Odisha Politicians, Writers, Film Personalities & Royals We Said Goodbye To This Year

Bhubaneswar: Odisha continued to say goodbye to some big names in film industry, politics, medical, literary and academic circles this year. A couple of members from royal families of Odisha and freedom fighters also passed away in 2023. As the year draws to a close, it is a time to commemorate those we have lost in the last 12 months.

POLITICIANS & BUREAUCRATS

Former chief secretary of Odisha Sudhanshu Mohan Patnaik passed away at his residence in Bhubaneswar in December. He was 83. An alumnus of Allahabad University, the bureaucrat had started his career as a Lecturer in History at SCS College in Puri. Patnaik served as the chief secretary from March 8, 2000, to October 31, 2000. He was the first member of the State Human Rights Commission and also held the posts of Chairman of Staff Selection and Agriculture Commission. 

Former Speaker of Odisha Legislative Assembly, ex-minister and veteran BJD leader Maheswar Mohanty passed away at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar in November. A five-time legislator, Maheswar was minister in the Naveen Patnaik government from 2011 to 2014 and also from 2017 to 2018 and held portfolios such as law, revenue, panchayat raj and planning and coordination. He was Speaker from May 2004 to March 2008. The BJD leader, who was elected to Odisha assembly from Puri constituency for five consecutive terms from 1995, lost to BJP’s Jayant Sarangi in 2019 by a slender margin of 4008 votes. Even after defeat, he continued to play an active role in party”s organisational matters in Puri district.

Former Odisha DGP Sarat Chandra Mishra passed away while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar in October. A 1959-batch IPS officer, Mishra served as Odisha DGP in 1991-92. He was also posted with the Research and Analysis Wing (R & AW), and worked in Dhaka and Washington. After retirement from service, he devoted his time to the DAV movement and writing. He won Odisha Sahitya Akademi award for his autobiography in 2007.

Principal Accountant General (Accounts and Entitlement), Odisha, Ananta Kishore Behera passed away while undergoing treatment at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar in October. The 1998-batch Indian Audit and Accounts Service officer was appointed as Principal Accountant General on February 11, 2022. Prior to this, he had served as Director General of Audit, East Coast Railway, Bhubaneswar. The Cuttack native was also deputed to various foreign audit assignments including IT and Compliance audit of the UMOJA (United Nations) at New York, Management Development programme (MDP) at UCB, California and Embassy Audit at Riyadh, Doha and Jeddah.

Veteran Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader and former Speaker of Odisha Assembly, Surjya Narayan Patro passed away in September following prolonged illness. A seven-time MLA, he represented Digapahandi in the present Assembly. Patro had won the Mohana Assembly seat for the first time in 1990. As a minister in the Biju Patnaik and Naveen Patnaik governments, he held various important portfolios, including Forest and Environment, Energy, Tourism, IT, Culture, Revenue, Information and Public Relations, Food Supply and Consumer Welfare. Patro, who became Assembly Speaker in 2019, had stepped down from the post in June last year due to health reasons.

Senior Congress leader Sandhya Mohapatra passed away at her residence at Nayapalli, Bhubaneswar, in August. She was the former working president of State unit of Mahila Congress and also served as Chairperson of the Disciplinary Committee of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC).

Former Odisha MP Anadi Charan Das passed away in Bhubaneswar in June.  A 5-time MP, Das was elected to Lok Sabha from Jajpur constituency in 1971. 1980 and 1984 as Congress candidate. He then switched to Janata Dal and won the elections in 1989 and 1991. He was an active member of Bhoodan Movement, played a major role in development of Jagannath temple, Biraja temple and Baraha temple in Jajpur.

Veteran politician, former MP and three-time MLA Trilochan Kanungo died at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar in April. He started his career as a student leader when he was elected president of the erstwhile Ravenshaw College and Utkal University in 1960s. Kanungo was elected to the assembly in 1971, 1974 and 1985. In 1999, he was elected from Jagatsinghpur Lok Sabha seat on a BJD ticket. He gained popularity for his unflinching work as Cuttack municipality chairperson in 1979-80 and 1992-95.

FILM, TELEVISION & JATRA

>> Eminent singer, lyricist and music composer Swarup Nayak breathed his last while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Odisha’s Cuttack in October. He made foray into Ollywood as a child artist in 1962 with the film ‘Laxmi’. Later he acted in ‘Kaa’ (1965) and ‘Stree’ (1968). After a small break, he started his second innings in the industry with ‘Suna Sansar’ (1977) in which he acted as a villain. He then went on to act in films like ‘Jaga Balia’ and ‘Dora’. ‘Kalinga Putra’, which released in 2008, was his last movie as an actor. His music journey started in 1984 with the film ‘Hira Nila’ and he went on to compose music for around 40 films and wrote songs for 30 others. Some of his notable film credits include ‘Pua Mora Bhola Shankar’ (1996), ‘Sahara Jaluchi’ (1998), ‘Sundura Nuhein Khela Ghara’ (2002), ‘I Love You’ (2004), ‘Premi No. 1’ (2009), and ‘Swayamsiddha’ (2010), which was his last film as music director. Mu Tumaku Bhala Paye, Sitalo Aji Jaluchi Jahara Chitalo, Ae Agana Ae Ghara, Chalire Tora Chandini, Chalire Tora Padma Phute, Pana Gua Khaira Guakati are among his popular songs and compositions.

The first woman lyricist of Odia film industry, Binodini Devi, breathed her last in Odisha’s Angul in October. An approved lyricist of Akashvani (All India Radio), she began her journey in Ollywood as a lyricist with the film ‘Malajanha’ released in 1965. She gained popularity with her songs in the movies ‘Tapoi’ (1978), ‘Sri Jagannath’ (1979), ‘Maha Sati Savitri’ (1983) and ‘Jay Jagannath’ (2007). Some of her popular songs include ‘Mu Tuma Bandhu Nuhen Bandhu’, ‘Aei Kala Mor Kalank’, ‘Nadi Ta Neichi Ta Apana Gaati’, ‘Eiye Jhiati Ghara Keunthi’, ‘Aa Khili Paana Bana Ku Jiba’, ‘Kaalia Asila’ and ‘Seta Bhakata Bhabare Bandha’. Her songs were also published in book forms -‘Khokitie Khokitie’ (children’s song collection, 1986), ‘Amruta’ (devotional song collection, 1996), ‘Tiki Tiki Nali Kaincha’ (children’s poem collection, 1999) and ‘Aei Kala Mor Kalank’ (modern song collection, 2000).

Veteran Odia film actress Sudharani Jena, who was a doctor by profession, passed away following a brief illness, in August. A multi-faceted personality and a versatile actor, she started her acting career in the 1960s while studying medicine with ‘Parinama’ produced by Kabiraj Krushnachandra Tripathy Sharma. After a short break, she re-entered the tinsel world in 1976 and carved a special identity in the Odia cine industry. She won accolades for her brilliant performance in landmark films like ‘Gapahele Bi Sata’, ‘Ram Balram’, ‘Kaveri’, ‘Jhia Ti Sita Par’, Sankha Mahuri’, and ‘Topae Sindura Di Pata Sankha.’ She had won the best actress award for four years in a row.

Popular Odia actor Pintu Nanda passed away during treatment at a private hospital in Hyderabad in March. He was suffering from liver-related ailments since long and shifted to New Delhi’s Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) and later to Yashoda Hospital in Hyderabad for liver transplantation. He began his acting career from a Doordarshan programme. Nanda made his debut in the film ‘Koili’ in 1996 and gained popularity in Odia cinema and television for his roles as hero, villain, character artist and comedian. He acted in over 70 movies including ‘Wrong Number’, ‘Bahudibe Mo Jaga Balia’, ‘Prema Rutu Asilare’, ‘Dosti’, ‘Hatha Dhari Chalutha’, ‘Rumku Jhumana’, and ‘Katha Deli Matha Chhuin’.

Veteran Odia jatra artiste Rabi Satpathy passed away following a prolonged illness in November. He was 68. Known as the comedy king of Odia jatra, Satpathy had acted in around 500 plays of several opera troupes including Janata, Gouri and Konark in his career. He rose to fame as a comedian by acting in popular Odia play ‘Saguna Basichhi Dena Melei’ in 1990s. He was also part of another popular jatra ‘Mo Penkali Bajei De’.

ROYALS

The last queen of Jeypore royal family in Odisha, Rama Kumari Devi, passed away at Moti Mahal palace at Jeypore in Koraput district in January this year. She was the wife of the last king of the family of Ramakrishna Deo, who was the adopted son of Maharaj Bikram Dev. Ramakrishna was coronated king after Bikram Dev. Rama Kumari was also MLA of Madgul in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh.

Maharani Rasamanjari Devi, the last queen of Tigiria estate, passed away at her residence due to old age-related ailments in February. Located in present-day Tigiria block of Odisha’s Cuttack district, the estate was one of the princely states of India during the British Raj. married to the last king of the Tigria Estate, the late Brajaraj Birabar Kshatriya Champatisingh Mohapatra. She was elected to Odisha Assembly from Athagarh on a Janata Dal ticket in 1977. She remained a lawmaker till 1980.

WRITERS & JOURNALISTS

Anglian poet Jayanta Mahapatra breathed his last in August while undergoing treatment at SCB Medical College and Hospital (MCH) in Cuttack. The bilingual poet from Odisha is known for his collections like Waiting and A Rain of Rites which explore his memories, doubts and life experiences. He is the first Indian writer in English to receive the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1981 for his poem Relationship. In May 2019, he also became the first Indian English poet to become a Fellow of the Sahitya Akademi. He was conferred with a Padma Shri in 2009 but returned the award in 2015 as a mark of protest against the “growing intolerance” in the country. A lecturer in Physics, he started his writing career in the late sixties.

Eminent author, documentary filmmaker and journalist Geeta Mehta passed away at her residence in New Delhi in September. Daughter of Odisha’s former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik, Geeta was one among three siblings, including Prem Patnaik and incumbent Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. She was married to renowned American publisher late Sonny Mehta. The books written by her include Karma Cola, Snake and Ladders, A River Sutra, Raj and The Eternal Ganesha. She also produced and directed at least 14 television documentaries for UK, European, and US networks.

Noted writer Hussain Rabi Gandhi passed away while undergoing treatment at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack city in January. The former president of Odisha Sahitya Akademi, Hussain basically wrote in Odia language and was conferred with the Secular India Harmony Award by the former President Giani Zail Singh in 1993 and the Gangadhar Meher Kabita award in 2015 for his notable contributions to the field of Odia poetry. Inspired by Biju Patnaik, he joined the Janata Dal in 1988 and was the general secretary of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on its formation in 1998 and continued to hold the post till 2005. He was one of the founding members of the party.

Sarat Chandra Pradhan, the man credited with writing the most comprehensive Odia Bhasakosha, passed away in Cuttack in January. The 10 volumes of the Bhasakosha were the result of 18 long years of untiring and sustained efforts by the eminent Odia littérateur. They contain five lakh Odia words on 11,000 pages, where each Odia word has its meaning in Odia, Bengali and English. It is regarded as the most comprehensive Bhasakosha after the Purnachandra Odia Bhashakosha of 1936. Pradhan taught Odia language and literature at several government colleges, including Ravenshaw, and universities across the state from 1959 to 1994. He retired as a professor from Sambalpur University in 1994 and served as a visiting professor at several universities until 2002.

Distinguished writer, critic and linguist Subhendra Mohan Srichandan Singh passed away following age-related ailments in November. Born on August 6, 1933 at Papsara village of Kishore Nagar block of Angul district, Singh was conferred with the prestigious ‘Bal Sahitya Puraskar’ by the Sahitya Akademi for his contribution in the field of children’s literature. He was also honoured by the Odisha Sahitya Akademi in 2010 for his book ‘Tikipari.’ Singh, who worked for several years with the Board of Secondary Education, Odisha, authored a large number of books.

Litterateur and mother of Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak’s Nirmalprava Nayak breathed her last while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar in February. A teacher by profession, she was conferred with the Sahitya Akademi award for her book ‘Sayanhara Smruti’. She had the donated the cash award of Rs 1 lakh to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. The book was unveiled by former Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and also translated into English. She had also authored several other books and contributed to various magazines.

Eminent Odia litterateur Tapan Patnaik passed away in a private hospital in Bhubaneswar in March. One of the most prolific and versatile Odia writers in recent times, Patnaik has contributed to poetry, fictions and plays. Writing for over five decades, he has produced 48 precious publications which include 30 books of poems, 5 books of lyrics, 11 fictions, and 2 plays. Poetry was a passion for him. His subjects varied from love to life, nature and philosophy. Several of his poems have been translated into English.

Noted journalist Basudev Mahapatra breathed his last in Odisha capital in May. He started his career as a print journalist and worked with different newspapers, including Dharitri. He shifted to broadcast medium and also served for some time as Editor of Naxatra News. Subsequently, he ran his own web news portal and freelanced with various national and local news platforms. A bilingual journalist with fluency in Odia and English, Basudev was known for his grassroots-level development reports and analysis. He also wrote a few articles for Odisha Bytes.

Senior journalist Sarat Mishra passed away in Bhubaneswar in November. He started his journalism career from Eastern Times. He went on to serve as editor of Odia daily newspaper ‘Samaj’ and also worked as editor of ‘Pratinidhi’ for some years. Mishra was also the founder editor of another Odia daily “Anupam Bharat”. Born in Ganjam district in 1936, Mishra is known for his expertise in both Odia and English journalism in Odisha.

PHYSICIANS

Renowned cardiologist Dr Jadunath Prasad Das passed away at the age of 90 in November. Born on August 5, 1933, Dr Das passed the HSC Examination from Ranihat High School, Cuttack and went to Ravenshaw College, Cuttack to do ISc. He completed MBBS from SCB Medical College, Cuttack in 1956. Dr Das was a distinguished Fellow of several medical societies. He was the 6th qualified cardiologist of India. He pioneered cardiology in Odisha and is considered as the “Father of Cardiology”. He worked as the Head of the Cardiology Department atSCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. He also set up a Cardiology Research Centre in Cuttack. He received numerous awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Cardiological Society of India.

Eminent surgeon and former Dean of Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital here Prof. (Dr) Dhirendra Kumar Ray passed away while under treatment at the SUM Ultimate Medicare in January. After graduating from SCB Medical College in 1968, he did his post-graduation in surgery from the same institute in 1973. He underwent higher training in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery at AIIMS, New Delhi, in 1986. He worked as Professor in Surgery at SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack and MKCG Medical College and Hospital, Behampur. He also served as Principal of SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack. and Director of Regional Spinal Injury Centre, Odisha, and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Institute of Paediatrics, Cuttack. He was interim Vice-Chancellor of Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar.

Noted medicine specialist Rajkishore Das passed away at his Tulasipur residence in Odisha’s Cuttack in September. His first posting was at SCB Medical College and Hospital (MCH) in Cuttack as blood officer in 1962. After around 8-10 months, he joined the erstwhile VSS Medical College and Hospital as a lecturer in medicine. Das then returned to Cuttack to pursue MD in Medicine. Thereafter, he continued at SCBMCH. He was the head of the department from 1990-1991, when he took voluntary retirement due to personal problems.

ACADEMICS

Internationally renowned Odisha-born philosopher Prof Jitendranath Mohanty passed away at his residence in Philadelphia in the United States on Dola Purnima in March. Born in 1928 at Chaudakulat in Kendrapara district, Prof Mohanty did his matriculation from Ravenshaw Collegiate at Cuttack, BA from Presidency College and MA in Philosophy from Calcutta University. He received his PhD from the University of Goettingen, Germany. He was Emeritus Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Temple University, USA. Prof Mohanty has authored more than 20 books and numerous articles on various topics of philosophy. His autobiography ‘Between Two Worlds: East and West’, written in English, was published in 2002.

Renowned scientist Dr Prafulla Kumar Jena died in March. He served as senior scientist at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Head of the Department of Metallurgy at Banaras Hindu University (BHU); Director, Regional Research Laboratory (RRL), Bhubaneswar; Director General, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi and First Distinguished Professor of the Tata Chair in Metallurgical Engineering at IIT, Kharagpur. As Founder Chairman of Institute of Advance Technology & Environmental Studies (IATES), Bhubaneswar, he has guided a number of projects related to waste management in sponge iron plant, water resource development programme and EIA/EMP studies at different mines of India. For his outstanding contribution to science and technology, Jena was conferred with National Metallurgist award in 1969, Padma Shri in 1977 and Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries award in 1982. He was a guest columnists with Odisha Bytes and contributed several articles on metallurgy and related topics.

Eminent educationist and mathematician Bishnu Prasad Acharya passed away in AIIMS, Bhubaneswar following a cardiac arrest in September. Prof Acharya, who had joined Utkal University in 1968, retired as a Professor in 2005 after an illustrious career during which he discharged multiple responsibilities and held important positions, including chairman of the PG council. Many of the books written by him have been included in syllabus of colleges, universities and engineering colleges. These include Fundamentals of Mathematics (vol 1 and 2), Topics in Mathematics (vol 1 and 2), Logic and Set Theory, Analytical Solid Geometry, A Course on Numerical Analysis and Topics Calculus. After retirement from Utkal University, he worked as professor in IIT Bhubaneswar and ITER in the state capital.

Educationist and vocalist Anima Kar, wife of former speaker of Odisha assembly Sarat Kar, passed away at her residence in Bhubaneswar in November. Anima was the Head of English Department in the erstwhile Rama Devi Women’s College. She also served as the acting principal of the college for a few months in 1997. She also taught at Shailabala Women’s College, Cuttack, and Puri Women’s College. She retired as director of Regional Directorate of Education in 1999. was a well-known vocalist and sang solos and duets with greats like Pranab Patnaik, Chittaranjan Jena, and Bhikari Bal. She sang regularly on All India Radio for almost four decades from 1960s to 1999.

FREEDOM FIGHTERS

Eminent freedom fighter and member of Bhoodan Movement Nishakar Das passed away in Odisha’s Koraput in May. He was 104. Das joined the freedom movement when he was just 15 years old. He was a member of the Banar Sena during Mahatma Gandhi’s visit to Odisha from May 5 to May 21, 1934. He was jailed several times during the freedom struggle. Later, the noted Gandhian joined Bhoodan Movement. He also worked for Swadeshi Jagaran and Gramya Swaraj.

Freedom fighter Makar Charan Das breathed his last while undergoing treatment at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack in August. A native of Hatabanapur, a small village/hamlet in Derabish tehsil in Kendrapada district, Das had joined the freedom struggle inspired by Mahatma Gandhi and was jailed for opposing the British rule. He was felicitated by the President on ‘August Kranti Divas’ in 2020 for his contribution to the freedom struggle.

SPORTS

Sanjay Satpathy, a former Ranji trophy player, passed away at Bhubaneswar in May. A doctor by profession, Satpathy worked at Ispat General Hospital, Rourkela, till retirement. He had then settled in Bhubaneswar and was associated with a few private hospitals here. An all-rounder, he had played 23 first-class matches, including one each against West Indies and Sri Lanka, in a career, spanning from 1965-66  to 1975-76. He also wrote short stories in Odia and English.