Bhubaneswar: ‘Ajatshatru’, ‘Bino Master’ – this is how people all over the country remember Binayak Acharya, Odisha’s first chief minister. He remained in power for a very short time but left his mark for more than a lifetime as a passionate educationist and freedom fighter.
Born in 1918, he was closely associated with the Indian freedom struggle and actively participated in the Quit India movement, which had a marked impact on his birth city of Berhampur. Although he was deeply influenced by his father Raghunath Acharya, he was an independent-minded person.
A pragmatic leader with a lot of perseverance, Binayak Acharya started his career as an assistant teacher in a municipal school. Such was his dedication to the field of education, that he attracted students from all over Odisha. He laid a lot of emphasis on elementary education.
According to Dr Biswajit Roy, Trustee, Central Gandhi Smarak Nidhi, Odisha, Binayak Acharya made a significant contribution to the educational advancement of Odisha.
He was attracted to socialism and formed the Navotkal Sew Sangh to help the downtrodden. The Haridakhandi Math was established with his efforts to help poor students.
Binayak Acharya worked as a messenger for freedom fighters during the Quit India movement. In 1954, when language clashed broke out in southern Odisha, he led peace squads in the troubled areas and shocked upper class people by eating with lower caste communities.
He joined the Congress in 1961 but first entered the political limelight in 1967 when he defeated his powerful Jana Sangh rival by a huge margin.
He passed away on December 10, 1983, and left behind a legacy of being an exemplary leader who believed in inclusiveness.
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