DR. PRASANNA MISHRA |
| Blog | Posted By: hindtodaynews on:11/14/2011 12:00:56 AM |
For many of us, the change-over from Orissa to Odisha and from Oriya to Odia was nothing more than a belated step to set right a phonetical aberration. This development could have been a game changer. Unfortunately, it was not. Nor did it herald a new chapter in the lives of the people of the state. It was not like an important family event like the arrival of a bridegroom, riding a mare, to be greeted by fireworks. Our society seems to have viewed the change as a non-event; in the same manner it views many other happenings, including a sub-collector’s arrest for corruption. The quality of the response the news about the change of name evoked in the government only betrayed its penchant for theatrics. The rusticity of the celebration and the anachronism displayed through yet another public holiday should have been avoided and a caring government should have done something noble. It could have declared the promulgation of the citizens’ charter that very day to convey to the citizens that governance in Odisha would henceforth be citizen-centric. Citizens would then have with them an enforceable system that would have ensured delivery of certain essential government services within the stipulated time.
Let me come back to the issue of phonetical aberrations. People who know Odia have been suffering the discomfort and ignominy for over a decade when names of well known places of Odisha like Baripada are pronounced wrongly. Change-over from Oriya to Odia, I am afraid, is not likely to change the situation. If so, then people would have to wait for the second Chief Minister of Odisha to listen to Odia names being spoken correctly. As a young officer in early seventies, I had heard a sweet voice over microphone in Birsa Maidan of Rourkela on the occasion of the visit of the Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. The speaker was speaking in Odia (then known as Oriya) so fluently, so sweetly and so spontaneously! It was sweet music to my ears. I must confess I had stopped for a few minutes doing my Magistrate’s duty and had listened to the words spoken by Nandini Satpathy. Those were so different from what we have been hearing now. Use of Odia in transactions of official business had, for some years, helped in demystifying governance and was instrumental in bringing government closer to the people. Now one hardly finds patrons for such a programme. There should be sincere efforts in this regard. If this does not happen, we have to wait for the second Chief Minister of Odisha to bring Odia to the centre-stage of governance.
Shortly after the change-over from Orissa to Odisha I noticed a whiff of fresh air that carried a message— "the worm will turn when trodden upon" meaning that the meekest among us will fight back when provoked. We have now a movement to arouse the collective conscience of the people of the state so that they make generous contribution to Sri Jagannath Temple and prevent sale of the immovable properties of the Lord. Some people are exercised that large chunk of valuable land of the Lord has been sold, wrongly, to a private entity at a very low price. They want that the amount received by the Temple through the sale of the land should be returned to the buyer and the land retrieved. People who have taken this initiative are confident that people of Odisha would come forward with voluntary donations so that the Temple could have sufficient resource to continue with the various rituals of the Lord. This initiative can be viewed as an effort to reinvent Odias. The society, the polity and the people need to be reactive to situations. We cannot be complacent to the extent that we lose the gains from societal dynamics. Sadly, a reaction-less situation has now engulfed the state which can have far reaching consequences. While Mr Narendra Modi justifiably speaks in China about transaction costs being low in Gujarat; here, in our state, high transaction costs even for participating in poverty alleviation programmes is a matter of concern. Bihar is now witnessing a welcome trend of fewer people migrating to other states in search of work. Such a development in Bihar has created a situation of scarcity of farm labour in some states like Haryana and Punjab. In Odisha migration arising out of economic distress, however, shows no sign of respite. Rather it is getting more pronounced, day by day. Mere change of name from Orissa to Odisha would not bring in improvement in this area. Governance would.
Recently, Government of Uttarakhand came out with an elaborate legislation on Lok Pal at the state level and the Chief Minister, Mr Khanduri, feels that the Lok Pal issue could be a very legitimate issue in the coming Elections. Many would agree. What has been the track record of Odisha in this regard? Report after Report of the Lok Pal is not being placed on the floor of the Legislature. Quality of implementation of various poverty-alleviation programmes in Odisha has facilitated the spread of Maoist activities in the state.
As I said, situation in Bihar has changed for the better. Mr Nitish Kumar has been the game changer. Mere change of name in Odisha would not be the game changer. People who matter have proved their inability to be game changer. A leopard, it is said, never changes its spots. In the peculiar situation we are in, the game changer would have to be the educated youth of our state. They have to make a beginning and bring in change in the present deplorable style of governance. I would hope that the youth would take up the issue of a strong Lok Pal for Odisha in the coming election to the Panchayats and spread the message how the Reports of Lok Pal have been kept under the carpet all these years. Such an initiative from the youth would be an extension of the initiative taken by the organisers of the apolitical Odia Swabhiman Yatra who have set on a Rath Yatra that would cover the entire state as a part of Sri Jagannath Surakshya Abhiyan.
( The writer is a former secretary to Govt. of India )