Dr. Harekrushna Mahatab
(21 November 1899 – 2 January 1987)
Dr. Harekrushna Mahatab was the son of Krushna Charan Das and Tohapha Debi. He was born on 21st November 1899 at Agarpada in undivided Balasore district. After matriculation from Bhadrak High School, he joined Ravenshaw College, Cuttack for his higher studies, which were left incomplete as he was irresistibly drawn to the National Liberation Movement in 1921. Thereafter his life was a saga of struggle and dedication to the cause of country’s freedom. He started weekly Prajatantra in 1923 at Balasore. First imprisonment on charge of sedition in the year 1922. He was the member of Bihar and Orissa Council in 1924. He joined Salt Movement and imprisoned in 1930. He participated in Harijan Movement in 1934 and opened his ancestral temple to Harijans for the first time in Orissa. He was the President of State People’s Enquiry Committee in 1938 and r e c o m m e n d e d cancellation of Sananda of Rulers and merger of Ex-State with Orissa Province. He participated in Non-Co-operation Movement and courted imprisonment in 1941 and “Quit India Movement” in 1942. Dr. Harekrushna Mahatab was the Chief Minister of Orissa from 1946 to 1950, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry from 1950– 52, Secretary General, Congress Party in Parliament 1952, Governor of Bombay from 1955-56, resigned from Governorship in 1956 and again became the Chief Minister of Orissa from 1956 to 1960. Dr. Mahatab has been rightly recognised as the architect of modern Orissa for his pivotal role in the merger and integration of former princely States, founding the State’s Capital at Bhubaneswar and the sanction and construction of the multi-purpose Hirakud Dam Project.
He was elected to Lok Sabha in 1962. He was also elected to Orissa Legislative Assembly in 1967, 1971 and 1974.
He was the founder of the Prajatantra Prachar Samiti which till today publishes Daily ‘Prajatantra’ and ‘Jhankar’ a monthly journal. He was Chief Editor of the publications since inception. He was the President of Orissa Sahitya Academy and Sangit Natak Academy for a couple of terms. Permanent member of the Utkal University Senate. He was a distinguished historian and writer in English and Oriya. He was conferred Honorary Degree of Doctor by Andhra University, Degree of Doctor of Literature by Utkal University and Doctor of Laws by Sagar University.
True to his multifaceted personality, Dr. Mahatab earned distinction as an accomplished writer “History of Orissa”, “Beginning of the End”. Apart from this, he had authored several novels, plays and poems which are acclaimed for their literary value. The compilation of his popular column “Gaon Mazlis” published in Daily Prajatantra received the Central Sahitya Academy Award in 1983.
Dr. Harekrushna Mahatab was a political leader par excellence. He towered over the time and events to lead the people of the State through years of transition during independence and thereafter. This illustrious son of this soil passed away on 2nd January, 1987.
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