Exactly like in a movie thriller, at 1.32 am, which is midnight and the sleepiest hour, a young man called Amit Nanda Tweeted an ‘SOS post’ to the Odisha CMO that “5 minors are being trafficked from Ganjam on a Berhampur-Sambalpur bus”. The kids were sleeping on the metal floor, which looked suspect. The CMO 's Tweeting outfit, not known to many as a perfectly functioning one, took note and alerted the police promptly to rush to the scene near Redhakhol. The whole mission began at 1.32 am at Phulbani and was over before the bus reached Redhakhol. Three traffickers were nabbed by the police the way military personnel pull emergency jobs. The CMO has thanked Amit formally for his brave and responsible action. All this means the CMO remains alert at all hours for providing emergency help to citizens in distress.
Strangely, there is no adequate publicity of such wonderful emergency service facility. Naveen Patnaik is fine by his reticence, but he should blow the trumpet on such 24-hour emergency services for the common man.
Similarly, a successfully-run project named ‘Aneshwa’ is not popularised by even loudmouth BJD leaders. By now, 8,500 tribal and Dalit kids have benefitted at 135 reputed private schools. As many as 250 hostels with best facilities are coming up. A mega tribal facility for 3,000 students is coming up in Brahmapur. Over 3.5 lakh ST and SC students staying in hostels are to continue their education while two lakh more will avail the facility soon. Now, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe children from interior areas would get a chance to study in elite public schools in urban areas. Every year, 5,000 children would pursue quality education in leading English medium schools with full financial support for school fees, uniform, books, hostel and transportation. Budding tribal and Dalit talents in the fields of art, culture, sports and education will not go waste anymore. Over 3.5 lakh tribal and Dalit students are supported to continue their education at different institutions; 2 lakh more will be inducted. The Anwesha scheme will be operational in 17 tribals-dominated districts. Incidentally, Odisha has a 23-per cent tribal population and nearly as dense a Dalit community with countless kids in need of help.
This story is not to eulogise the Naveen administration but to admonish the outfit for not making the facilities adequately known through popular media. The talkative spokespersons seem to have gone low on grey matter; and the ones with media power have not carried any eye-opening feature or talk show as yet. Mere news coverage does not attract public attention; focussed features do. Most of the political leaders are uneducated and unskilled.
A good political leader is one who
• serves as an example of integrity and loyalty to the people he represents
• has with good communication and inter-personal skills; can work with a range of other people, regardless of opinion, to achieve the greatest good for the general population.
• can resist the various temptations and lures in the political arena
• has strong character with both conscience and charisma.
• is willing to listen to the needs of the common people and to represent them faithfully.
• has the courage to stand up and say what needs to be said, rather than just tell the general public what it wants to hear.
• is willing to make difficult (and possibly unpopular) decisions for the greater good.
Most political leaders are very adept at pointing the finger at everyone else but hardly willing to accept responsibility for their mistakes, admit their political failures and acknowledge own contribution to a problem.
Accountability is crucial to be effectively popular. They are expected to focus their energies and time on representing the people rather than spending all the time “covering their backs” and criticising others.
It is time to realise that routine journalism and mainstream media are just beginning to lose importance and relevance. The biggest mass base is the youths of today who move and shake issues, events and sentiments. They have been incurably contaminated by the social media popularised by the new age smart phones. The political parties are assessed on this mode more keenly than the mainstream one, particularly by the restless, impatient youths. Unless the print media is carrying amusing stories in a focussed manner, or the visual media is restraint on repetitive crap, no one takes their content with seriousness.
People’s priorities are changing. With all our bad habits and negative points, it is 21st century’s India and not 1980s. In the 80s, it was necessary to elect if the contender was of same caste or he/she was son/daughter of someone. But today, priorities are very simple as people are aware and aggressive about their needs and aspirations. Economy is more important than religion.
Unfortunately, the BJP’s core vote bank is pinned in Hindutuva at a time when people are crazy about a uniform civil code. Article 370 was to be revoked by the BJP which cannot ever happen. Hardcore Hindu outfits like the Bajrang Dal, VHP or Shiv Sena will soon prove to be the worst bane for the BJP’s vote bank. Secular stand in all actions and decisions may save the BJP. The Modi team must conduct itself like Vajpayee did to survive and win people’s hearts.
During a festival hosted by Penguin Random House, author and noted historian Ramachandra Guha termed BJP president Amit Shah and Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan as the most "dangerous politicians in the country," cautioning that India needs to be vigilant against rising Hindu nationalism, nay extremism! Guha also noted that Hindu fundamentalism is more threatening than Islamic terrorism in India. As Hindus constitute 85 per cent. He feels terrified at the thought of Hindu majoritarianism because “that is what we were not," adding further that Islamic terrorism is a dangerous phenomenon in the global scenario, not in India. Guha also slammed the attacks on scholars and universities. “Scholarship has a place in moulding the consciousness of the nation. The tendency to belittle scholars, scholarships and universities is unfortunate. Though one should not exaggerate how widespread it is, what is happening around JNU is worrisome," he rued.
lastly, the message that is intended to be given is simple and clear: The Naveen administration is doing fine, and will keep doing so. The BJP has no face or base in Odisha as yet. The home-grown party is an entity that can make a difference in the national arena. People have to employ effective strategies to cut the dishonest, wild and talkative BJD leaders to size by forcing them to mellow down, admit mistakes and, above all, share the post-politics loot with the poor or at least the party. The BJD top brass must take cognisance of the fact that each big leader, particularly those in the Executive, is under a robust scanner for being exposed on loot and nepotism sins.
A top district administrator was seen worried as the local politician had placed stumbling blocks in land development in an urban location by insisting on the widest road passing by his huge property bought with ill-gotten wealth. Though the name was not revealed, smart people are making perfect guesses difficult to dismiss. The phenomenon is all across the State. If these creatures are replaced with fresh young candidates with a clean image, the party lives forever. Some oldies must go as BJP lieutenants are going to influence the public with these blemishes and taints in the BJD which has flourished on the ‘cleansing game’ so far. People rejoice when hated ones are tossed like garbage. The party must not worry about winnability anymore; credibility is the popular demand. And the truth is that even a donkey will win with the BJD ‘brand’ as of today.
The Naveen administration has to fix and resolve these contentious issues soon enough. Then only, the party would assume the proportions of a truly 'invincible' outfit for a long time to come.
(The writer is a core member of Transparency International, Odisha)