Bhubaneswar: The decision of Odisha’s maiden Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government not to celebrate March 5, the birthday of legendary leader Biju Patnaik as Panchayati Raj Divas, as has been the tradition for almost three decades now, has triggered a political slugfest in the state. The issue has emerged as the latest flashpoint between BJP and Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the main opposition party which has been named after Biju babu as the late leader was fondly addressed by friends and followers.
The BJD, which is led by Biju Patnaik’s son and former chief minister Naveen Patnaik, has slammed the move as “ petty politics” and a conscious attempt by the BJP to erase the legacy of the late leader who dominated Odisha politics for more than three decades. The party has decided to organise state-wide protests over the issue on March 6. Congress, too, disapproved of Mohan Majhi-led government’s decision accusing it of trying to belittle a towering leader like Biju Patnaik who was one of the builders of modern Odisha and commanded respect across the political spectrum.
However, the government, which has also scrapped the customary public holiday on March 5, sought to justify its decision on the ground that observance of March 5 as Panchayati Raj Divas in Odisha and celebration of National Panchayati Raj Day on April 24 was creating unnecessary confusion.
“To overcome this inconsistency at the national and state levels in the celebration of Panchayati Raj Day, the state government has decided to no longer celebrate March 5 as Panchayati Raj Day in Odisha and will instead celebrate it on April 24,” a statement from the chief minister’s office said. The government, however, has decided to celebrate March 5 as Biju Patnaik’s birth anniversary.
The BJD decried the move saying the BJP, which was voted to power on the plank of Odia asmita (pride), has humiliated one of the great sons of the state who is credited not only with strengthening the three tier panchayati raj system in Odisha but also providing 33% reservation to women in these institutions.
“Biju babu took the revolutionary step during his second stint as the chief minister of the state from 1990 to 1995. Later, his son Naveen Patnaik, who is the present leader of opposition, enhanced the quota for women in these grassroots bodies to 50%,” said former BJD MLA Latika Pradhan, accusing the BJP of indulging in petty politics with the sole purpose of blotting out the legacy of Biju Patnaik in the hope that people will forget him.
“But they are wrong. This is going to boomerang. Biju babu will always remain in the hearts of the people of Odisha who will give this government a fitting reply in the next elections,” added Pradhan.
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Pointing out that the tradition of celebrating Panchayati Raj Divas on March 5, coinciding with the birthday of Biju Patnaik began in the early 90s, former minister and senior BJD leader Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak said, “ This is nothing but a conspiracy to erase Biju babu’s legacy because the present government fears that this would help our party in the elections. Earlier we also used to organise an Entrepreneurs’ Week from March 5 to honour Biju Babu but this time the government has made no budgetary provision for that.”
“The BJP-led government at the Centre has even withdrawn its share in the UNESCO Kalinga prize for popularisation of science established with the help of Biju babu. It is amply clear that BJP wants to destroy everything connected with Biju Patnaik. We condemn this in the strongest possible terms,” he added.
Even state Congress leaders decried Majhi government’s move to delink Biju Patnaik’s birth anniversary from Panchayati Raj Day celebrations. “Irrespective of which party we belong to, we cannot ignore the contribution of leaders like Biju Patnaik to the development of Odisha. His contribution to the growth of panchayati raj institutions will always be remembered. The BJP government came to power on the plank of Odia asmita but they have humiliated a leader who symbolised it. This is petty-mindedness,” remarked Congress MLA Ashok Kumar Das.
BJP MLA Saroj Padhi, however, sprung to the defence of the government slamming the opposition for trying to make a mountain out of a molehill.
“The entire country celebrates Panchayati Raj Divas on April 24 and Odisha is a part of India. So what is wrong in deciding to celebrate the day on that date in our state, too. How does this constitute disrespect to Biju Babu? His birthday will be celebrated by all of us,” he told a news channel.
That, however, appears to be a specious argument considering that ever since assuming office in June last year Majhi government has renamed several schemes that honoured and commemorated Biju Patnaik. While the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY), the flagship health scheme of the previous BJD government, has been renamed Gopabandhu Jana Arogya Yojana, the Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana has been rechristened as Antyodaya Gruha Yojana and Biju Setu Yojana is now called Setu Bandhan Yojana.
Apparently determined to wipe out any trace of the previous regime from the state’s welfare schemes, the Majhi government has even renamed the BJD government’s much-touted ‘Ama Odisha, Naveen Odisha,’ a developmental initiative, as ‘Viksit Gaon, Viksit Odisha’. The government has been quite unapologetic about its rebranding spree which has been justified as an attempt to honour the many great sons of Odisha who were not given their due by past governments.
Political analyst Sabita Mohanty, however, feels that the rebranding exercise betrays an underlying fear in the BJP which remains unsure of its hold on the people of the state. “They have come to power in Odisha for the first time and that, too, not by a big margin. Hence, they remain apprehensive about rival BJD, which ruled the state uninterrupted for 24 years, bouncing back. They are now doing everything possible to ensure that people forget the contributions of the BJD and leaders like Biju babu after whom the regional party is named,” said Mohanty.
