Harekrushna Mahatab facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Utkal Keshari
Harekrushna Mahatab
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ହରେକୃଷ୍ଣ ମହତାବ
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Mahatab on a 2000 stamp of India
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| 1st Chief Minister of Odisha | |
| In office 19 October 1956 – 25 February 1961 |
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| Preceded by | Nabakrushna Choudhuri |
| Succeeded by | Bijayananda Pattanaik |
| In office 26 January 1950 – 12 May 1950 |
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| Preceded by | Office Established (himself as Prime Minister of Orissa) |
| Succeeded by | Nabakrushna Choudhuri |
| 3rd Prime Minister of Orissa | |
| In office 23 April 1946 – 26 January 1950 |
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| Preceded by | Krushna Chandra Gajapati |
| Succeeded by | Posiiton Abolished (himself as Chief Minister of Orissa) |
| Governor of Bombay | |
| In office 2 March 1955 – 14 October 1956 |
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| Chief Minister | Morarji Desai |
| Preceded by | Girija Shankar Bajpai |
| Succeeded by | Sri Prakasa |
| Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha | |
| In office 1952–1955 |
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| Succeeded by | Nityanand Kanungo |
| Constituency | Cuttack |
| In office 1962–1967 |
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| Preceded by | Badakumar Pratap Gangadeb |
| Succeeded by | D. N. Deb |
| Constituency | Deogarh |
| Minister of Commerce and Industry of India | |
| In office 13 May 1950 – 26 December 1950 |
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| Preceded by | Syama Prasad Mukherjee |
| Succeeded by | Nityanand Kanungo |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Harekrushna Das
21 November 1899 Agarpada, Bengal Presidency, British India (now in Odisha) |
| Died | 2 January 1987 (aged 87) |
| Political party | Indian National Congress Orissa Jana Congress Janata Party |
| Spouse | Subhadra Devi |
| Children | Bhartruhari Mahtab |
| Alma mater | Ravenshaw College |
| Writing career | |
| Language | Odia, English |
| Period | Colonial/Post Colonial India |
| Genre | History, Biographies, Academic Theses |
| Subjects | Indian Politics, History |
| Notable works | Gaon Majlis |
| Notable awards | Sahitya Akademi Award |
| Source: [1] | |
Harekrushna Mahatab (born Harekrushna Das, 21 November 1899 – 2 January 1987) was an important leader of the Indian National Congress. He played a big role in India's fight for freedom. He served as the Chief Minister of Odisha twice. His first term was from 1946 to 1950, and his second was from 1956 to 1961. People often called him "Utkal Keshari," which means "Lion of Utkal" (Utkal is an old name for Odisha).
Contents
Early Life and Education
Harekrushna Mahatab was born in Agarpada village in the Bhadrak district of Odisha. His parents were Krushna Charan Das and Tohapha Debi. He was adopted by his grandfather, Jaganath Mahtab, who was a local landlord.
After finishing high school at Bhadrak High School, he started college at Ravenshaw College in Cuttack. However, he left his studies in 1921. He did this to join the movement for India's independence from British rule.
Political Journey
Harekrushna Mahatab began his political journey early. In 1922, he was put in prison. He was accused of speaking out against the British government. From 1924 to 1928, he was the Chairman of the Balasore District Board. In 1924, he also became a member of the Bihar and Odisha Council.
He joined the Salt Satyagraha in 1930, a famous protest led by Mahatma Gandhi. For this, he was imprisoned again. In 1932, he was arrested when the Congress party was banned. He also worked against untouchability in 1934. He opened his family's temple to everyone, which was a big step in Odisha. Later, he started the Gandhi Karma Mandir in Agarpada.
Mahatab led the Utkal Pradesh Congress Committee twice. He was also part of the Congress Working Committee for many years. In 1938, he suggested that the small princely states should join the larger Odisha Province. He was imprisoned again from 1942 to 1945 for joining the Quit India Movement. This movement demanded that the British leave India immediately.
Leading Odisha and India
Harekrushna Mahatab became the first Chief Minister of Odisha. He held this position from April 1946 to May 1950. After that, he served as the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry for India from 1950 to 1952. In 1952, he became the secretary general of the Congress Parliamentary Party.
From 1955 to 1956, he served as the Governor of Bombay (now Mumbai). After leaving this role, he returned to Odisha. He became the Chief Minister of Odisha again from 1956 to 1960. During his time as Chief Minister, he achieved many important things. He helped merge the former princely states into Odisha. He also moved the capital city from Cuttack to Bhubaneshwar. He played a key role in getting approval and starting the construction of the Hirakud Dam Project. This dam is very important for water and power in the region.
In 1962, he was elected to the Lok Sabha, which is one of the two houses of India's Parliament. He represented the Angul area. In 1966, he became the vice-president of the Indian National Congress. Later that year, he left the Congress party and led a new party called the Orissa Jana Congress. He was elected to the Odisha Legislative Assembly in 1967, 1971, and 1974. In 1976, he was imprisoned for protesting against a period of strict government rule in India, known as The Emergency.
Writing and Literary Works
Harekrushna Mahatab was also a talented writer and journalist. He founded the Prajatantra Prachar Samiti. In 1923, he started a weekly magazine called Prajatantra in Balasore. This magazine later became a daily newspaper. He was also the chief editor of a monthly journal called Jhankar. Additionally, he published and edited an English weekly paper called The Eastern Times.
He received the Sahitya Academy award in 1983. This award was for the third part of his well-known work, Gaon Majlis.
Awards and Recognition
Harekrushna Mahatab was the President of the Orissa Sahitya Academy and Sangit Natak Academy for some time. He received several honorary doctorate degrees. These included a Doctorate from Andhra University, a D.Litt. from Utkal University, and a Doctorate of Law from Sagar University.
The main public library in Odisha is named after him. It is called the Harekrushna Mahtab State Library. It was built in 1959 in Bhubaneswar, the state capital.
