Harekrushna Mallick

Indian politician (born 1931)

Dr Harekrushna Mallick

Harekrushna Mallick

Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
In office
1978–1984
Constituency| Odisha
Personal details
Born| (1931-08-04)4 August 1931
Political party| Janata Party
Spouse| Manasi Mallick

Source: [1]

Harekrushna Mallick (born 4 August 1931) is an Indian physician, educationist, and former Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha, who represented Odisha from 1978 to 1984. Son of Prankrushna and Pranalata Mallick. A member of the Janata Party, he played a vital role in parliamentary debates and was known for his erudition, statesmanship, and ability to bridge political ideologies. Over the course of his career, he closely associated and collaborated with several of India's most distinguished political leaders including Biju Patnaik, Indira Gandhi, Manmohan Singh, and Pranab Mukherjee.[1][2][3][4]

## Early life and education

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Dr. Mallick was born to Prankrushna and Pranalata Mallick in Odisha. He pursued a career in medicine with a degree in pathology, becoming a gold medalist, and later combined his work in the health sector with public service. His scientific background and commitment to rural development shaped his later political engagements, especially in public health and education policy.

## Political career

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Between 1974 and 1977 Dr Mallick was a vice-president of the Orissa Congress (O) faction affiliated to the Indian National Congress (Organisation) splinter faction which was a centre-right oriented faction having separated from the main Indian National Congress body and would later merge into the Janata Party.[5]

Dr. Harekrushna Mallick joined the Janata Party following the national merger of the Congress-O faction and after a period of intense political realignment following the Emergency (1975–1977). In 1978, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha representing Odisha, where he served a six-year term until 1984. During his tenure, he worked with and debated alongside several political giants of the time and developed a reputation for being an articulate and balanced parliamentarian. His contributions were recognized across the political spectrum for their depth and thoughtfulness.

A contemporary of Bhairab Chandra Mahanti, Surendra Mohanty & Lakshmana Mahapatro in the Rajya Sabha, during his tenure Dr Harekrushna has participated in over 500 debates on wide range of subjects from sourcing of nuclear fuels, refugee settlement, climate, public health and education reforms, arts & cinema.[6][7]

His speeches were scholarly, often infused with a scientific approach, and appealed to reason over rhetoric. He was considered one of the more intellectual voices in the Rajya Sabha during his term.[8][9]

His siblings are Gopinath, Upendranath, Paramananda and geophysicist Kumarendra Mallick. His grandson Abhishek Mahananda is an Indian National Congress politician from Odisha.

## References

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1. ^ "RAJYA SABHA MEMBERS BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES 1952 - 2003" (PDF). Rajya Sabha. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
2. ^ India. Parliament. Joint Committee on the Mental Health Bill, 1978 (1978). Joint Committee on Mental Health Bill, 1978: evidence. Lok Sabha Secretariat. p. 53. Retrieved 23 June 2020.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
3. ^ Parliamentary Debates: Official Report. Council of States Secretariat. 1983. p. 443. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
4. ^ "Rajyasabha Member information system". odishaassembly.nic.in. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
5. ^ "Nayar, Kuldip, (born 14 Aug. 1924), syndicated columnist; Member, Rajya Sabha, 1997–2003; President: Citizens for Democracy; Transparency International", Who's Who, Oxford University Press, 1 December 2007, doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u29218, retrieved 31 May 2025
6. ^ "Rajya Sabha Official Debates: Browsing RSdebate". rsdebate.nic.in. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
7. ^ C., J. B. (December 1959). "Foreign policy of India. Texts of documents, 1947-1958. BY The Lok Sabha [Parliament] Secretariat. (New Delhi, Lok Sabha Secretariat, 1958. Pp. 326. Rs. 5.00.)". American Political Science Review. 53 (4): 1207. doi:10.1017/s0003055400235284. ISSN 0003-0554.
8. ^ "Shankar, Ravi, (7 April 1920–11 Dec. 2012), musician and composer; MP (Member of Rajya Sabha) India, since 1986", Who Was Who, Oxford University Press, 1 December 2007, doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u34450, retrieved 31 May 2025
9. ^ "The Conference Report". doi.org. 1 January 1978. doi:10.14217/9781848592650-10-en (inactive 1 June 2025). Retrieved 31 May 2025.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of June 2025 (link)

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