CM Majhi pays tribute to Pandit Nilakantha Das on birth anniversary
Synopsis
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on 5 August 2026 paid a devout tribute to Pandit Nilakantha Das — freedom fighter, educationist, and one of the principal architects of the separate Odisha province formed in 1936 — on his birth anniversary.
Key Takeaways
Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi paid tribute to Pandit Nilakantha Das on his birth anniversary on 5 August 2026 .
Pandit Nilakantha Das was a freedom fighter, educationist, and litterateur who was a key figure in the movement for a separate Odisha province.
Odisha was constituted as a separate linguistic province on 1 April 1936 , the first such province in India formed on a linguistic basis.
The tribute was posted in Odia on X, reflecting the CM's acknowledgement of the state's distinct cultural and linguistic identity.
Marking birth anniversaries of regional freedom fighters is a bipartisan tradition in Odisha's public life.
He helped draw the map of modern Odisha — and nearly a century later, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi paused on Wednesday, 5 August 2026, to honour the man who made it possible. On the birth anniversary of Pandit Nilakantha Das, the Chief Minister offered his reverent salute to the freedom fighter, educationist, and litterateur who stood at the forefront of the movement for a separate Odia province.
Posting in Odia, CM Majhi wrote: 'Pandit Nilakantha Dasanku jayantire bhaktiputa pranama' — a devout salutation on the birth anniversary of the distinguished freedom fighter, architect of the separate Odisha province, educationist, and literary figure.
The man who fought for Odisha's identity
Pandit Nilakantha Das occupies a singular place in Odia history. He was among the key leaders who sustained the linguistic and cultural agitation that ultimately led to Odisha being constituted as a separate province on 1 April 1936 — the first province in India carved out on a linguistic basis. That date is now observed as Utkal Dibasa, Odisha's foundation day, and Das's contribution to that achievement is inseparable from the story of the state itself. Beyond politics, Das was a man of letters and learning — an educationist and litterateur whose work shaped Odia cultural consciousness at a time when the language and its speakers were fighting for recognition against the administrative dominance of neighbouring provinces.A tradition of remembrance in Odisha's public life
CM Majhi's tribute fits a long-standing practice across Odisha's political landscape. State leaders — regardless of party — have consistently marked the birth anniversaries of regional freedom fighters and architects of state formation. The gesture keeps alive the memory of figures whose struggles predate and, in many ways, enabled the institutional Odisha that exists today. For the BJP-led government in Bhubaneswar, honouring Pandit Nilakantha Das also underscores a broader effort to root the party's identity in Odia pride and the state's distinct civilisational heritage. The legacy of 1936 is not merely historical footnote — it is the foundation on which every subsequent Odisha government has stood. Remembering the men who built it is the least the present owes the past.Point of View
Where honouring architects of the 1936 province serves as a marker of Odia identity. For the BJP, which is a relative newcomer to Odisha's dominant political space, such tributes help the party embed itself in the state's deep cultural memory. The choice to post in Odia rather than Hindi or English is itself a signal — one directed squarely at the Odia-speaking electorate. The broader pattern suggests that in linguistically conscious states, custodianship of regional heritage remains a live political asset.
NationPress
5 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Pandit Nilakantha Das?
Pandit Nilakantha Das was a prominent Odia freedom fighter, educationist, and literary figure who played a key role in the movement for a separate Odisha province, which was achieved on 1 April 1936.
Why is Pandit Nilakantha Das important to Odisha?
He was one of the principal architects of the movement that led to Odisha being carved out as a separate linguistic province in 1936 — the first such province in India formed on a linguistic basis.
What did CM Mohan Charan Majhi post about Pandit Nilakantha Das?
On 5 August 2026, CM Majhi posted a tribute in Odia on X offering a devout salutation to Pandit Nilakantha Das on his birth anniversary, describing him as a distinguished freedom fighter, educationist, and litterateur.
When was Odisha formed as a separate province?
Odisha was constituted as a separate province on 1 April 1936 , following a sustained linguistic and cultural agitation by Odia leaders including Pandit Nilakantha Das.
What is Utkal Dibasa?
Utkal Dibasa is Odisha's foundation day, observed on 1 April each year to mark the formation of the separate Odisha province in 1936.
