Manas Ranjan Mahapatra
Dharitri is undoubtedly one of the Odia newspapers I like most. The Editor Tathagata Satpathy has happily forgotten me. But, I remember Nandini Satpathy, its founder, the iron lady of Odisha, and twice Chief Minister, Odisha, and once Minister, Information and Broadcasting of India besides Member of Parliament on two occasions. I had a long literary interface with this great daughter of my state.
I was knowing Nandini from my childhood for two reasons. Her family members Chintamani Panigrahi, Bhagabati Charan Panigrahi, and Sushama Panigrahi had a political association with my father for many reasons though they were indifferent political groups. The political difference was not a criterion to decide socio-literary connection those days. And, secondly, Nandini was the daughter of Kalindi Charan Panigrahi, a famous author, and herself a writer and translator too.
I saw Nandini Satpathy for the first time in Odisha Assembly in 1976 when I was in school in my class 11th and she was then Chief Minister of the state. Those were the days of emergency. Nandini Devi won her second term as Congress Leader in 1974 and most of the top opposition leaders were in jail. But, internal freedom of speech in Congress was so much that the then top leaders in Odisha were able to oppose the Chief Minister both inside and outside the Assembly. Dr. Harekrushna Mahatab was just released on bail from jail and was remote controlling Odisha politics from his home at Ekamra Nivas. If I correctly remember, the coalition government of Congress and Pragati Dal reached its odd end in 1974 and the MLAs were in opposition.
My father took me to see the Odisha Assembly .Some of his friends were members and he had no problem in getting an entry pass for both of us.
It was the budget session .Nandini was attacked by questions from both ruling and opposition parties members like Banka Bihari Das, Shriballav Oanigrahi, Nilamani Routray etc. She was facing the questions bravely like a tigress. The assembly continued even during lunch hours that day as budget was to be discussed.It was taking a few days that time for the budget to be discussed and passed after several motions. Alas!Passing of the budget has become a formal affair these days in the absence of a formidable opposition.India will suffer if this situation continues.
Odisha Assembly had less than 10 women MLAs those days.But,see the courage,the iron lady was bravely facing the tornado.She was an Iron Lady in the true sense.
I met Nandini Devi next time when she was in Congress for Democracy led by Jagjiban Ram.She came for election campaign at Puri for Janta Party candidate Padmacharan Samantsinghar and was facing a lot of opposition for her defection from Congress.She was as brave as she was a year before when I saw her for the first time in Odisha Assembly.Later she returned to Congress after thumping victory of Mrs Indira Gandhi in the 1980 General Election. I met her again in 1999 at Gopalpur on Sea while conducting the first ever Women Poets’ Meet of Odisha.
Nandini Devi was Chairperson of State Planning Board at that time which was next to Chief Minister of the state. She was there to inaugurate the Meet as a Poet. Immediately after the inaugural ceremony, I found her down at the entry information counter of the venue.
– ‘Are you waiting for somebody, Madam ? ‘ I asked.
-‘Yes,for my car’, she answered.
-‘Then,please take a rest in the waiting room.Your Secretary will meet you once he comes with the car. ‘I said to ease her tension.
-‘No,I will stand here. Let him see that I am waiting for him here standing in the scorching sun.’She replied.
Nandini Satpathy was very conscious of time and punctuality. She never came late or unprepared to any meeting.
– ‘Madam. You were Chief Minister of the state when I was in school.You still continue to be the same iron lady’,I said.
(Third in a series by Manas Ranjan Mahapatra,former editor of National Book Trust, New Delhi.Views are personal)