Dr. Benudhar Pradhan
Gandhian Par Excellence
By
Bikash Choudhury (Julu)
Benu Mamu
entered my world from the bed time stories of my mother especially about his
passion and devotion for academics. What I distinctly remember even after four
decades is about an incident about Dr. Benudhar Pradhan’s school days. Once he
got up late and was furious with her adoring mother for not wakening him up in
time to catch the boat to reach school in time at the other end of the river
“Luna”. Not to be undone, he simply clutched his Dhoti in one hand and Bastani
in another and ran for the river embankment to catch the boat screaming at the
boat man at the top of his voice. Eventually, he got on the boat to reach
school on that day. His immense passion for academics and knowledge was our
inspirational anecdote drilled in our head by my mother to follow his
footsteps. He remained a very towering figure in our life. I had very close
interaction with him while I was staying with him for a year in his C-17 Utkal
University Campus residence at Vani Vihar. He was a man of simple habits and
unaustentious life style. He was a novelty among his students as I came to know
much later from my friends who were his students in Political Science
Department at Vani Vihar; he was loved and much admired for his Gandhian way of
life. He not only preached Gandhi; but, lived exactly the same way throughout
his life. At that time he was the lone professor who wear coarse Khadi trouser
and shirt for his classes in the PG department and in other private occasions he
would wear simple Khadi Dhoti and Kurta. He used to get up sharp 4 am in the
morning in all seasons and weather conditions and while in Bhubaneswar used to
walk barefoot up to Baya Baba Matha for his daily Puja; in the Utkal University
Campus people seen to adjust their watch in the morning seeing him. I was privy
to this as he used to unfailingly give a knock at my door to get up and prepare
for my exams. In his life time he never ever owns an automobile and prefers to
walk the city with an umbrella or use the public transport. He was the original
Aam Admi who never liked flaunt his
knowledge or position. His passion for knowledge was infectious and his
collection of books & periodicals fit for a state library. I was the only
one who loved to use his chamber in his absence as I always felt a charm and
serenity in that four walls which I have not discovered anywhere else; and, used to devour his carefully archived “Illustrated
Weekly” & “Mainstream” magazines of older times; as I later inherited his
love for books and periodicals. His book collection gives a glimpse of his
interest and taste. After retirement from Utkal University he pooled his all the
earnings of his life time to start a Gandhi Research Institute at Wardha.in Maharashtra.
He dedicated his entire life for a higher cause; which many times family
members & ordinary souls fail to comprehend. I have not seen Gandhi Ji
walking this earth; but, I have seen a Gandhi in life and blood in Dr. Benudhar
Pradhan; who was my maternal uncle and with whom I had many differences as an
impetuous young man; but, I always felt his love and affection, which I would
fondly cherish throughout my life.
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