Pradeep Biswal

My first encounter with Dr. Prasanna Kumar Patasani

In mid seventies a literary function was organised on the outskirts of Jajpur Road under the auspices of ‘Chalapath’, a local literary organisation floated by a journalist Haladhar Dhir. It was held in the premises of Dolipur CT School. Now it’s a DIET. Sibaram Sahu, father of actress Niharika Sahu, was the Headmaster. The then Chief Minister Smt. Nandini Satpathy and her father noted writer Kalindi Charan Panigrahi graced the occasion.

This was my first exposure to a literary function as a budding poet. Senior writers from different parts of the state attended the event and I could see many of them for the first time. I developed friendship with some of them in course of the day. One of them was Prasanna Kumar Patasani, a leftist poet and editor of a literary journal named ‘Bela’ from Balugaon. We exchanged letters at regular intervals and stayed connected. His poems were being published in different journals and I liked them. Gradually, contact through letters got irregular just because I was busy for my graduation examination.

In July 1979 I got admitted in Utkal University for my post graduation studies. One day I came across an advertisement for a short term course on journalism conducted by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bhubaneswar. I got admitted for the course. Dr Bhabagrahi Mishra who was then returned from abroad was the Course Director.

One evening while waiting for the town bus at the old bus stand to return to the university campus I noticed a familiar face. It was Prasanna Kumar Patasani, fondly called Prasanna Bhai. He was also surprised to see me there.

After initial exchange of pleasantries we boarded the bus together and sat next to each other. He was supposed to get down near Ramadevi Women’s College, now University, since he was staying in Shahid Nagar area nearby. But he insisted me to get down with him there and go to his place since we were meeting after years.

I obliged and we reached the place. It was the office cum residence of Maharshi Mahesh Yogi Sansthan in Odisha. It revealed that in the meantime he has joined this organisation as a trainer to teach Yoga to at least twenty persons a month for which he was getting some honorarium. Side by side he had joined politics and was the President of Youth Congress of undivided Puri district.

After we checked in he asked the cook cum attendant to serve food to both of us. Simple Khichri was served in two plates for both of us and after getting freshen up we seated to take it.

Suddenly the head of the organisation there appeared and started abusing Prasanna Bhai for not submitting his monthly progress reports and using the office and time for his political activities.

It was unthinkable and we were dumbfounded. I was very angry. Prasanna Bhai asked me to take food and I had no choice. But he was digesting the abuses with a little resistance. I felt drowsy and slept over a sofa in the drawing room. Next day morning I found him sleeping on another sofa in the same room. I woke him up to take leave. Last night’s incident was like a bad dream. While parting with him I requested him to live the organisation and sooner the better.

Few months later, general election to the legislative assembly was announced. Prasanna Bhai got a ticket from Congress party for the coveted Khurda constituency and got elected. After he became an MLA felicitations started from different quarters and it was rumoured that he would be the Culture Minister.

I had the occasion to attend such a meeting in the residence of Dr Krushna Prasad Mishra, a leading short story writer and editor of a literary journal named ‘Manas’. He was then Professor and Head of Philosophy Department in the University. There I found those Mahesh Yogi fellows surrounding Prasanna Bhai and claiming that he was their man.

It was announced in the said meeting that Mahesh Yogi had a lot of projects to be started in Odisha and as a first step a college would be established in Bhubaneswar. No wonder, within a year or so the Maharshi College of Natural Law was started in a prime locality of Bhubaneswar and Prasanna Bhai became its President.

Although Prasanna Bhai was under the good book of the Chief Minister but he failed to get a berth in the ministry. Instead he was appointed as President of the Land Development Bank. He got a bungalow in Forest Park and it was always crowded with people of all sorts, writers and editors, contractors, suppliers, politicians and businessmen. He remained busy always and had no time to write poetry.

He became President of dozens of private colleges in his area and even starting one in his name. He became Chief Editor of dozens of magazines. People tried to influence him and get things done through him. At that point of time he wanted a stenographer to take dictation of poems and it led to a comic situation where poems were circulated in his name and he had no time or patience to go through it.

Over the time his attire and attitude changed. He got appreciation by reciting instant poems in the floor of the Assembly. He started wearing orange colour dress and carry a stick said to be gifted to him by Maharshi Mahesh Yogi. People started taking him seriously as a Yogi and take his blessings touching his feat. No wonder he was living a healthy family life with wife and children.

My relationship with him in these years was quite cordial. Even when he was newly elected MLA and he had no vehicle of his own one day he took me on a bicycle from Kalpana Area to his quarters and I stayed the night there. Then I was a vegetarian. That day it was crab curry in his house and there was no veg item. Since he was from Chilka coast he was fond of delicacies made of crab. He is a voracious eater.

I was very hungry and had to be satisfied with plain rice almost without anything. He was so engrossed in enjoying the crab curry that he failed to notice my plight.

One evening he arrived at the D/6 Kalpana Flat residence of Rabindra Nath Das, an OAS officer and a writer of repute, who was one of his close confidants. He suddenly announced that he had a talk with Maharshi over phone that day and he was going to be conferred with Ph.D by their University in Switzerland.

Then my opinion was sought whether a honorary doctorate would be sufficient or he would submit a dissertation and acquire a degree. I suggested for the second one and we started for Maharshi College. The Principal was summoned from his house nearby and he was given the responsibility to prepare the documents for the purpose. Ultimately he proceeded to Switzerland and was conferred with the degree by Maharshi himself in a solemn ceremony. Dr was then prefixed to his name.

Subsequently, he acquired PhD and DLit from Utkal University and legitimised his status as a scholar and intellectual. At the same time he prefixed Professor to his name ostensibly claiming to teach Yoga in different universities abroad.

Everything was not smooth for him at a time. In an accident he lost both of his eyes and got hospitalised for months. Finally, Maharshi Mahesh Yogi came to his rescue. He had to proceed abroad and got eye transplantation done.

He also fell from the grace of the CM and denied party ticket in the next election. He had to fight as an independent candidate and with support from the opposition he won the election. But the ordeal was not over. He was forcibly thrown out of his government quarters and he made it an issue. He constructed his own house with help of his followers and admirers which was inaugurated by Radhanath Rath, Editor of daily Samaj, who was known to be opposed to the ruling party.

In 1986 Dr Prasanna Patasani attended my marriage reception at our village and became a star attraction there. People gathered around him instead of taking the food.

Subsequently, he switched to Janata Dal under Biju Patnaik and became a cabinet minister under him in 1990. He continued to be elected from Khurda continuously until he was sent to Loka Sabha by Biju Janata Dal for more than once. Dr Patasani enjoyed political power for almost four decades until denied a party ticket few years back.

Presently, he is without a position but still he enjoys the popularity across the State. My personal relationship with him started waning after he got engaged in power politics and we used to meet occasionally in the Secretariat corridors or some public functions.

In his usual style he cordially greets me with warmth and affection as before. I reciprocate it in the same way. I wish he comes back to poetry once again and speaks out his heart without pretensions forgetting the sainthood or the fake world of power and politics.

The Story is Second in a series of articles.

(Mr. Pradeep Biswal is a bilingual poet writing both in Odia and English. His poems are widely anthologised. He is also an editor and translator of repute. A retired IAS Officer, Shri Biswal presently holds the position of Member, Odisha Real Estate Regulatory Authority and stays with his family at Bhubaneswar).

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

17 COMMENTS

  4. Interesting read.
    Prasanna Patsani wrote some of his best poems during his hospitalisation in SCB Medical College when he had almost lost his eyesight, in my opinion.

  5. Beautiful but simple narratives on the recollections of events on the literary journey shared with the multifaceted news maker of present day Odisha Politics,” fondly called as Chicken Baba” along side his political ups and downs, successfully manages to hold the moods of the reader.

  7. Really wonderful to read about poet cum politician’s life who is popularly known as Prasanna bhai. I appreciate Biswal sab who is not only a competent administrator but an erudite scholar and down to earth person also. I am happy to have friend like him.
    This para has greatly attracted me, “OVER THE TIME HIS ATTIRE AND ATTITUDE CHANGED. HE GOT APPRECIATION BY RECITING INSTANT POEMS IN THE FLOOR OF THE ASSEMBLY. HE STARTED WEARING ORANGE COLOUR DRESS AND CARRY A STICK SAID TO BE GIFTED TO HIM BY MAHARSHI MAHESH YOGI. PEOPLE STARTED TAKING HIM SERIOUSLY AS A YOGI AND TAKE HIS BLESSINGS TOUCHING HIS FEAT. NO WONDER HE WAS LIVING A HEALTHY FAMILY LIFE WITH WIFE AND CHILDREN”.
    Congratulation Biswal Sahab.

  9. What a life journey . Power politics of a poet who ran after position and recognitions .A true poet will never stop writing moreover being a Yogi himself .
    Hope he writes about his spiritual realizations and his struggling spirit a very well penned article and an interesting read .
    Thank you for introducing a politician with poetry in his subconscious level but how ambition for political posts darkened the inborn literary landscape he is blessed with.

  14. Very nicely composed.. some unknown facts about Dr.Kabi and Politician known …Thanks for the sharing

  15. It’s a destiny designed journey .. birds of a feather .. lively narrative .. many more expected … Regards

Comments are closed.