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Bhakta Charan Das | |
---|---|
MP, 9th, 11th and 15th Lok Sabha, | |
In office 2009–2014 | |
Preceded by | Bikram Keshari Deo |
Succeeded by | Arka Keshari Deo |
Constituency | Kalahandi |
Spokesperson and General Secretary All India Congress Committee | |
Minister of State Ministry of Railways (India) | |
In office 1990–1991 | |
Deputy Minister Ministry of Youth Affairs &Sports (India) | |
In office 1989–1990 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Bhawanipatna,Odisha,India | 26 November 1958
Political party | Indian National Congress |
Other political affiliations | Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya) (1989–1996) |
Spouse | Smt. Sunanda Das |
Children | 2 Sons |
Alma mater | Sambalpur University |
Profession | Social Worker,Advocate,Journalist |
Website | www.bhaktadas.in |
Source: |
Bhakta Charan Das (born 26 November 1958) is an Indian politician. He was a member of the Indian Parliament and represented the Kalahandi constituency in the 15th Lok Sabha. [1]
Das graduated from the Sambalpur University and,with a background in Law,worked as an advocate before joining politics.
Bhakta Charan Das made significant contributions to ensuring basic rights,entitlements,and nature conservation,serving as an inspiration to others. In 1977,he joined the Yuva Chhatra Sangharsh Bahini,the student wing of the JP movement. Through this organization,he initiated efforts against widespread corruption and advocated for the basic rights of marginalized communities. Under his leadership,the organization successfully campaigned for the employment of local youths from nearby districts in the Indravati Hydro and Irrigation Project.
Das led the "SAVE FOREST" movement in a peaceful and non-violent manner,raising awareness about the adverse effects of deforestation,including ecological imbalances,climate warming,and reduced rainfall,which would threaten agriculture and food security for thousands in the area. He encouraged forest dwellers,including primitive tribes,to protect the forest and wildlife from illegal timber contractors and corrupt forest officials. Das also opposed the government's policy of auctioning timber trees,threatening the District Forest Administration over this issue. Despite the government's auctions of timber and bamboo,contractors were prevented from entering the forest by the forest dwellers and nearby villagers. Within a few months,the movement gained widespread support,significantly aiding in forest conservation.
In 1983,Das championed the farmers movement by initiating an agitation in the district to advocate for waiving bank loans for marginal farmers affected by drought in Kalahandi and other districts. He was supported by Shri Kishan Pattnaik,a veteran socialist leader and then Member of Parliament from Sambalpur Constituency. Das organized peaceful protests at the district headquarters and Block Development Offices (B.D.O.s) across the district. Numerous farmers' rallies were held,attracting thousands of participants and transforming the movement into a mass protest. The state government,under significant pressure,conceded to some of the farmers' demands.
As an MLA,Das extensively toured the entire district,including many inaccessible areas that had not been visited by any elected representatives or officials since independence. Despite significant hardships,he not only visited these areas but also involved district administration officials in these visits. Das engaged in a prolonged and dedicated effort,employing various methods to draw attention from the press,media,administration,and the government. He and his activists organized numerous peaceful protests,bandhs,road blockades,and hunger strikes,which were prominently covered by leading magazines and newspapers nationwide.
In the Odisha Legislative Assembly,Das consistently highlighted the dire conditions faced by millions in his district,bringing significant attention to the issues of Kalahandi. His efforts ensured that the Kalahandi issue frequently dominated discussions in the Assembly,ultimately drawing national attention to the region's plight.
At the age of 30,Das was selected by the Janata Party to contest the 1989 Lok Sabha election from the Kalahandi constituency. He won by a large margin and was appointed Deputy Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs in the Union Ministry under Prime Minister V.P. Singh. Despite the short tenure of only five months,his performance was notable.
After the V.P. Singh government fell,a new government was formed under Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar,and Das was appointed Minister of State for Railways. During this brief period,he made significant contributions,including the surveying and approval of new railway lines by the Planning Commission,their inclusion in the Union Railway Budget,the introduction of new trains on various routes,and the modernization of railway stations with improved technologies and amenities.
Throughout his career,Das consistently advocated for the rights of tribal communities,farmers,and other marginalized groups. His efforts in 2012–13 resulted in Odisha farmers receiving over Rs 500 crore from the National Crop Insurance Scheme. Between 2009 and 2014,he was instrumental in securing several road,irrigation,and railway projects for the Kalahandi and Nuapada districts.
In 2003,Vedanta signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government of Odisha for an alumina refinery at Lanjigarh and bauxite mining from Niyamgiri. Das played a crucial role in protecting Niyamgiri and the rights of the local inhabitants,particularly the Dongaria Kondhs,for whom Niyamgiri is a vital source of sustenance and holds religious significance.
Das supported the local community's cause over Vedanta's interests,opposing investment and mining projects in an era when many politicians were favoring such initiatives. After a prolonged struggle by various civil society groups and the local community,Das regularly informed Smt. Sonia Gandhi,the President of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) and Chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA),about the situation. She pledged her full support for the tribal cause.
Subsequently,Sh. Rahul Gandhi,MP and General Secretary of the AICC,visited Niyamgiri Hills despite security concerns raised by the Special Protection Group (SPG) and local administration. He engaged with the tribal communities,listened to their accounts of mistreatment by Vedanta,and expressed solidarity with them,describing himself as their "Sipahi" (soldier) in Delhi.
Das and his activists conducted the movement in a peaceful and non-violent manner,adhering to Gandhian principles. They succeeded in bringing attention to Vedanta's illegal activities at the national government level.
Das supported Jamguda village in the Kalahandi district to secure the right to sell bamboo from natural forests under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) of 2006,making it the first village in Odisha and the second in India to do so. He exerted pressure on the Odisha government through press conferences for the proper implementation of the act. His efforts facilitated a significant bamboo business for forest dwellers in Odisha,valued at 100 crore rupees.
As a result of his advocacy,two central ministers,Jayaram Ramesh and V. Kishore Chandra Deo,along with Odisha's Revenue Minister Surya Narayan Patra,visited Jamguda village. On March 4,2013,they ensured the approval of bamboo sales by the Jamguda Gram Sabha.
Ganjam district is a district in the Indian state of Odisha. Ganjam's total area is 8,206 km²(3,168 mi²). The district headquarters is Chhatrapur. Ganjam is divided into three sub-divisions Chhatrapur,Berhampur,and Bhanjanagar. The Imperial Gazetteer of India 1908 lists Ganjam,along with the Thanjavur and South Canara districts,as the three districts of the Madras Presidency where Brahmins were most numerous. As of 2011 it is the most populous district of Odisha.
Kalahandi district is a district of western Odisha in India.
Angul district;also known as Anugul,is one of the thirty districts of Odisha in eastern India. The city of Angul is the district headquarters of Angul district. A major industrial hub of the state,the district hosts numerous industries relating to coal,bauxite and steel apart from extensive forests including the Satkosia Tiger Reserve.
Nuapada district is an area of Odisha state in India. Nuapada town is the headquarters of the district. It has one subdivision:Nuapada,and five blocks:Khariar,Sinapali,Boden,Komna,and Nuapada. Nuapada District has three Notified Area Councils:Khariar,Khariar Road,and Nuapada,six tehsils and more villages such as Gandabahali,Tukla,Hatibandha,Duajher,Bargaon,Tarbod,Udyanbandh,and Larka.
Khonds are an indigenous Adivasi tribal community in India. Traditionally hunter-gatherers,they are divided into the hill-dwelling Khonds and plain-dwelling Khonds for census purposes,but the Khonds themselves identify by their specific clans. Khonds usually hold large tracts of fertile land,but still practice hunting,gathering,and slash-and-burn agriculture in the forests as a symbol of their connection to,and as an assertion of their ownership of the forests wherein they dwell. Khonds speak the Kui language and write it in the Odia script.
Bhawanipatna is a city and the headquarter of Kalahandi district in the state of Odisha,India. Bhawanipatna has numerous temples dedicated to different deities of the Hindu pantheon. It is named after the presiding deity,Bhawani-Shankar,and Patna,which means "place" in Odia.
Sambalpur is the fifth largest city in the Indian State of Odisha. It is located on the banks of river Mahanadi,with a population of 335,761. Prehistoric settlements have been recorded there. It is the home of the Sambalpuri sari.
Vedanta Resources Limited is a diversified mining company headquartered in London,United Kingdom. It is the largest mining and non-ferrous metals company in India and has mining operations in Australia and Zambia and oil and gas operations in three countries. Its main products are Zinc,Lead,Silver,Oil &Gas,Iron Ore,Steel,Aluminium and Power. It has also developed commercial power stations in India in Odisha and Punjab.
Nabakrushna Choudhuri was an Indian politician and activist. He served as Chief Minister of the Indian state of Odisha. He was a freedom fighter who participated in the Non-cooperation Movement,the Civil Disobedience movement,and the Peasant movement.
Junagarh is a town and a notified area council in Kalahandi district in the Indian state of Odisha. MLA of Junagarh is Captain Divya Shankar Mishra. It was the capital of the former state of Kalahandi. Junagarh is 26 km from Bhawanipatna,connecting National Highway 201.This highway recently has been termed as National Highway 26.
Kalpnath Rai was an Indian politician. He served as a member of the Rajya Sabha between 1974–80,1980–86,and 1986–92,as well as being elected on four occasions to the Lok Sabha from the Ghosi constituency in the state of Uttar Pradesh. He was a minister in various national Congress (I) governments.
Bhubaneswar Behera was an engineer,writer and scholar from the Kalahandi district of Odisha.
Sriballav Panigrahi was an Indian politician,a leader of the Indian National Congress party in Odisha and was a member of the All India Congress Committee (AICC). He was elected to the Parliament of India from the Deogarh Lok Sabha constituency,three times,1984,1991 and 1996.
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Kishen Pattnaik was an Indian social leader,socialist thinker,author and activist. As a member of parliament for the 3rd Lok Sabha,he represented the Praja Socialist Party for the Sambalpur Constituency of India. Pattnaik founded and edited a Hindi monthly periodical called Samayik Varta.
Orissa Mining Corporation v. Ministry of Environment &Forest &Others is a landmark decision by the Supreme Court of India,which declared that Gram Sabha has a role to play in safeguarding the customary and religious rights of the STs and other Traditional Forest Dwellers (TFDs) like Dangaria Kondha etc. under the Forest Rights Act. The Apex Court maintained that the decision lies with the locals.
Maharaja Pratap Keshari Deo was an Indian politician. He was the last ruler of Kalahandi State from 1939 to 1947. Post-independence,he was elected from the Kalahandi in Odisha to the Lower House of the Indian Parliament the Lok Sabha. He was deputy Leader of the Opposition,Orissa Legislative Assembly,1952—1956.
Sujeet Kumar is an Indian politician of the Biju Janata Dal party and a Member of Parliament (MP),representing Odisha in the Rajya Sabha(The Council of States or The Upper House),since 2020. He is also a Lawyer and trained Arbitrator,and practicing in the Supreme Court of India,various High Courts and Tribunals. He is currently the Chairman of the Committee on Petitions of Rajya Sabha,one of the youngest ever to chair a Parliamentary Committee. He earlier served as the Advisor,in the rank of Chief Secretary,to the Special Development Council (SDC) of Government of Odisha and as the Special Secretary of Odisha State Planning Board,very senior policy planning positions with Government of Odisha.