SRADHANJALI TO A TEACHER OF EMINENCE

                                                     Bikash Choudhury

Raju Naik National Foundation organized a “Sradhanjali” for a teacher of eminence and Gandhian by choice Dr. Benudhar Pradhan on 4^th February 2013 at Bharat Scouts and Guides conference hall in the evening. Dr. Pradhan, former Professor of Political Science in Utkal Univesity passed away on 25^th January 2013 at his eldest son’s residence at Benaras. In recent times, we rarely see such a passionate congregation to offer Sradhanjali for a teacher where his students, co-workers, peers, friends, family and admirers vie to speak a few words for the departed soul. Prof. Pradhan touched many human lives, established a chord and altered their Ideas about life and living in a very substantive manner for which he would be remembered always. Undoubtedly, he was a unique teacher on many counts than one. He had seer depth of knowledge in his domain and accumulated incites drawn out of extensive research done on political thoughts of Nehru and Gandhi. Apart from his knowledge, he was known in the campus of Vani Vihar of Utkal University for his simple and down to earth Gandhian lifestyle. He was the cynosure of the city for his early morning walk on bare foot to Bayababa Matha a good 2.5 Km from his residence in Vani Vihar. He kept his schedule unaltered until he moved out of Vani Vihar soon after his retirement. He had a dream, vision and plan for Utkal University and its campus Vani Vihar in lines of ancient university of “Nalanda” which he wrote about many times in Odiya Daily “The Samaj” and that remained unacknowledged and largely ignored by the authorities of the time who were too well known to him and apparently, therefore never consider him for the position of Vice-Chancellor; otherwise, Utkal University would have been in a different avatar much different from, as we see it today. He was an ace academician and highly competent educational administrator with profound knowledge on Gandhian Economic Model; which remain largely unexplored owing to the politics or lack of it in his times. He never approached any body for any personal favors though many in the power structure of his time would have been obliged to do so. In the fag end of his life, he tried his best to give shape to a plan for a Rural University and a Hospital at Kendrapada which remain till now on paper. A Rural University on Gandhian Economic Model could be a game changer not only for the coastal district of Odisha but all across the World as Global slow down stares all of us on the face which is due to less than perfect allocation of resources which has widened the gap between rich and poor, haves and have nots’ and educated & illiterate and crooks and straight. Prof. Pradhan may have passed away as an unsung hero (he may not have liked any other way) but, his life and work would continue to inspire and drive a large humanity as Jesus Christ, Aristotle and Leonard Davinci were feted after their lives; that would remain an unexplained and incomprehensible paradox for times to come.