Dikhyaa Mohanty 
Byomakesh Ray, the people friendly MLA from Chandbali constituency got hitched for the second time recently. He tied the nuptial knot with Tadasha Saidarshini Bal of Ghatapur village in the Bhadrak district. What set the wedding apart from other VIP affairs is the low key ambience in which it was held. The marriage rituals were done in strict conformity with the Covid protocol with only a handful of friends and kin of the two families present to grace the occasion.
As a legislator rooted in the cause of people’s welfare, Ray has set a new precedent on how selfless service can set examples for aspiring and budding politicians. By choosing to wed a girl from a modest background, he has illumined the path for young politicians who are usually swayed by the love of lucre and trappings of power. Indeed, Ray as a self-made man stands head and shoulders over the banal breed of corrupt and power-hungry politicians. He epitomizes service sans self and champions the cause of the deprived and disenfranchised.
Only recently, Ray was spotted visiting the villages and regions devastated by Yaas cyclonic storm. The MLA unfazed by the superstorm reached out to people in distress. He stood out from the elite league of politicians who are content with aerial surveys and don’t care to touch base with the people in grief.
The two-time MLA from Chandbali constituency in Balasore has always stood his ground, So, when a severe cyclonic storm pounded his home coast, his focus showed no signs of wavering, He was as connected to the ground as one could normally find him. The sitting MLA exerted himself on a massive eight-day restoration drive for people who were impacted by the cyclone. In addition to spending quality time within his constituent area, he is seen spending time beyond it.
Hailing from a middle-class family, Ray did his schooling at Matru Bhaban School, Cuttack and his graduation from Ravenshaw College and MA from Utkal University. Going against the wishes of his family, Ray joined politics and has been able to carve a niche for himself, first as a student leader and then as an MLA.
“I hail from a typical Odia middle-class family where parents want that their sons and daughter to go for a government job and not venture into the world of politics, which is full of uncertainties. So, I would certainly have tried to land a government job if I were not a politician”, Ray once said.
He credits all his success in politics to the charismatic BJD supremo and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. “We have grown up seeing Naveen babu since our childhood. We have noticed how a regional party has grown and strengthened its base under him. Our party and Naveen babu believe in Biju babu’s ideology. Naveen babu is working hard to translate Biju babu’s dream into reality. We will call upon students to help realise this dream”, Ray says.
“Naveen babu came to power just a few days after the super cyclone had wreaked havoc in the state in 2000. Under his leadership, the administration faced the situation successfully. Later, he handled Phailin and Hud Hud and won appreciation from all over”, he adds.
He believes that no political party should interfere in the elections of colleges. “The Lyngdoh Commission is of the view that no political party should directly participate in the elections. We follow the rules strictly. Those who believe in Biju Patnaik’s ideology and Naveen’s leadership were fighting elections on their own and not on the party symbol. We had just lent them our support”.
“Since the students are over 18 years of age and can make their own decisions, they should be allowed to contest elections. We have to follow the Lyngdoh Commission’s recommendation in a positive spirit. Many leaders, including our minister Arun Sahoo and Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, are products of students’ politics”, Ray opined.
As the head of the party’s youth organization, he realizes that unemployment is a major problem afflicting the state economy. “Before Naveen Patnaik came to power in 2000, the Congress government had signed an MoU with the UK’s department for international development that prohibited direct employment by the state government for 10 years. Besides, the economy was in bad shape. Now efforts are being made to provide employment by filling up the vacancies of various departments in a phased manner”.
Story By – Dibyajit Sahu
