Sweet Tamarind, a book written by columnist and former bureaucrat Prasanna Kumar Mishra has been released here recently.
The book of Mishra, a former Secretary of Union Coal Ministry, was released at a function in a city hotel on Sunday last by Major General (retired) Soumendra Dev Mahanti. The book contains Mishra’s views on governance, the growing governance deficit, citizens’ entitlements, poverty, mineral resources, role of district Collectors and the prevailing state of India's bureaucracy.
Professor of Sociology of Utkal University Dr Anup Dash, in his remarks, has mentioned about the author's adoption of the style of the Panchatantra in conveying important messages through short pieces of lucid writing.
Major Gen Mahanti viewed the book as of great relevance to civil servants. The role of the Collector during the mid-1950s and 20 years later, he said, has been well-described in the tour diaries of two Collectors of Odisha, father and son. The reference was to Mishra’s father Somnath Mishra, who was also a Collector.
Former Chief Secretary Sudhansu Bhusan Mishra described the book as a memoir of an Odisha bureaucrat. Former Indian Railways official Ramesh Roy recollected the strategy officials like SB Mishra and Prasanna Mishra adopted in getting important rail projects for Odisha.
Odisha DGP Prakash Mishra, who happens to be Prasanna Mishra’s younger brother, and Accountant General of Odisha Amar Patnaik were also present at the book release function.
Among others, former Ambassador Absar Beuria; former DGP Gopal Nanda; former DG, CISF BB Nanda, former Irrigation Engineer-in Chief Pravat Misra, senior bankers Parashuram Nayak, Bibhuti Das and BK Dash, former Professor of Sociology Bedamati Mohanty and writer Chandrasekhar Dasverma also attended the function. The book is available with the publisher, OM Prakashan, which may be contacted at 9439766372 and omprakashanodisha@gmail.com