THUS SPOKE PRASANTA; Pain of Losing an Younger Brother
Prasanta Patnaik,
ODISHABARTA
Bhubaneswar:My younger brother like Senior BJD leader and former Odisha minister Bijayshree Routray , whom I lovingly call Babuli passed away today the 2nd June 2021 while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar. A six time MLA, Routray served as the Health, Forest & Environment Minister in Naveen Patnaik’s cabinet.
Routray, 67, had in May tested positive for COVID-19. He was reportedly undergoing treatment for post-Covid complications.
A six time MLA, Routray had served as the Health, Forest & Environment Minister in Naveen Patnaik’s cabinet.
“Routray’s demise has deeply saddened us. Bijayshree and I had been with Biju babu since 1990. He was one of my close friends. I had last met him 20-25 days ago and we had a long discussion,” said Odisha Assembly Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro.
“I pray before God that may his soul rest in peace,” said Patro condoling his death.
BJP national vice-president Baijayant Panda expressed grief over the demise of Routray and tweeted, “Shocked & deeply saddened by the passing of former Odisha minister Shri Bijayshree Routray. Son of late CM Nilamani Routray Ji, he was a brilliant student before dedicating himself to public life. We knew & liked each other well. Condolences to his family & followers.”
BLD MLA Amar Satapathy said Routray was a leader with great self-respect and one who had immense love for flora and fauna. He had carried out great works during his stint as the Forest & Environment minister.
“I am deeply saddened by the demise of Routray. His death has created a void in Odisha politics,” said Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan.
Bijoyshree who was teaching Geography in Ravenshaw College, Cuttack ollege before joining politics was a voracious reader. He maintained a very good personal library at home with valuable and rare books.
His father Nilaman Rutray was very close to my father during college days as both were involved in student politics. Nilamani Babu loved me very closely and considered as a family member for which Bijayashreae ( Babuli ) used to call me ” Prasanta Bhai”. His mother Nalini Devi was a good writer and loved to patronize young writers. Their house in Cantonment Road Cuttack was a meeting place of poets, writers and intellectuals.
Babuli loved to lead a very simple life wearing Khadi dressed like his father. He loved to entertain friends with smiling face. I have never seen him loosing his cool even on his worst critics and political rivals.
He was leading a disciplined life and was regularly doing yoga and morning walk. From his Govt. quarters in Mahatma Gnadhi Marg on some occasions he was dropping into my house on the same road after morning walk to have tea with me. He was also very familiar with my wife Chandraprava and all family members. On one occasion Babuli and Nalini Mohnaty came down to my house after completing the morning walks and wanted to have tea. Promptly Chnadraprava prepared tea and handed over to Babuli, Nalini and me. All of us started sipping the tea. Oh God , insbigtead of putting sugar in the tea Chandraprava had put salt in it. But strangely neither Babuly nor Nalini pointed out the mistke. fter taking the first sip when I pointed out the mistake to Chandraprava, she immediately verified and found that the domestic help had put salt in the sugar pot. But as neither Nalini nor babuli had pointed out the mistake. Soon Chandraprava prepared tea for all of us and we enjoyed it. But both Nalini and Babuli insisted that the earlier tea with salt was tastier . That remained as a big joke .
Babuli’s father-in-law Shri Govinda Senapati, I.P.S. was a very good writer and used to discuss about various aspect of present Odia literature with me.
Babuli had made up his mind not to contest elections as he was interested to see young men in politics and therefore had decided to ensure his son fight the polls and get elected. Finally he succeeded and his son Bishnuabrata became the third generation of his family to represent Basudevpur Constituency, in Bhadrakh district.
