OrissaMatters

KALAHANDI BECOMES THE FIRST TO HOST

Celebrations of Golden Jubilee of Orissa Sahitya Akademi in the district level commenced with Kalahandi becoming the first district to host with its Collector Pramod Chandra Pattanayak inaugurating the Administration-Akademi partnership in assessing Kalahandis contributions to culture of Orissa.

Commenced at 10 AM on 28 Oct.2007, the event was observed in two sessions. The symposium on Kalahandis contributions to Orissan Culture was held in the first session with eminent writers and researchers like Narayan Prasad Pattanayak, Smt. Debahruti Kar, Ajay kumar Mishra and Shukru Swain as guests of honor. Ramesh Chandra Satapathy, Dr. Anjali Padhi and Janmenjaya Patra contributed their observations on the keynote address delivered by Prof. Parameswar Mund on the subject. Presenting the programme of the Akademi, Secretary Dr. Parichha Pattanaik had stressed on documentation of the districts unique folk art and folk literature that though unsophisticated in composition and choreography, carry the innermost feelings of tribal heart. Vice President of the Akademi, Hushen Ravi Gandhi was in the chair.

Held in the afternoon, the second session effervesced with poets of the district offering their compositions giving glimpses of how richly the Oriya rural belt is endowed with literary talents. Satya Pattanayak and Smt. Saswati Vishwakalyani were the coordinators.

The event ended in the evening enlivened under rhythms of music and dance offered by Kalahandi Kalakendra, Mahavir Samskruti Anusthan, Kalinga Samskrutika Anusthan, Odissi Dance Institute of Junagarh and Balagopal Seva Niketan etc.

Subhas Chandra Pattanayak

POSCO has declared to fight against the people of Orissa to proceed with its project only a couple of days after it had aired its intension to quit the State if the government fails to extinguish the ongoing mass opposition. And, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has simultaneously declared that his government will not tolerate peoples opposition to POSCO any longer.

If our democracy would have been real, POSCO could never have dared to fight against our people on our soil with our own government at its beck and call.

But our democracy has changed into plutocracy and plutocracy is always managed by commission agents. So commission agents in power have helped and have been helping POSCO against our people. And as long as commission agents are in power, in the State or/and in the Center, there is no dearth of official support for POSCO or for any of its kind.

Plutocracy does not replace democracy through political machinations alone. It first injects a false sense of superiority into the minds of intellectuals in a democracy, thereby creating a wedge between the common people and the educated so that the common people are bereft of educated support in determining their path or deciding their affairs.

It sabotages the public sector into avoidable but chronic losses and uses public administration to curb job-scopes in public offices thereby pushing more people into an environment of lack of ideal employment and simultaneously organizes campus recruitments offering lucrative pay packages to certain students and helps them acquire foreign postings so that from foreign soil they can look like shining stars enough to overawe toiling people in their homeland to make them acquiesce in the culture of industry in private sector.

It advocates for and ushers in a climate where whosoever accumulates massive wealth notwithstanding in howsoever clumsy a manner becomes worth national importance and reference.

It enhances a cultural decadence whereby criminals are worshiped like heroes or heroines if they are cine-stars, sports-stars, yoga-teachers, scripture-chanters, sermonizers or political right-wingers.

When the Constitution of the country emphasizes on secularism in order to maintain unity and solidarity of the people, plutocracy engages its agents to interpret secularism as a mere mechanism of tolerance to superstitions and thereby obstructs sociological study of scriptures and religions and relegates the nation into obscurantism.

Its agents, in order only to help revivalism, prostrate before a Satyasai or a Samkaracharya even while holding office as a Prime Minister or a President, oblivious of how thereby the august offices they carry on their body at that time, would be prostrating before a person not recognized by the Constitution.

Willfully using such matrices, Plutocracy estimates as to how far the toiling majority of a country tolerates anti-people activities of the persons placed in advantageous positions. And eventually takes over democracy.

In India this has happened.

So, we are hearing what POSCO wants us to hear. We are seeing, how a government of our soil is eager to assist POSCO in its fight against our people. We are seeing, how the blue colored jackals of our society are raising war cries against our people who are fighting against POSCO.

To these jackals, POSCO is more important than our people. Like prostitutes use the best of their techniques to satisfy contract masters, these jackals are displaying the best of their acumen in seeking satisfaction of POSCO.

If what the Pricewaterhouse Coopers says in its 4th Biennial Global Economic Crime Survey is trustworthy, (and it is), 66% of the companies operating in India are in their business because they have succeeded in vanquishing their competitors by bribing the authorities. 34% of the companies have said that they have lost an opportunity to a competitor, who may have paid a bribe whereas 38% of the companies have admitted that they were asked to pay a bribe. Top politicians and bureaucrats in decision taking positions have asked for and fetched bribes in India.

Naveen Patnaik, who has declared to go against our people to help POSCO, is a politician in power. And in the survey report on economic crime quoted supra, politicians in power are, as a category, noted for demanding and accepting bribe in order to help industrial companies. The role of Subas Pani and the gang of three IAS officers before Naveen was roped into POSCO network also attracts the needle of suspicion in view of the cited survey.

So, before proceeding to use State force to suppress peoples opposition to POSCO, it will be better for Naveen Patnaik to convince the people of Orissa that he has not taken any bribe from this foreign firm.

For this, he may start with saying how he came in contact with POSCO. He may simultaneously say, who first prevailed upon him to support POSCO. And from there we may proceed to see if Orissa functionaries have been bribed by POSCO and to its resultant ramifications.

Before clearing the cloud of suspected bribe, which, following publication of the economic crime survey, has now shrouded over politico-administrative sky of Orissa, Naveen should refrain from proceeding further in POSCO matter.

People of Orissa will never tolerate that a gang of IAS officers and a political autocrat donning a brand of democracy would dupe them in the name of industrialization and destroy their citizen-rights in order to help a foreign firm like POSCO, if they are not convinced that the foreign firm has not bribed them like what has been exposed in the cited survey.

There is a brilliant note on POSCO agenda in Radical Notes. it should be noted by everybody interested in the subject.

Subhas Chandra Pattanayak

In a democracy the Prime Minister should be honestly frank. But Dr. Man Mohan Singh is getting murkier.

In the nuke deal matter, his infamous braggadocios that the Left parties can do whatever they want to do, if they want to withdraw support, so be it., has certainly caused a lot of loss to the country. The loss of so many days in the Parliament apart, the country has drowned ever since in uncertainty over continuation of the government, which is such a phenomenon, that normal administration has gone into jeopardy.

I have, in these pages, cited sources earlier to show how the nuke deal is so clearly in interest of United States. I have also cited expert bodies like the Oxford Research Group to show how the nuke deal designed under the guise of power generation would be a dangerously counter-productive energy policy – one from which the blowback may be a lot worse than higher heating bills.

It is baffling that the government has nether paid any attention to convince the common people on economic viability, if any, of the nuke deal nor has it given details of how the deal will help the people vis—vis the load on exchequer that they shall have to bear.

But the most baffling is he fact that the government of Dr. Singh has subjected the deal to review by an UPA-Left joint political committee even though he had earlier declared that the deal is signed, sealed and not negotiable. Had the deal been signed, sealed and not negotiable, the same would never have been subjected to review by the joint political committee. On the other hand, he is on records to have told President Bush that his government is to overcome certain difficulties before proceeding further even as he had told at Pretoria that the “process of evolving a meaningful consensus back home is still on”. Thus it is clear that the deal is not yet sealed. If this is the position, it is clear that the Prime Minister had not told the truth in saying the deal was sealed and made not negotiable. Why then he had told a lie? He should explain his position convincingly.

On the other hand, after Hydes instrument was adopted by both the houses of US Senate in December 9, 06 and became a Law with President Bushs signature, the text of the agreement under section 123 of the US Atomic Act of 1954 was to be agreed to by Indian Parliament. The Indian parliament must agree to the text, was the stipulation. Now as we know, the text of the deal has never been agreed to by our Parliament. When Indian Parliament has never agreed to the text of the deal, how could the Prime Minister made it signed, sealed and not negotiable?

Dr. Singh has told the parliament that his cabinet has approved the agreement. But he has never moved the text of the deal agreement in the Parliament seeking its agreement thereon and therefore the text has never been agree to by Indian parliament.

He should clarify as to why has he not moved the text of the deal in the Parliament for its agreement, when, according to stipulations, it is a must prerequisite for making the deal signed, sealed and not-negotiable”. If this stipulation has been dropped, he should make us know as to when, how, why and by whom it has been dropped. We, as a people, have every right to know as to by whom or under whose direction, primacy of Indian parliament in deciding a deal like the nuke deal has thus been dropped.

If he cannot clarify on this particular aspect, it would be better for him to quit, as a nation of patriots like the Indians cannot tolerate any more their Prime Minister getting murkier.

Orissa Sahitya Akademi, an epitome of cooperation between the authors and administration in the cause of Oriya culture, born on September 25, 1957, while celebrating its golden jubilee in 2007-08, has a plan to bring out 50 new titles to present to the world of letters a representative set of post-independence works in Oriya including Oriya works translated into English as well as sister languages of India.

Within the year of celebrations, it has plans to concentrate on children literature and to encourage young writers in defining their creativity. Its emphasis will be on writers lying undiscovered in the rural horizon.

It will also bring out an authentic history of Oriya literature and biographies of epoch making writers of Orissa.

Organization of interaction between authors of Orissa and authors outside Orissa constitutes a part of its programme even as interaction between the common people and writers of Orissa through celebration of the golden jubilee in all the districts of the State is drawn up as a major area of thrust in order to ensure next generation literature to grow on the grassroots.

Setting on motion the celebration year, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik hinted on 25 Sept.2007, also at scholarships to be paid to distinguished researchers to bring into light unknown and less known aspects of Orissas lingua-cultural heritage.

For records shake, the lunching of the golden jubilee at 5.30 in the evening of 25 Sept. 2007 at Bhanja Kalamandap of Bhubaneswar was performed by the CM with Akademi President Prof. Deepak Mishra in the Chair. M/s Prafulla C.Ghadei (Minister, Finance), S.N.Patro (Minister, Culture), A.K. Tripathy (Chief Secretary) and Gopinath Mohanty (Secretary, Culture) were guests of honor when Secretary of the Akademi, Dr. Hara Pr. Parichha Pattnaik introducing the programme said, reverence to betters and seniors and affectionate encouragement to budding writers would be the norm of the Akademi in entering into the new era.

On this occasion, noted scholar and writer Manoj Das addressing as the Chief Guest said, in the ages of yore, there was no literature; but there was speculation. Speculation in course of time metamorphosed into literature. So literature is an abridgement of reality and feeling. Success of authors lies in this art of abridgement, in which regard, Orissas literary heritage is abundantly rich.(scp)

Subhas Chandra Pattanayak

It is disturbing to note that after coming back from USA, Mrs. Sonia Gandhi has lost no time to allege that opponents of the nuke deal are not only enemies of the Congress but also of peace and development. Every Indian who loves India can be an enemy of the Congress, but how can he or she, for opposing the dubious nuke deal, be an enemy of peace and development?

Whether or not she has delivered a prompted dialogue, I declare that I oppose the nuke deal. Am I an enemy of my people?

Is she more patriotic than me? Is she more patriotic than the people who genuinely love their motherland and hence oppose the nuke deal? Does she really understand what has she said? Does she want the entire country to be a country of sycophants to dance to whatever are her tunes? Does she take the entire Indian Nation to be a Nation of idiots who should be supporting every anti-nation activity that the Congress-led government has been pursuing?

If her diatribe was designed against any political party or group she should have pointed that out as emphatically as she has alleged and in that case that could have been rejected or accepted by the concerned politicians and citizens of this country in general could have watched a debate for better understanding of the conduct of politicians opposed to Congress vis—vis her own party and could have assessed who of them is more responsible for the present impasse. But she has not dared to name any.

Two categories of politicians are opposing the deal.

The Leftists, who work for Political Economy of Socialism, are opposing it on principle and the BJP, which works for Political Economy of Capitalism is opposing it sans principle.

But non-of them is pursuing Political Economy of Americanism like Sonia and her sycophants in the central cabinet. And, the deal is a product of Political Economy of Americanism. Therefore there is no surprise in Sonia abusing either the left or the BJP in the context of the nuke deal.

But by alleging, after return from USA, that whosoever opposes the nuke deal is an enemy of our people, she has given enough material to infer that the USA trip has invigorated her to bite whosoever opposes American interest in India.

True Indians, who have the intelligence to understand how disastrous will be the nuke deal for India, are opposing it. Eminent members of our citizenry including Professors, Thinkers, Technologists, Nuclear- Scientists, Environmentalists, Jurists and Journalists are opposing this dubious deal. Are all of these Indians enemies of our people?

All of the true Indians, who have the brain to understand the American evil design and who genuinely love their motherland, have been opposing the deal on various grounds. And, they have been highlighting their views in public platforms, in symposiums and in media.

I, in the media, have discussed in many of these pages as to why the nuke deal is against our people. I have cited American authorities, in whose language this deal is so clearly in the interest of United States.

When the deal, according to American authorities, is so clearly in American interest, why should we accept that it is in our interest?

I have earlier quoted American sources that have declared that the deal is a bonanza for US Firms.

When the deal, admitted by American authorities, would be a bonanza for US Firms, why should we accept that it is for our development?

On the other hand, when, consequent upon the initial joint agreement between US President Bush and our Prime Minister Singh in July 2005, the American Senate voted on December 9, 2006 to approve the Hyde Act (United States-India Peaceful Atomic Energy Cooperation Act of 2006), it was underlined therein that Indian parliament must agree to the text of the deal.

To quote World Nuclear News on Nuclear Policy, Once President Bush has signed the document and it becomes law, four further agreements must be made:

A specific agreement between India and the International Atomic Energy Agency regarding safeguards of nuclear materials.
India-specific trade guidelines must be drafted by the Nuclear Suppliers Group, a 45-nation cartel which has restricted nuclear trade to NPT signatories since 1992.
The USA must conclude a ‘123’ agreement with India on nuclear cooperation. Section 123 of the US Atomic Energy Act of 1954 requires an agreement for cooperation as a prerequisite for nuclear deals between the USA and any other nation.
The Indian parliament must agree to the text.

So every conscious Indian was sure that the nuke deal agreement would be tested on the matrix of collective wisdom of the Parliament. But how is it that Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh signed and sealed the agreement making it non-negotiable without even placing the text of the agreement before the Indian Parliament and the Parliament agreeing to its text?

Under the American Laws, US government is bound to finally dispose off used nuclear materials coming out of its one hundred and four outdated reactors in order to protect its own citizens and environment from nuclear radiation hazards. Its inside repositories are exhausted. Therefore it is urgent for US administration to ship away used nuclear materials to other parts of the globe. How would the used nuclear materials found hazardous to American health and environment be beneficial to Indian development?

Nuclear power generation in USA has become so uneconomic that it has also decided to discard one hundred old reactors and to install next generation reactors in their places. According to the source cited supra, nearly 30 civil prototype and commercial reactors are being or have been decommissioned in the USA. A few have been totally dismantled so that the site is released for unrestricted use, notably Fort St Vrain, Big Rock Point and Shoreham. The majorities are in various stages of dismantling or safe store. Had the right reactionary Prime Minister A.B.Vajpayee (as he then was) not dragged India to this trap and had the deterioration of political quality in India not paved the way for Sonia-Singh combine to grab power, the so-called 123 Agreement to help USA to export its uneconomical and outdated nuclear reactors as well as their used and hazardous fuels to India would never have been possible. How can the outdated reactors already decommissioned and / or slated to be discarded as the power they generate is much more costly than generation from other sources in the States be become economical in India? And how the used nuclear materials found most hazardous in the States be of no threat to our peoples and environment? Why Sonia is silent in this regard? Should every Indian honor every mistake its Government makes either without application of mind or with a deliberate design, simply because a lady of Quattrocchi fame is holding the reigns of this Government?

The deal is not a trade deal; it is a cooperation deal. The natural stock of Uranium in America is exhausted. Earlier in these pages the data is given. Boycotted in the world due to American conspiracy, India has developed her own method of nuclear fuel cycle using Thorium and having been blessed by Mother Nature with massive reserve of Thorium, we are very comfortably placed to march ahead in generating nuclear power to our own advantage. In this respect we are adjudged unique in the world. Face-to-face with paucity of Uranium, the States administration has set its eyes on Thorium stock of India and on the unique technology that we have developed on its use. The cooperation clause in the deal that Sonia is so determined to operate is designed to facilitate usurping of our Thorium stock by the States. Can the opponents of this deal be the enemies of Indian development?

Mrs. Gandhi, if she has any real concern for this country, should come forward to answer these questions first. Every genuine citizen of India has a right to weigh the pros and cons of this deal. Till doubts are not cleared, opposition to this deal is the only patriotic step that a true Indian can take. By calling the opponents of the deal enemies of peace and development Mrs. Gandhi, I regret to note, has behaved only like a circumstantial Indian. It would be better for the Congress to educate its president that it would be detrimental to its own interest if a circumstantial Indian tries to project genuine Indians as enemies.