Harish Chandra Baxipatra: An ideal for the times

These are critical times. As societies, we are no longer able to band ourselves together.

- MAHASWETA BAXIPATRA

We feel uninspired to live responsibly as a collective. The crisis is more acute in Odisha. Middle-class Odisha, at least in the past three to four decades, has been deeply invested in the idea of individualised success. It harbours a stereotypical view that political activism is essentially a distraction for the youth. Politics is viewed as something that only people of privilege practice irresponsibly. As a result, the level of political and social awareness among the youth is low.

The criticality of the times has been worsened by the limited exposure people have to the lives and works of strong leaders. Luminaries from the past who made significant differences to the state and to the closer communities in which they worked-are less discussed. One such figure is Harish Chandra Baxipatra, who, besides contributing significantly to the development of Odisha, was a major source of inspiration for activism.