"It was a wonderful experience interacting with you and appreciate the way you have planned and executed the whole publication process within the agreed timelines.”
Subrat SaurabhAuthor of Kuch Woh Pal
In this book, an attempt has been made to understand the outlook of legislators who always believe in value-based politics. The public life of Sri Biswanath Das served a bridge between two different eras: the pre-independence era, dominated by Gandhian leaders, and the post-independence period, marked by opportunistic politics. As a true Gandhian leader, he never hankered for power. As a staunch nationalist, he utilized his public life to work for the betterment of his society, state and country. Even though he had an opportunity to experience all the coveted positions in political life—as a legislator, leader, council member, chief minister, governor and constituent assembly member—he maintained a simple life throughout like a true Gandhian. He showed by his actions that the means justify the ends. He was very strong in his ideas. He started the unique practice of conducting informal meetings before any formal meeting in the cabinet. His performance was a byproduct of his style of functioning.
The study of a legislator like Sri Biswanath Das will help in understanding the growth and development of the legislative system in Odisha as well as the constitutional system of India.
Dr Sanghamitra Dash
Dr (Mrs) Sanghamitra Dash has been in the teaching profession since the last two decades. She has completed her post-graduation with a gold medal from the Department of Political Science at Utkal University in 1991. After her Masters in Philosophy, she enrolled as a research scholar to pursue her doctoral degree on the life of Sri Biswanath Das under the guidance of late Dr (Mrs) Sharda Rath. The in-depth research work on the unsung leader of Odisha was highly appreciated by professors in Madras and Andhra Pradesh and she got her Doctoral degree in 2002. As a life member of Public Policy Studies of Odisha, she has published several articles in the mentioned journal and in the Journal of Political Science published by Utkal University. She has coauthored a book on legal studies published by Newlight Publishers, Rajender Place, New Delhi. She has also contributed to writing study material on Public Administration, published by Dhillon Publishing House, Kalkaji, New Delhi and has edited several books for Puri Publishing House, New Delhi. You can contact her at drsanghamitradash@gmail.com
