DR. RAGHUNATH PANI (ACHARYA VIDYANANDA SARASWATI), Ph.D. (Education)

Dr. Pani has the credit as the first Ph.D. degree holder in Education from Odisha state. He is also credited with getting Navajyoti, a quarterly magazine in Oriya language published. First two issues of this magazine was published by his study circle at Koraput, before its publication started from Pondicherry. He is also the first “Honorary in charge” of the first Integral School of Odisha established at Bhubaneswar. From my college days, I had contact with Dr. Pani from his school teacher days, much before he became a lecturer in Education and got a Ph.D. degree in Education. I remember, during my student days on two occasions, during his visit to Cuttack, he stayed with me in my hostel in Makaraba Sahi. In response to Dr. Pani’s son Eye doctor Dr. Sushil Pani, I have attempted to remember whatever I can. On my request, he gave me a copy of his autobiography that helped me in reviving my memory.

During 1965-66, I was a B. Ed. student at the Radhanath Training College, Cuttack. Dr. Pani was transferred from that college, soon after our classes started as he was posted as Assistant Inspector of Schools, Cuttack. During those days a lecturer and an Assistant inspector of schools were transferable jobs having same scale of pay. Dr. Pani had a played a role getting me a seat for M.Ed. course at Regional College of Education, Bhubaneswar by informing me about interview date for spot admission

Dr. Pani has written at pages 191 -192 of his autobiography about his attempts at the preparatory stage. “A meeting of the important workers working for the Mother’s ideals at Cuttack and Bhubaneswar had been held in 1969 in my official residential quarters in the presence of Prapatti .The decision had been taken to open such a school somewhere in Orissa, but it had not been visible or conceptuable when and where it could be opened. I had conceived of opening such a school or even a university near Koraput when I was there but could not workout the plans due to my transfer to Cuttack on promotion. The idea and the aspiration began to materialise and take a concrete shape in 1970.”

In 1970, when the school was planned, I was a student of M.Ed. class at Regional Institute of Education, Bhubaneswar and Dr. Pani advised me that as he was fully involved in school formulation work, there was no need for me to give time in this effort, instead of giving time for my M.Ed. course work. As I was getting joy in accompanying Sri Ramakrishnan Das (Babaji Maharaj) in his Odisha tour, once Dr. Pani, out of love for me, in my presence, told Babaji Maharaj about my missing classes for accompanying him. Babaji Maharaj smilingly told him that I would perform well at the examination, nothing to worry.

Dr. Pani’s involvement with the integral school started seriously but could not continue for long. Difference of opinion between school management and Dr. Pani started with teacher recruitment issue. The management went for an untrained teacher, while Dr. Pani wanted a trained teacher. Dr. Pani could not devote much time as he was a Headmaster of a big High school of the central government at Bhubaneswar.

Dr. Pani was associated with me in starting of Integral Education Society. In 1971, after joining government Training College, Sambalpur as a lecturer , I started a study circle in the college. I got Blessings from The Mother to form an Integral Education Society that included me and my students who were attending the study circle. One of the students who had signed the letter sent to The Mother, was Dr. Digaraj Brahma, who was later my colleague in the same college. I got the society registered as an association, with Dr. Devendra Chandra Mishra, the then Director, School Education of Odisha as President and Dr. Raghunath Pani as a Vice-President with Dr. Pani’s official residence as location of its registered office and myself as the Secretary. Dr. Pani has mentioned about this society in his autobiography (page 225) .

Nabaprakash journal’s 1972 September issue had a press note issued by Sri Ramesh Chandra Mohapatra, Joint Secretary of the society stating proposed initiatives such as 1. Getting, a batch of school teachers to Pondicherry in 1969 to observe teaching techniques at the Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education at Pondicherry and get oriented to the theory and practice of integral education; 2. Organising seminars for school teachers and college teachers in Odisha during winter holidays, 3. Bringing out a publication on Integral Education; 4. Requesting universities to include writings of Sri Aurobindo in appropriate courses etc. The society brought out two issues of the journal.

In one of the meetings of the society held at Sri Aurobindo Bhavan, Unit III, Bhubaneswar, Dr. Pani proposed that as I was working at Sambalpur, it may be better, if he becomes the Secretary so that the negotiation with the government can be accelerated. Dr. Mishra, the President, did not approve it stating that it was too early to change Secretary. After the meeting, when I came to Dr. Pani’s house to keep the Society records, he again stated the discussion and suggested me to resign so that he can work as secretary. I wrote the resignation letter and handed it over to him. A few months later, he sent me a letter informing me about formation of the National Council of Integral Education with Sri Madhav Pandit of Sri Aurobindo Ashram as President, Sri Debendra Satpathy, husband of the then Chief Minister, Smt. Nandni Satpathy as Vice-president, himself as the Director and Sri Sripati Das of Sri Aurobindo Ashram as Joint Secretary. Dr. Pani, in page 298, discussing about his association with Sri M. P. Pandit of Sri Aurobindo Ashram stated: “The same year I formed the National Council of Integral Education and he readily agreed to be its President with Dr. D. C. Mishra, the then D.P.I. Higher Education, Orissa as its working President or Chairman.” The journal “Integral Education” also stopped. As Dr. Pani could not get time, the Council could not continue.

Dr. Pani wanted Integral Education to be an experiment restricted to two three schools, so that the principles suggested by The Mother and Sri Aurobindo in its best form could be presented to the society. After The Mother left her body in 1973, there was a lull in study circle activities. Prof. Prapatti and Sri Babaji Maharaj saw establishment of Integral schools to accelerate of the process of taking ideals of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo to people. Hence, Dr. Pani’s hope for presenting to the society an appropriate application of the educational thoughts of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo could not materialise. However, Dr. Pani’s book Integral Education- Thought and Practice can show an institution path to follow educational thoughts of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo. Dr. Pani remains immportal for this book.