, and Jagannath Patnaik, echoed these sentiments, accusing the BJP government of deliberately insulting Biju Patnaik.

In response, Odisha BJP defended the decision, noting that April 24 is nationally recognised as Panchayati Raj Day, marking the constitutional recognition of the Panchayat Raj system through the 73rd Amendment. 

The BJP, which came to power in Odisha for the first time in its history by handing a shock defeat to Naveen Patnaik and his party in the Assembly elections last year, refuted allegations of disrespect towards Biju Patnaik, pointing out that the birth anniversaries of other former Chief Ministers, such as Harekrushna Mahatab and Janaki Ballabh Pattnaik, are also commemorated at the government level. The BJP has questioned why the BJD had previously overlooked these leaders while honoring Biju Patnaik.

Since assuming power in 2024, the BJP government has renamed 21 state schemes initially launched by the BJD administration, several of which bore Biju Patnaik's name.

What Happens Next

Amid the row over the change, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi has invited Naveen Patnaik to attend the state-level function to commemorate Biju Patnaik's birthday. 

"My humble respect to you. The State government is celebrating the birth anniversary of the great son of Odisha, the legendary Biju Patnaik. A state-level meeting will be held at the Jayadev Bhawan on this occasion at 7 pm on March 5, I request you to attend the programme as a special guest. Your graceful presence will dignify the programme," read the letter from Chief Minister Majhi to Naveen Patnaik, whose party has termed the invitation as mere "formality".

While the political controversy deepened, a statue of Biju Patnaik was vandalised last evening in Cuttack. A case was registered and a new statue was installed within hours of the vandalism.