Manas Ranjan Mohapatra
I have the distinction of being broadcast from All India Radio from as many as 33 stations throughout the country including North East in my life. The person who gave me a break in All India Radio and inspired me to be a cultural administrator way back in 1978 was Dr Jayanta Kumar Das to whom later I fondly called Jayantabhai. It was he who took me to the programme Advisory Committee of All India Radio at national level.
Whenever I remember Jayantabhai, Bijoy Pattanayak also comes to my mind. Bijoy Pattanayak was one of the known journalists in Puri when I was in school. I was published in Prajatantra Sahitya Bibhaga and so, was a bit known in the city. It was 1976. I was active in an organization Udayana and we met in a function.
Debadatta Samantsinhar, Organizer of Udayana took me in 1972 to participate in a programme in Sishu Sansar at AIR, Cuttack. Later, I listened to various programmes of All India Radio which was the only source of entertainment in the 1970s.
I understood that Bijoy Pattnayak has tremendous contacts with the programming wing of All India Radio. I became crazy, those days Jayanti Rath, Sanghamitra Kanungo etc. were anchoring Yuva Vani programmes.
I was keen that my poems are broadcast. I requested him to help me by introducing to those people in AIR. Dayanidhi Srichandan, the Programme Executive was known to him. Bijoy Pattnayak not only refused, but also said that my poems have not come to that standard.
I was hurt. Somebody gave me address of All India Radio and I started sending poems. As happens in case of new writers,my poems were usually and regularly coming back, rejected or say,not found suitable. Every time I used to open the brown Govt of India envelope with a lot of dreams I used to get a letter and my poems returned by All India Radio. But I continued to send my poems.
I was in a function of Utkal Sahitya Samaj in 1978 where I met Sankarshan Mangaraj. He was in All India Radio.It was functioning those days at Madhupur House near Samaj Office. He gave me a letter of introduction and I met Dayanidhi Srichandan. He received the poems,but the same fate occurred, after a few days my poems came back.
I was regular in attending Prajatantra Bishuba Milana. On a fine morning of April 1979 I went to All India Radio and met a new person,Jayanta Kumar Das, Programme Executive.
‘So,you are keen that your poems should be broadcast. OK,read one’,he said. I recited one.’Recite one more’, he said. I recited another. ‘Ok, you leave 3 of your poems here. Let me see’,he said. I came back.
As usual I was waiting for return of those poems in a brown envelope and,a few weeks after the brown envelope came. I opened and a surprise was waiting inside.It was a contract. My poem was to be broadcast in Juva Vani and the fee was Rs 25/-. I was asked to sign and send it back. A few days after I got a cheque. It was the first cheque I received in my life.
I get emotional and sometimes cry when I remember Jayanta Kumar Das. Soon I sent a story and it was broadcast in CBS. My poems were also broadcast in Sahitya Sansad programme with many eminent poets.
It will take me a few posts to write about Jayanta Kumar Das, to whom I was fondly calling Jayantabhai. Three years ago, a call came from All India Radio, Delhi. I used to be their selector of Odia Poet for the Republic Day Poetry Programme. They requested me to come this time too. ‘Sorry ,I am at Shillong these days,it may not be possible…but you can invite Amarendra Khatua if possible’, I told them.
Then I remembered Jayantabhai again. He was the first person who gave me a break in All India Radio and by now I must have been broadcast 500 times or more from various All India Radio stations. I was also the Odia Poet in their All India Poets’ Meet at Bhubaneswar selected by him.
Two years ago I decided that next time when I am at Cuttack, I will meet Bhauja, Mrs Kalabati Das. Jayantabhai passed away almost a decade back. I will apologize to her,I could not see Jayantabhai on his death bed. But I always remember him, he was a great soul indeed !
I called Deepakbhai, another retired senior officer from All India Radio. He gave me the contact number of Bhauja who was then at Delhi with her daughters. I called her.
After a few minutes her return call came. She not only recalled my association with Jayantabhai, but assured me that we will meet soon at Cuttack.
A few days ago I got a message from her daughter Soma that she has left for her divine last journey. I was dissuaded from coming to Cuttack where her last rites were performed due to Covid restrictions and was asked to attend the Google Meet.
People like Jayanta Kumar Das were born once in some centuries. I pay my tributes to him from the core of my heart, always…
(The Author Manas Ranjan Mahapatra is a former editor of National Book Trust, New Delhi. Views are personal)