This column should have appeared on March 30. But certain unavoidable preoccupations compelled the delay. As our State turned 80 on first of April, certain thoughts deserve to be shared amongst us all on such an occasion.
Eighty years have gone by from the day the province of “Orissa” came into existence. It has earlier been indicated in this column that the only province of Orissa, which has a road named after it, is “Orissa Road” in the east India dock area of london. It requires further investigation as to how this distinction was not available to any other State of colonial India. But, meanwhile, we have chosen, for reasons not necessarily phonetic, to rename the state as “Odisha”. We should now plan an “Odisha House” on “Orissa Road”.
There were Princely States till Independence. Mayurbhanj was the last Princely State to integrate into the Union of India. As a unit of administration, 13 districts of Orissa came into existence only after Independence. It had a district in Koraput, which was equivalent in geographical size to the State of Kerala. Around four decades later, Biju Patnaik converted the 13 districts into 30.
But the scenario that emerges after eight decades does not throw up happy indicators. The teaching community is up in arms as they feel agitated time and again when the promises held out to them relating to their conditions of service were not fulfilled. The junior doctors continue to agitate in places like Burla. The trading community has been driven to stop import of essential commodities from outside Odisha because of the Government’s insistence in imposing VAT on such commodities. Alongside, the Government plans a year-long celebration of the 80th year of creation of Odisha as a State on linguistic basis. There is talk of a Vision Document for 2036. The simple problem that bothers the youths is “we still have promises to keep and miles to go before we sleep”.
We have a stable Government from almost 1980, and today we have a consolidated Government with 117 Assembly seats out of the 147. But this has not harbingered an effective administration to change the fate of the average residents. Over the last few years, we have been plagued with chit fund scams, mining scams, knowledge scams, employment scams and many other such scams. There is something vitally missing in our socio-political life. Essential food items continue to be brought from outside, and Government documents admit we do not produce as much as we consume. In other words, on basic survival-consumption, a capital outflow takes place causing shift of capital to other States. Added to this is the distorted condition in the education, health and the agro sectors, adding fuel to the fire. No doubt, per capita income may have shown some increase, but per capita poverty at the lower stratum of the society is a cause of concern.
The legislature has not functioned purposively for aiding a more efficient and effective administration. Hardly any debate takes place leading to reasoned evaluated decisions. Different techniques are adopted to divert the proceedings in a manner so that the legislature does not serve its basis purpose of reflecting the needs and concerns of the people. Policy propaganda cannot be an effective substitute for stark reality. We are short of doctors to provide basic healthcare; we are short of paramedical support; we produce engineers but do not have adequate employment opportunities for them; and there is a general decline in the ethical standard of public life. Prosperity has no meaning if principles are forgotten. A section of the society enriches itself in an improper manner; social imbalances become inherent to the socioeconomic structure. The rich-poor gap widens.
Many, who had the distinction seeing the creation of the State, have already left this world. The rest are approaching an age when their effective activity has to decline as they proceed towards the last years of their lives. But the future lies in those who constitute the largest number, that is, the youth power. It was sad to watch political parties attempting to poach for the president of a university students’ union. The intervention to utilise the youth power is wholly misdirected, and one is saddened to see that the elders do not guide the youth for the benefit of the youth. We forget that the State’ future after 80 years is now gradually going to pass on to the hands of the disturbed and restless section of the society constituting the youth power. Over 50 years ago, Biju Patnaik dreamt of having no thatched roof in the State, and now the dream remains unfulfilled. We are now holding out promises to do so in the districts which have non-renewable resources with the obvious hope of getting funds from the contribution of the mining leaseholders. This funding is also because of a thrust by the highest judiciary converted into legislation by the Parliament. But we cannot ignore the fact that part of this funding is also going into the Aahaar scheme, not creating any tangible durable assets but providing subsistence to a set of people irrespective of their economic ability. In our anxiety to corporatise every sphere of governmental activities, we have heard of a recent unpleasant episode of a Knowledge Corporation. At the same time, we also talk of language laboratories.
Around 44,351 hectares of forestland have been approved for non-forest use. As against this figure, compensatory aforestation, as per Government, has been raised over 5,464 hectares by the end of 2014-15. Important activities like restoration of upgraded forests, costal plantation, biodiversity management, social forestry and livelihood improvement of the residents of the forest areas have hitherto been grossly neglected. Urban plantation has also received limited thrust. The Forest Dwellers Act is yet to find its feet on strong grounds. We should not forget that wherever there are minerals under the ground, there are forests above the ground along with tribal and other dwellers depending on such surroundings, but their basic living is so poor!
These are some of the worries that confront the younger generation. These are only sample indicators. The youth force in every area should now concretise things in their immediate environ and call for necessary changes in policies and programmes. The future is theirs, and they, therefore, have a right to call for a change. In this, the elder generation has to guide and help and not become a stumbling block under a mistaken notion that there is lack of potentiality in our youth power. When this upsurge takes place, every section of the society has to be actively involved for rebuilding Odisha, not for publicity but for posterity. And, this certainly concerns us all!
(The writer, a Senior Advocate, is a former All India Service officer, a former diplomat, a former editor, a former President of Orissa High Court Bar Association and a former Advocate General of Odisha. jayantdas@hotmail.com)