Very recently, the Governments of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, in a meeting between the two States’ Chief Ministers, decided to work closely to resolve various inter-State disputes including that of Kotia cluster villages, construction of Neradi barrage on river Vanshadhara, Janjhavati reservoir, release of water from Bahuda river and Polavarm multipurpose dam project, etc.
The Chief Ministers decided that the Chief Secretaries would set up an institutional mechanism to deliberate on the outstanding issues and find out solutions in the best interest of the people of both States. Chief Ministers Naveen Patnaik and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy issued a joint statement to this effect at the end of the meeting in Bhubaneswar.
Unfortunately on the very day, the district administration of Vizianagaram district made an unauthorised entry into the Kotia gram panchayat area and carried out various Andhra Government programmes as if the territory belongs to Andhra Pradesh.
Apart from border problem in Koraput and Gajapati districts with Andhra Pradesh, Odisha has lingering border dispute with West Bengal, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh also.
If we look back to the history and pristine maritime glory of Kalinga, the name of the sea along the coast line was Kalinga Sagar, now which is named as Bay of Bengal. From sea to shore Odisha is bedevilled by border problems. At this critical juncture we fondly remember the former president of Utkal Sammilani late Harishchandra Baxipatra on his birth day. Another serious issue that may have missed many minds is that recently in the Parliament Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai had given an answer on the question of interState border disputes amongst different States.
He told the House that there are problems between Haryana-Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh-Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra-Karnataka, Assam-Arunachal Pradesh, Assam-Nagaland, Assam-Meghalaya and Assam-Mizoram.
But Rai as the Union Home Minister did not mention about Odisha boundary problem with Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. It is obvious that all the shouting by the political parties regarding border problem of Odisha with neighbouring States does not reach Delhi durbar. The border dispute over Kotia group of villages is a long standing one and referred to the Supreme Court in 1968 for adjudication. The apex court had disposed the case with a noting that according to Article-131, the court cannot solve the interState boundary problem and the Parliament is the proper forum for it.
However, the court ordered to maintain status quo in the year 2006. The observation of the Supreme Court must be available in the Ministries of Parliament Affairs and Home Affairs.
In face of this ruling by the Supreme Court, the Union Minister of State, Home Affairs did not place the record straight and in proper perspective.The Parliamentarians of Odisha also did not raise a voice of dissent. Can there be more injustice than this? It was most unfortunate. We cannot always blame the Centre about border problem. The citizens as well as the Central Government are fully aware of the perpetual border problems and the conflict that arise from time to time. Perhaps to ease out border problems with neighbouring States, the President of India appointed two eminent Odias as the Governor of Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh.
The Andhra Pradesh Governor is not only an eminent Odia but former Revenue and Law Minister of Odisha who must be well versed with Kotia problem in Koraput district.
He, as the constitutional head of the State, could have advised the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh to settle the long standing border dispute amicably in the interest of both States.
If Odias in high position will not support Odisha’s cause then whom should we blame. At this critical time it is an opportune moment to reminisce the contribution of one of the eminent political leaders of Odisha late Harish Chandra Buxipatra. He was perhaps the only leader who began his political career, being a worthy son of undivided Koraput district, to address boundary problem and became a social reformist later in his political and social life but never gave up the boundary problem which was close to his heart.
He was a student leader in the prestigious Ravenshaw College, Cuttack and president of the Student’s Union in1956 and led a students' strike on the issue of merger of Saraikella-Kharsuan with the then Bihar State instead of Odisha.
He was an Odia to the core and fought for the rights of Odia people. We seldom find people of that stature now-a-days in political life. He was a genuine fighter whom we miss today.
He organized an all party agitation on August 11, 2000 on the old contentious issue of Saraikella-Kharsuan merger with Bihar about two months ahead of his death on October 27, 2000. That manifested his commitment for Odisha – his motherland.After the death of Dr Rathanath Rath, Buxipatra became the president of Utkal Sammilani in 1998. Two years later the Central Government decided to carve out separate Jharkhand from Bihar which unfortunately included Saraikella and Kharsuan with Bihar, dashing the dream of Buxipatra and equally the legitimate demand of people of Odisha. Buxipatra is no more with us but his legacy continues to inspire the posterity in the cause of Odisha and we as a nation of Odia people yearn for a leader like him. We are proud of Buxipatra.
(The writer is an Utkal Sammilani leader. Phone: 8984007600