All on a sudden, some BJD leaders went overboard to take a jibe at a virtual nonentity for he had scribbled some crap in a newspaper he owns by divine default. Once upon a time, the Odia daily Prajatantra meaning Republic was a most-adored and credible daily. Its founder Dr Harekrushna Mahtab, one of the principal architects of modern Odisha, a leading statesman of India whom even Nehru envied and feared. The illustrious Mahtab couple was childless. They picked Bhartruhari, for believably good reasons, and declared him son and sole legal heir. Dr Mahtab was a famous historian, author and political critic. He was a famed freedom fighter. He was the first Prime and Chief Minister of modern Odisha. literature ran in his blood; he founded the media house which also published the most popular vernacular periodical Jhankarafor which Odias would wait like mad. His daily would come up with a weekly children’s magazine called Meena Bazaar. He established systems that would celebrate the Odia New Year over a week around the time when the Sun God entered the tropic of Cancer in April. Dr Mahtab edited Prajatantra, and his most popular political satire called Gaan Majlis was an eagerly-awaited regular column.
The media house Prajatantra Prachara Samiti had become the most potent political powerhouse in Odisha until Dr Mahtab was no more. Needless to say, this organisation churned out quality editors and politicians by the score. The late Chief Minister Janaki Ballabh Patnaik is a Prajatantra product who created history by surviving three full terms, though not consecutively like Naveen Patnaik, who has smashed all records by retaining power consecutively four times with ascending popularity unlike anywhere else in the country.
The present-day Mahtab walked into the Prajatantra legacy without having any opportunity to know the meaning of struggle or efforts. Dr Mahtab left him all that he built with tender care: a leading media outfit, huge property and a big popular brand name. There is report that the BJD MP, meanwhile, slaughtered and eaten up everything, mainly the Mahtab-dignity, fame and goodwill. Basanta Biswal during his down days extended big help with sizeable money and labour as he had to settle a score with the Patnaiks with a big media house. This Mahtab used the money and one fine morning had the entrance gates shut on Biswal’s face. Naveen made him an MP imagining the guy was great and would do wonders as he had quit the Congress for being treated lowly by the party honchos. So, Mr Mahtab became a big lawmaker after destroying every beautiful thing the statesman-Mahtab had brought up with lifelong investment of money, labour and wisdom. The once-leading daily is an unknown newspaper with nondescript people at the helm of affairs. Young Odias of today would not even be able to mention the name among the first ten leading Odia dailies. Mahtab has not once bothered to deploy a capable editor and bring life to the great daily. He chose to remain the boss without knowing the nuances of writing editorials or political analyses.
The storm-causing article about dissent in the BJD may have been read by him and the typesetter only. The story is just terrible in content and form. The title is grossly misplaced. No other media team would have published it due to poorest quality of thought and wordplay. But the guy got lucky as some BJD leaders happened to lay hands on the article and thought it fit to pull the skies down by blowing it up out of proportions. This very act was grossly immature and unwise. Mahtab stood to gain the reputation of a media expert who could give a jolt and shake up the world. The best thing would have been to ignore the article as humbug written in a remote, godforsaken newspaper and let it die down on its own because no one reads the daily anymore. Hyper reactions by BJD spokespersons have literally elevated Mahtab beyond limits. Besides, some BJD spokespersons are not sweet talkers. One is so rude in language and looks that the party takes a beating for no fault or failure. Two are smiling, gentle and drive points home convincingly. The others, though just acceptable, should not blame or malign the big lawmaker by hurling words of hate. That way he stands to gain by remaining strongly in public glare and persuading the masses to speculate on the wrong footing. Heavyweight leaders ignore stupidity. Reacting strongly to someone’s madness in a nearly dead daily has been a grave blunder.
Fortunately, reticent Naveen has expressed displeasure by only saying, “Mahtabbabu should have placed his personal issues with me first. Exploding in public straightaway is not exactly decent.”
The best thing the whole episode has reaped is the fact that the Prajatantra has got a new lease of life. The highly popular daily of yore is likely to become a force to reckon with. Only a trained, responsible professional editor has to be placed. Then only late founder Dr Mahatab’s ‘suffering soul’ can rest in peace.
There is rumour of some sly dissidents scheming to join the non-secular outfit only because they dream of the BJP taking over in 2019. The truth that has emerged after methodical analysis is that the BJD IS so deep-rooted in Odisha with a stronger cadre base than the ones Communists had brought up in their 25 years of rule in West Bengal. As of now, the BJD is the only regional outfit all secular parties are crazy to please and have as ally. The DMK is weak; the AIADMK is finished; the Telugu Desam has tough competition within their States. The TMC in Bengal is on the verge of collapse. The JMM is not trusted anymore by tribal communities. And lastly, the RJD is causing big damage to the JDU only because the lalu sons have proven to be more embarrassing than the father. Nitish has no way out; he is at point of no return. The BJP will gulp them down soon as the Congress has permanently fallen from public grace.
A BJP invasion in Odisha will not yield results as Naveen is still considered clean and incorruptible by the masses. He has adequately proven that whether or not he speaks Odia properly, it will not matter in ensuring quality development. The BJP with the Modi wave on is bound to face stiffest battle in Odisha in 2019. Ninety-five seats for the BJD are assured; some of the rest may go to the BJP as Yogi Aditya Nath’s abolition of VIP culture has had great public impact. But they have not abolished the prohibitively expensive security cover for many without any threat perception. Odisha has taken inspiration and will strike down all ‘VIP’ things everywhere, including VIP Roads, Enclaves, Suites and so on. Puri town roads had beautiful heritage names: ‘Police line’ road, ‘Armstrong’ road and ‘Governor House’ road now insanely fused into one ‘VIP road’ which must go.
z Some say the RSS-run schools, particularly by the Saraswati Sisu Mandir organisation, enforce Hindu prayers, which means non-Hindu students being put to distress, which is violative of the Constitutional spirit. The teachers too are expected to indoctrinate students, parents and the neighbourhood communities with Hindu ways of life. They churn out good students, but the Hindu fundamental traditions are dumped on hapless gullible masses.
z lastly, the Puri car festival this year is going to be disciplined, as the young SP has made amply clear. No off-duty servitor is even allowed to come near the deities, let alone touch. The DM, the SP and the SDM have worked very hard to make the festival truly devotee-friendly. But there is news that the SDM, a tough, frontline core member of the Rath Yatra preparatory team, may be dislodged, which has never happened before. He has to be retained until the festival is over. This SDM had made the temple surrounding clean of debris in a single night after demolition of huge acquired structures, and packed all known criminals to jail during the Nabakalebar festival. Any new incumbent has to learn from the scratches. The proven tough administrators are to be retained for big events to make sure the team-play is superb and the public do not suffer.
(The writer is a core member of Transparency International, Odisha)