Remembering "JB"

In the early hours of 21 April 2015, I was shocked to hear of the sad demise of Janaki Ballabh Patnaik.  Ever since, I have tried to console myself; after all death is the ultimate truth and “JB” as fondly known in the political circle lived a full and successful life; but it has been difficult, rather impossible to reconcile. He was a mentor, a friend-philosopher-guide, guardian and much more to me and to the people of Odisha and the loss will always remain irreparable. His death has left behind the feeling of a deep void within.

The outpouring of grief on the streets of Odisha bears testimony to the great-man’s legacy. He was truly a multi-faceted personality: eminent journalist, newspaper editor, political leader, literary giant and a spokesperson for Odisha’s culture and heritage and much has been said in the last few days highlighting these different facets.  I will look at JB’s political contribution in course of this write up.

Among the crowd of the grieving one could hardly not feel the deep sadness and sense of loss felt by the workers, leaders and supporters of the Congress Party. All the last three elections that Congress Party has won in Odisha were fought under JB’s leadership. The leaders who followed him could not repeat JB’s electoral success or make the party as strong and credible. The sense of nostalgia is palpable. JB was the ultimate party patriarch. He knew thousands of workers and leaders up to Panchayat level. His encyclopedic memory and understanding of grassroots situations meant that leaders could talk to him and immediately find a resonance. Always humble, polite and receptive, he stayed connected to the workers through thick and thin, built a formidable party organization and could never be replaced and can never be replaced. JB’s death gave an occasion for the Congress workers to express their gratitude and reciprocate.

I could see the gratitude in the eyes of thousands of Congress leaders, even those who may not have spared an opportunity to traduce the great soul. Let me look back a little beyond into history to explain how I understand the context of his emergence and his true contribution to the Congress Party.

In 1967 Odisha became the second state in India to elect a non-Congress Government. How did that take place? First came the resignation of Biju Patnaik under the Kamraj Plan and Biren Mitra became Chief Minister, then student agitation and allegation of corruption against the Biju-Biren duo. In the next few years many stalwarts of the Party in the state started drifting away from the Congress. For a while some of them under Biju floated Utkal Congress. Finally Nandini Devi became Chief Minister in 1972 after Biswanath Das and won the election in 1973, but she also left Congress after the emergency. Till JB became Chief Minister, no Chief Minister had completed a full five years term including Harekrushna Mahatab and Biju Patnaik. If one leader was made the Chief Minister, the rest ganged up; there was perennial power struggle within the Congress Party and political stability looked illusive. So, the fact that JB completed a full term in his first term (1980-1985) surprised pundits.

Anti-Congressism is not unknown to Odisha. Before creation of the modern state of Odisha on 1 April 1936 many in Odisha had felt that the Indian National Congress was too much under the control of Bengal leaders and therefore not willing to fully back and sympathize with the demand for a separate Odisha state. In the years after independence Congress enjoyed a virtual monopoly in the country and represented the national consensus. But, soon after Nehru’s death Congress started losing its monopoly and Kerala elected the communist government of E.M.S. Namboodripad, followed by Odisha. Swatantra Party consisting of rulers of former princely states mustered significant influence at a time when the public mood was against the Biju-Biren led Congress Party and Rajendra Narayan Singhdeo, a former Maharaja of Bolangir became the first non-Congress Chief Minister in 1967. By 1971 Mrs Indira Gandhi had established herself as the most popular leader in the country. She particularly held sway among the poor, adivasis and dalits. This then became the source of revival of the Congress Party in Odisha. Mrs Gandhi brought in Nandini Satpathy in 1972 as the new face to lead the Congress. However, anti-Congressism remained alive and grew during emergency. After the emergency Mrs Satpathy left the Congress and the party was again in search of a new leader. JB became the face Congress in Odisha since 1980, the longest that any leader could maintain such a position in the Congress Party in Odisha.

Political development in Odisha from 1964, i.e. Kamraj Plan and a strong sense of regional aspiration since the movement to create a separate state of Odisha on linguistic basis have ensured the emergence of a very strong anti-Congressim, particularly in coastal Odisha districts. These developments also created strong leaders opposing the Congress. Congress is not a regional party. The party’s functioning, whether in Government or outside, always gives rise to a group of dissidents. Ultimately, the final decision is always with the High Command and the dissidents were not infrequent visitors to Delhi. So, as the leader in-charge of the state unit JB had to deal with dissidents within the Party and a strong and vocal opposition outside the Party. This is why his political success was truly remarkable. He had to weather many storms to stay afloat.

JB became successful because he was a democrat and deeply intellectual. He tolerated opposition within the Party and outside. He had great administrative skills and great skills in floor management. Speaking in impeccable Odia, JB would defend the Government astutely and with great intellectual skill against bitter attack from a formidable opposition.

JB’s political legacy must be assessed in the context of his times. Here was a leader who withstood opposition within and without and persisted with an agenda of governance and development. He knew that the opposition was formidable, the circumstances adversarial and yet he maintained composure and kept persisting. I believe that JB’s success was inspired by a deep philosophical understanding of life derived from his reading of Hindu scriptures and unshakable faith in God and destiny. In that sense JB as a literary giant and JB as a great political leader are indistinguishable. Without formidable intellect and brilliance, he would not have been half as successful.

In my understanding JB was the most talented political leader that Odisha has produced, sad that the state did not benefit more from his commitment to the development of state.

The life of any great political leader is equally a reflection on the contemporaneous history and that is how I look back at JB’s contribution as a political leader. An era has ended. Congress Party will have to come to terms with the outpouring of emotions on the streets of Odisha by deciphering the meaning from the grief, from the tears and the chants of JB Patnaik…Amar Rahe…. What did JB mean to the ordinary Congress workers and how do they look at JB’s legacy? And what message do they have for the leaders and the Party?

His wise counsel will no longer be available to the Congress Party.