Is a former member of the Indian Administrative Service of the Odisha cadre of 1966 batch. He worked as Secretary to the State Government in many departments including Revenue and Excise, Mining and Geology, Housing and Urban Development, Agriculture; Sports, Food and Civil Supplies and Finance. He also held the posts of Additional Chief Secretary and Agricultural Production Commissioner. He served as Chairman of the Odisha Mining Corporation, CMD of Industrial Development Corporation, Chairman of the State Housing Board. He also worked as Chairman of the Paradip Port Trust and retired in 2004 while working as Secretary to Government of India in the Department of Coal. He lives in Bhubaneswar and is active in social media. Tens and thousands of youths to the aged and experienced look upon him as guardian angel and think tank of our society. With rich administrative experience, Mishra is overflowing with the milk of human kindness and sympathy and is engaged in social services and philanthropic pursuits. He writes on current issues in various newspapers. He loves his privacy, espouses rule of law and transparency in governance. He is fond of two heroes: the common man and an inquisitive child. The unedifying and ignominious event of the loss of keys of the Jagannath Temple’s Ratna Bhandar has shocked him. He gives his opinion for the larger benefit of devotees, servitors and for the people in the Government who matter while speaking to Sugyan Choudhury of The Pioneer.
How grave is the issue of the loss of keys of the Ratna BhandarIJ Is the appointment of a judicial commission on this issue justifiedIJ
I am worried about attempts to trivialise this important issue. Even a scribe described the loss of the keys as a trivial issue. The Ratna Bhandar is an important part of the temple. Valuable movable assets of the temple are kept there. Its safety is specifically enjoined by law upon the Managing Committee and the Administrator. That the keys would be lost and the Administrator would not spring to immediate action and inform the police to ensure its quick retrieval is by itself a serious lapse. The State Government having the power of general superintendence of the temple and its endowments should have taken immediate action. The State Government as per the Act can pass any orders for proper maintenance or administration of the temple or its endowments or in the interest of the general public worshipping in the temple. law empowers the Government to examine the records of the Administrator or of the committee in respect of any proceedings with a view to satisfying itself as to the regularity of such proceeding or the correctness, legality or propriety of any decision or order made therein; and if in any case it appears to the Government that any such decision or order should be modified, annulled, reversed or remitted, for reconsideration, it may pass orders accordingly. The Government is also given the power to stay the execution of any such decision or order in the meantime. Despite such wide legal powers, what millions of Hindu devotees witnessed in this case, however, is startling and bewildering. Inaction led to serious doubts and apprehension about the safety of the valuables in the Ratna Bhandar. The immediate response of the Administrator would have been to get the Ratna Bhandar opened, make an inventory of the valuables, compare it with the previous inventory and explain the discrepancy, if any. Not only did the Administrator not perform, the Government too remained silent. Social media pressed for action; and discontentment swelled. Then Government appointed a Commission of Inquiry. People took it as a diversionary strategy to silence public outcry. Then suddenly, a key was discovered reportedly from an unconventional hideout, the Record Room of the Collectorate. This only added to the confusion and made the sordid saga look murkier. This serious development only points to the growing entrenchment of politics in the temple affairs. Devotees are getting marginalised; some are being manhandled; cases of pickpocket in the temple are being reported. What I would plead for is demonstration of will power by the Government and objective implementation of the existing law.
What’s your view on the roles of Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Govardhan Pitha and Gajapati Maharaja in the temple affairsIJ
Both are hoary institutions. These are the cynosures of millions of Hindus all over the world. Acharya Padmapada was ceremoniously installed as the first Shankaracharya of Govardhan Math. That very day, the three deities hidden underground for fear of vandalisation by iconoclasts got fresh idols made for them and the Shankaracharya had installed them on the Ratna Sinhasan. He revived the age-old rituals and modes of worship, put in place a Bhoga Mandapa right within the temple to ensure easy access of devotees to Mahaprasad. The Shankaracharya’s views in respect of eligibility of devotees to get on to the chariots and touch the idols were taken as final. The preeminent position of this ancient institution needs to be strengthened to ensure proper performance of the temple rituals and his role should be incorporated appropriately in the existing law through suitable amendment. The Gajapati Maharaja continues to be the Adya Sevak with attendant rights, privileges and perquisites and he is present in the Managing Committee.
What would you suggest for smooth conduct of the Rath Yatra this yearIJ
I would like to flag a couple of issues. let me first address the reforms issue. We need to make small beginnings without waiting for a comprehensive report of an expert body. Devotees witness the Pahandi inside the temple. They gain access after purchasing tickets. There is a liberal presence of VIPs inside who are there because of the positions they hold in the Government. This practice needs to stop. In the house of God, the concept of human VIP is an absurdity. They do not contribute to the quality of the temple activity during Pahandi. let me hope there will be a beginning this year. It is worth being reminded that the lords come out from the temple for those devotees who, for some reasons, have not been able to see them on the Ratna Sinhasan inside the temple. Have we been able to let those deprived segments of our society have a Darshan while the lords’ chariots roll on the Bada DandaIJ It is my earnest hope that someday a special enclosure on the Bada Danda would be set apart for those deprived people to have a Darshan of the lords.
Aberrations like presence of large number of unconnected people on the chariots; servitors placing themselves on the chariots in such positions by which devotees have difficulty in seeing the idols have generated widespread public ire. Attempts to prevent presence of unauthorised persons on the chariots have borne fruit, but new issues come up like the alleged right of some servitors to let their family members go up to the chariots. On this issue, even the District Magistrate of Puri was manhandled in public last year in full view of the police and devotees. I only hope this year the Rath Yatra passes off peacefully and devotees have a dignified divine experience.