Chhattisgarh’s dam projects
Chhattisgarh is suffering from a ‘neighbour’s envy syndrome’. The Mahanadi being the lifeline of Odisha, the unilateral decision of the Chhatishgarh Government to construct a series of structures on the river and its tributaries upstream is unfortunate as it jeopardizes the interests of millions of Odisha farmers. A multi-pronged strategy against the conspiracy of the Chhattisgarh Government is required as rivers irrespective of their origins are not State properties for which a Central Water Commission is there to settle issues of water sharing and related matters. In the Polavaram issue, the State Government’s delayed reaction provided an opportunity to the Government of Andhra Pradesh to go ahead with the project which poses a threat to the lives of the tribals in Andhra-Odisha border. Several villages inhabited by them are on the verge of a deluge. Before an assuring verdict comes as a solace, for the time being, the fate of west Odisha river basin and half of Odisha’s population hinges on the prudent decision of another neighbouring Government. This calls for an all party protest to safeguard the interest of the State. Augmentation scheme on the Mahanadi will have severe adverse impact on flow of water into Hirakud reservoir. Besides a number of project planned and executed, seven pick up weirs across Mahanadi just upstream have already been constructed. The neighbouring State is also contemplating construction of a reservoir based dam adjacent to the Odisha border. All these have not happened in a day or two. The projects must have taken time for planning and execution. How come the Odisha Government had no information on this issueIJ
Kandhamal killing
Close on the heels of the Bargarh incident, Kandhamal is yet another slur on the face of the ruling party much to the delight of its opponents. Killing of five innocent persons, including a child, during an alleged crossfire between the police forces and Maoists is an irresponsible act which could have been avoided with slightest of intelligence. Maoists do not travel by auto rickshaw and this common sense should have prevented the SOG jawans to open indiscriminate firing. It means the SOG jawans have not adhered to the standard operating procedure (SOP) during the combing operation. A twist is being given to this incident so that it becomes difficult to prove as to by whom they were killed - the SOG jawans or the MaoistsIJ The tribals are between the devil and the deep blue sea as guns are trained on them from both sides. Either they become the soft target of the Maoists or of the SOGs. living on the fringe of the forests, the tribals usually move around to collect minor forest produce to cater to their daily needs. This particular incident occurred when they were returning home after collecting their MGNREGA payment from the bank. The Government of Odisha is fully aware that 19 out of 30 districts are now Mao- infested. The compensation package of Rs 7 lakh, one house and one job per family of the deceased offered by the State Government can hardly justify the killings.
Age hiding scam in sports
When sports buffs of Odisha were questioning the reasons of Odisha’s poor show at national meets in senior groups, with hockey however as an exception, advocate Subrata Nanda has provided the answer. His daring initiatives have led to CBI’s engagement for a probe into the age hiding scam by the players and athletes in under age tournaments. Odisha’s performance in the senior group barring a few headcount of women hockey stars and athletes has nothing to write home about. Nanda’s fearless action is like challenging the lion in his den. Over age representation in junior group competitions in under-16 and under-19 categories has assumed a menacing proportion now. There are instances of over age players getting caught, rejected and sent home packing before the start of such competitions. But they are once in a while. Nanda has rightly blamed the organisers of the Odisha Olympics Association, particularly the Odisha Cricket Association, for violating the guidelines of the BCCI in providing the age proof, especially after the payment system for players of different age group got introduced. Now the onus lies with the organizers to disclaim the false certificates scam in support of such players. Misguiding young sportspersons and encouraging them to participate in tournaments by lowering their age is a crime as it blocks the future of the eligible participants. Odisha’s sports ‘beehive’ Barabati stadium with full concentration of State level sports bodies does not move an inch when decentralisation proposals are mooted. Future of sports and sportspersons will continue to be at stake as long as part time petty politicians hold the reins of the sports bodies of the State, all concentrated at Cuttack.
Whither Kosli Sahitya Akademy!
A compilation of Odia-Kosli lexicon by Nrusingha Prasad Guru was inaugurated recently at Bolangir. In his individual capacity Bidya Bachaspati Padmasri Srinivas Udgata was present in the function. But the members of Kosli Sahitya Akademy who should appreciate and encourage such work were conspicuously absent. Protagonists of Kosli literature are either not aware or do not feel the existence of Kosal Sahitya Akademy of which Udgata is the president. Former vice-president of Odisha Sahitya Akademy, Udgata was never known to be a champion of Kosli literature, but in the last span of his life, he developed an interest for this and it was a sheer coincidence that he was named unopposed as its president. The academy is virtually managed by its secretary from Sonepur. On the other hand, there is no initiative to float new organizations to preserve the regional glory and be proud of the legacy. There is no dearth of talents in western Odisha, but they do not come out of their shells. While one can sympathise with these talents, the pseudo intellectuals who stand as stumbling blocks deserve all possible criticism from every possible source.