By Vivek Pattanayak in Bhubaneswar, March 21, 2025: Rarely does one come across someone from civil service who receives so much of encomiums, adulation, and accolades from the people on and off the media as Ramakanta Rath, a distinguished personality of the modern Odisha has received. Having gone through the vicissitudes of changing times in the state and society, he remained as an admirable and immaculate personality.

After the rains, in a cloudless sky when the rainbow appears its radiance is simply spectacular with display of different colors. If one goes through different phases of his remarkable life, one can see various aspects of his radiance. In the student days, he was an emblem of struggle in the defense of the downtrodden, and when he graduated to teach he was known for his flair for simplicity, and as a member of the civil service he was committed to the green revolution starting from the land reform to making small farmers viable, also create an ambience for marginal farmers and agricultural laborers to stand up against the vagaries of exploitation, and he diligently supported agro-based enterprises.

Although he had the reputation of being extremely sincere, hardworking, scrupulously honest and thorough in his work during the entire professional civil service career whether in New Delhi or in Bhubaneswar or in Phulbani or in Paralakemundi, he always found time for poetry and literature, and established himself as an eminent poet of national and international fame having received multiple prestigious awards in half a century of dedication.

He hailed from an erudite family. His father, an educationist, was the Principal of the College. His elder brother Umakanta Mohapatra was also known for his literary accomplishments in the domain of plays. One of his plays was recently turned into a film at the initiative of his son Ashoke Mohapatra, former Director of the International Maritime Organization.

Another brother, Sitakanta Mohapatra, was highly resolute industrial entrepreneur of repute of the eighties of the last century.

Ramakanta Rath was married into a family of great attainments. His noble wife, Shanti came from an aristocratic family of learning and high culture. Her elder brother, Mahendra Mishra is an eminent publisher, her another brother, Surendra Mishra, from the Indian Administrative Service has left an indelible mark as a brilliant and capable officer of repute of Odisha.

His son, Pinaki is a Singapore based entrepreneur having cross-continental operations. His larger family includes Gokul Pati, former Chief Secretary of Odisha, Subrat Tripathy, former Chief of the Dhamra Port to name a few. Having been associated with him for more than seven decades I found him simple, humble, and approachable yet charismatic in spite of his elevated position in the civil service and exalted status in the civil society. That has made him unique. He would remain unforgettable for many generations for years to come.