Baishnab Parida, a former Member of Parliament (MP) and eminent Odiya writer, passed away at a private hospital here on Thursday. He was 77 and was suffering from cancer.
Parida served as the Rajya Sabha MP from 2010 to 2016.
Born on February 15, 1941, in Odisha, Parida did his graduation from Bangabasi College, Kolkata and Masters in Arts in Political Science from the University of Calcutta. Later, he went to Russia and completed his M Phil from Moscow University.
He began his political career with the Communist Party of India in 1961 but quit the left party in 1963. He later held different positions in various political parties including Congress and Samajwadi Party. In 2008, he joined the Biju Janata Dal.
Parida was also a formidable figure of Odiya literature, authored as many as five books including 'Caste System in India' and 'Political Economy.
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