Statue of Former MP Dr. Shyamsundar Mahapatra Unveiled in Balasore
Balasore, Jan 25 (Krushna Kumar Mohanty): The full-length statue of former Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament and former Rourkela MLA, Dr. Shyamsundar Mahapatra, was ceremonially unveiled on the morning of January 25, marking his birth anniversary.
The unveiling ceremony was held under the chairmanship of senior journalist Biplab Kumar Mohanty, Convenor of the Dr. Shyamsundar Mahapatra Memorial Committee.
The statue, installed beside O.T. Road near the I.T.I. Square in Balasore by the Dr. Shyamsundar Mahapatra Memorial Committee, Odisha, in collaboration with Jugashree Trust, was formally unveiled by Balasore MP and former Union Minister Pratap Chandra Sarangi, who attended the event as the chief guest and inaugurator.
Addressing the gathering, Mr. Sarangi described Dr. Mahapatra as an outstanding student leader, an efficient trade union leader, a capable organiser, a perceptive politician, and a distinguished MP and MLA. He also highlighted Dr. Mahapatra’s expertise in foreign policy and his sustained efforts for the development of Balasore and Odisha.
Among the distinguished guests, Odisha Government’s Deputy Chief Whip and Remuna MLA Gobinda Chandra Das recalled that Dr. Mahapatra’s political acumen was such that he had even served as the Mayor of London for a day. Balasore Sadar MLA Manas Kumar Dutta, former Ministers Jyotiprakash Panigrahi and Raghunath Mohanty, former MLAs Jiban Pradip Dash, Sukanta Nayak, Pradipta Panda, Chittaranjan Sarangi, Surendra Pramanik, Sudhanshu Sekhar Parida, Sudarshan Jena, and several other speakers paid tribute to Dr. Mahapatra’s multifaceted personality and his effective political career.
Several prominent personalities, including the Balasore Zilla Parishad President Narayan Chandra Pradhan, Balasore Municipal Chairperson Savita Sahu, Remuna Panchayat Samiti Chairman Rajendra Raut, former Zilla Parishad President Girish Chandra Das, senior journalists, academicians, lawyers, social workers, and intellectuals, spoke about Dr. Mahapatra’s ideals, public life, and people-oriented initiatives.
Dr. Mahapatra’s elder son and noted politician Shubhankar Mahapatra stated that the installation of the statue had been a long-cherished effort, which became possible after the government provided the required land. He expressed gratitude to all elected representatives and administrative officials for their cooperation and sought public support for future initiatives of the Memorial Committee.
Prior to the unveiling, religious rituals, purification of the statue, and Vedic chants were performed by Dr. Kshitishwar Das along with members of Dr. Mahapatra’s family.
A large number of eminent citizens, social activists, elected representatives, and well-wishers attended the ceremony, making the occasion memorable.
The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by Mamata Mahapatra, Chairperson of Yugashree Trust.
