People of Orissa are in Quandary, No Doubt

Subhas Chandra Pattanayak

Super supremo of Ruling BJD, Pyari Mohan Mohapatra, in an interview to OTv, on the occasion of 14th foundation day of his party yesterday, has claimed that it would stay in power for the next 15 years in Orissa. Why 15, not 20 years?

The way Orissa’s mineral wealth is being looted under the umbrage of administration and squandered away by the government itself, ever since Navin Patnaik of BJD has taken over as Chief Minister, meteorologists and scientists of relevance are sure that the State shall be totally denuded of its stock within 15 years from now. And, the way Orissa has been led into the grip of non-Oriya land-grabbers; there should be no land to lease out after 10 years from now.

So, naturally after 15 years from now, if the BJD stays in power till then, Orissa shall have no natural resources to loot. There shall be nothing in Orissa to feed the power vultures any further. And naturally it should have no attraction for BJD after 15 years.

How could Mohapatra be so sure of occupying power for next 15 years in Orissa despite under Navin the plundered province has earned the ignominy of being viewed as the most wretched amongst all the States in the den of poverty in India?

Are the people of Orissa such idiots that BJD will continue in power for next 15 years? No, they are not the idiots.

In the last election they have wisely rejected the party of USA lobbyists, the Congress. In the last election, they have also rejected the party of profiteers, the BJP. They have bitterly punished the communists as, instead of initiating class war, their leaders have shown aptitude to ally with the agents of capitalism.

So, it cannot be said that Orissa citizenry has no ability to reject wrong doers.

But BJD is in power because both of its mainstream opponents – the Congress and the BJP – are so densely anti-people that rejection to BJD could have helped them and hence would have become more disastrous.

Mohapatra has composed his hope for BJD on this ground only and he knows, if his party stays in power for further 15 years, there shall be no mineral and natural wealth left in Orissa to allure the pack of his feather any more into electoral politics. This is why his stress is on 15 years from now; not on 20.

And, if EVMs are not discarded or tampering thereof is not made impossible, any combine of criminals donning attires of political parties, may occupy power sans support of the people.

So, BJD can continue in forming governments in Orissa till her entire mineral and natural resources are exhausted, which may take 15 years in the present speed of plunder.

People of Orissa are in quandary, no doubt.