Harekrushna Mahatab
Encyclopedia
Harekrushna Mahatab was a leader of the Indian National Congress
, a notable figure in the Indian independence movement
and the Chief Minister of Orissa
from 1946 to 1950 and again from 1956 to 1961. He was popularly known by the sobriquet Utkal Keshari.
. He was born to Krushna Charan Das and Tohapha Debi. After passing his matriculation examination from Bhadrak High School, he joined Ravenshaw College
, Cuttack
but left his studies in 1921 to join the independence movement.
movement and was imprisoned again in 1930. He was elected as the General Officer Commanding of Congress Sevadal for the AICC
session at Puri in 1932 and he was arrested when the party was banned. He participated in the movement against untouchability
in 1934 and opened his ancestral temple to all for the first time in Orissa. Later, he started Gandhi Karma Mandir at Agarpada. He was the President of Utkal Pradesh Congress Committee from 1930 to 1931 and again in 1937. He was nominated to the Congress Working Committee by Subhas Chandra Bose in 1938 and continued till 1946 and again from 1946 to 1950. He was the President of State Peoples' Enquiry Committee in 1938 and recommended cancellation of Sanada of the rulers and merger of the erstwhile princely states with Orissa Province. He participated in the Quit India Movement
in 1942 and was imprisoned from 1942 to 1945.
Mahatab was the Chief Minister of Orissa from April 23, 1946 to May 12, 1950. He was the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry from 1950 to 1952. He became the secretary general of the Congress Parliamentary Party in 1952. He was the Governor of Bombay from 1955 to 1956. After resigning from Governorship in 1956, he again became the Chief Minister of Orissa from 1956 to 1960. During his tenures as the Chief Minister, he played significant role in the merger and integration of former princely states, shifting of the capital from Cuttack
to Bhubaneshwar and the sanction and construction of the multi-purpose Hirakud Dam Project. He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1962 and became the vice-president of the Indian National Congress in 1966. In 1966, he resigned from the Congress and led the Orissa Jana Congress
. He was elected to the Orissa Legislative Assembly in 1967, 1971 and 1974. He was imprisoned in 1976 for protesting against the emergency.
He was the governor of Bombay state from 2 March 1955 to 14 October 1956.
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
, a notable figure in the Indian independence movement
Indian independence movement
The term Indian independence movement encompasses a wide area of political organisations, philosophies, and movements which had the common aim of ending first British East India Company rule, and then British imperial authority, in parts of South Asia...
and the Chief Minister of Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
from 1946 to 1950 and again from 1956 to 1961. He was popularly known by the sobriquet Utkal Keshari.
Early life
Harekrushna Mahtab was born at Agarpada village in Bhadrak district of OrissaOrissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
. He was born to Krushna Charan Das and Tohapha Debi. After passing his matriculation examination from Bhadrak High School, he joined Ravenshaw College
Ravenshaw College
Ravenshaw College is located in Cuttack, India.The college was established in 1878 for Thomas Edward Ravenshaw, a descendant of William Withers...
, Cuttack
Cuttack
Cuttack is the former capital of the state of Orissa, India. It is the headquarters of Cuttack district and is located about 20 km to the north east of Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa. The name of the city is an anglicised form of Kataka that literally means The Fort, a reference to the...
but left his studies in 1921 to join the independence movement.
Political career
In 1922, he was imprisoned and charged of sedition. He was the Chairman of Balasore District Board from 1924 to 1928. He became the member of Bihar and Orissa Council in 1924. He joined the Salt SatyagrahaSalt Satyagraha
The Salt March, also known as the Salt Satyagrahah began with the Dandi March on March 12, 1930, and was an important part of the Indian independence movement. It was a campaign of tax resistance and nonviolent protest against the British salt monopoly in colonial India, and triggered the wider...
movement and was imprisoned again in 1930. He was elected as the General Officer Commanding of Congress Sevadal for the AICC
All India Congress Committee
The All India Congress Committee is the Presidium or central decision-making assembly of the Indian National Congress Party. It is composed of members elected from State-level Pradesh Congress Committees and can have as many as a thousand members...
session at Puri in 1932 and he was arrested when the party was banned. He participated in the movement against untouchability
Untouchability
Untouchability is the social practice of ostracizing a minority group by segregating them from the mainstream by social custom or legal mandate. The excluded group could be one that did not accept the norms of the excluding group and historically included foreigners, nomadic tribes, law-breakers...
in 1934 and opened his ancestral temple to all for the first time in Orissa. Later, he started Gandhi Karma Mandir at Agarpada. He was the President of Utkal Pradesh Congress Committee from 1930 to 1931 and again in 1937. He was nominated to the Congress Working Committee by Subhas Chandra Bose in 1938 and continued till 1946 and again from 1946 to 1950. He was the President of State Peoples' Enquiry Committee in 1938 and recommended cancellation of Sanada of the rulers and merger of the erstwhile princely states with Orissa Province. He participated in the Quit India Movement
Quit India Movement
The Quit India Movement , or the August Movement was a civil disobedience movement launched in India in August 1942 in response to Mohandas Gandhi's call for immediate independence. Gandhi hoped to bring the British government to the negotiating table...
in 1942 and was imprisoned from 1942 to 1945.
Mahatab was the Chief Minister of Orissa from April 23, 1946 to May 12, 1950. He was the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry from 1950 to 1952. He became the secretary general of the Congress Parliamentary Party in 1952. He was the Governor of Bombay from 1955 to 1956. After resigning from Governorship in 1956, he again became the Chief Minister of Orissa from 1956 to 1960. During his tenures as the Chief Minister, he played significant role in the merger and integration of former princely states, shifting of the capital from Cuttack
Cuttack
Cuttack is the former capital of the state of Orissa, India. It is the headquarters of Cuttack district and is located about 20 km to the north east of Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa. The name of the city is an anglicised form of Kataka that literally means The Fort, a reference to the...
to Bhubaneshwar and the sanction and construction of the multi-purpose Hirakud Dam Project. He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1962 and became the vice-president of the Indian National Congress in 1966. In 1966, he resigned from the Congress and led the Orissa Jana Congress
Orissa Jana Congress
Orissa Jana Congress , a political party in the Indian state of Orissa. Jana Congress was formed in 1966 when Harekrushna Mahatab left Indian National Congress. After the 1967 elections Jana Congress took part in a coalition government in the state together with Swatantra Party...
. He was elected to the Orissa Legislative Assembly in 1967, 1971 and 1974. He was imprisoned in 1976 for protesting against the emergency.
He was the governor of Bombay state from 2 March 1955 to 14 October 1956.