Bhubaneswar: Veteran Congress leader and eminent social worker from Odisha Jayanti Patnaik, who breathed her last on Wednesday night, will be cremated at Swargadwar in Puri on Thursday.
Prior to that, the remains of the first chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW) were taken to Congress Bhavan to allow the party workers to pay their last respect.
The wife of former Odisha CM and ex-governor of Assam JB Patnaik, Jayanti was rushed to a private hospital around 8 pm as she developed complications. She died while undergoing treatment. She is survived by son Prithvi Ballav Patnaik and two daughters.
Here are facts about the second chairperson of the All India Mahila Congress:
>> Jayanti was born in Aska in Ganjam district on April 7, 1932.
>> She completed her matriculation from Harihar Bidyapeeth, Aska, and her graduation in sociology from Shailabala Women’s Autonomous College in Cuttack.
>> She did her post-graduation from Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS), Mumbai.
>> In 1953, she married JB Patnaik, when the latter became president of Odisha Pradesh Youth Congress and the chief minister of the state.
>> Jayanti was elected from Cuttack Lok Sabha constituencies in 1981 and 1984 and Berhampur Lok Sabha constituencies in 1998.
>> She was nominated to Rajya Sabha in 1996.
>> She was the chairperson of the National Mahila Commission from February 3, 1992, to January 30, 1995.
>> She was also the first Odia to become president of the All India Mahila Congress and was in charge from 1988 to 1990.
>> Jayanti was also known for her literary skills having translated ‘Krishnavatara’ of KM Munshi, dealing with philosophy and spirituality.
>> She was the editor of Odia literary magazine ‘Paurusha’.
>> In 1999, she was conferred with the prestigious ‘Mahila Gourav’ award by Institute of Economic Studies, Delhi.
