No education in mother tongue; education denied

Saket Sreebhushan Sahu

Medium of instruction of teaching means a language which is used inside the classroom to inform the student. And if a child is not acquainted with the medium of instruction before entering into the classroom then certainly that is a foreign language for the child. Resultantly the child failed to grasp the teaching or the course content. Teaching a child in an alien language is as if putting the child in deep water without swimming knowledge of the child. So, instruction in mother-tongue is indispensable for the child. Advantage of having a mother-tongue based education enable the child easily grasps the course content as they are used to the vocabulary. Research has shown that children’s first language is the optimal language for literacy and learning throughout primary school (UNESCO 2008 a). Most developed nations have medium of instruction in their mother-tongue. Education is the key to development of the nation and so accordingly the Government of India has enacted Right to Education Act (RTE) on 4th August 2009 keeping provision of compulsory education for children between 6 and 14 in India under article 21 A. India become the 135th country to make education a fundamental right.

Further, the right to receive education in one’s own mother-tongue or native language is recognized by several international instruments. Under the provision of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons belonging National or ethnic, Religious and Linguistic minorities (1992), States are required to take appropriate measures so that, whenever possible, persons belonging to minorities may have adequate opportunities to learn their mother-tongue or to have instructions in their mother-tongue.

But “Right to Education for All” is grossly violated in Odisha. At present Odia is the medium of instructions in the elementary level in Western Odisha. But Odia is not the mother-tongue of children of western Odisha, it is Kosali. No education in Kosali for the children of western Odisha. No education in mother-tongue; education denied. Kosali children are deprived of their fundamental rights. And development from this region has been hijacked.

Kosali is used in the day-to-day life by two crore (2,00,00,000) people of western Odisha out of the total 4.2 crore population of Odisha according to the census of 2011. Western Odisha encompasses ten contiguous districts forming a strong linguistic identity and cultural homogeneity. For the people of western Odisha it is not just a language but a way of life that propel progresses and harmony in the region.

Western Odisha contains 40 to 50 % of the state’s population. Odia language is not used in day-to-day communication in western Odisha. But medium of instruction is Odia in the schools that’s why dropout rate is very high in rural and Adivasi area. This is the main reason of low literacy rate in the region. Kosali is the dominant means of communication throughout western Odisha. Though there are a few tribal languages, but all tribal languages have functional capability in Kosali not in Odia. Odia medium instructions is throwing challenges for the students of western Odisha and blocking them in their progress like overall marks of students from western Odisha are lower than the students of coastal Odisha and students of western Odisha fail in both 10th and 10+2 examinations. Hence, education in Kosali language is the key to development of western Odisha.

On 30th July 2012 the then chief secretary of Odisha directed Odisha Primary Education Programme Authority (OPEPA) a body of the Government of Odisha to start mother-tongue based primary education in 10 languages; Munda, Santhali, Kissan, Oraon, Kui, Koya, Bonda, Juanga and Saura; of the state but there is no Kosali.

Further, OPEPA published an advertisement on dated 25/5/2014 in Sambad daily about recruitment of total 295 Sikshyaa Sahaayak/Sahaayikaa for different languages of different districts like Binjhal (Bargarh), Santhali & Ho(Balasore), Kui(Gajpati), Dibai(Malkangiri), Bhunjia(Nuapada), Pahadi Bhunjia & Kharia(Sundergarh), but again there is no Kosali.

People of western Odisha have been deprived of their basic cultural right, right of mother-tongue which connects them with their economy, socio-cultural system and political right. Perhaps this is the same mentality where Sudras were checked by Kshyatriyas and Brahmins from education and Sambhu was killed by Ramachandra while reading Veda. For the same reason, Dronacharya asked for the thumb of Ekalavya; fearing he may challenge the prince.

Farmer suicide in western Odisha and the callous state

Saket Sreebhushan Sahu

Suicides reports of fourteen farmers from Western Odisha within a fortnight have gripped the whole region in shock and grief. Politician donot bothered about it because it is not an election time. Neither had we heard any sympathetic words from the agriculture minister in any media.

The culture, economy and society of Western Odisha have evolved by build-up with a cohesive bonding affiliating to agriculture since time immemorial. Western Odisha is based on an agrarian economy. If harvesting of crop is good, farming community thinks about marriages in the family. If crop harvesting is not as per expectation, they postponed marriages. All the major festivals like Nuankhai and Phuspuni are agrarian. While Nuankhai is the festival of first crop cutting and offering it to the God/Godess, Phuspuni is the harvesting festival. Today, Nuankhai is celebrated even in foreign countries and major metros of India by the non-residents. But the man behind the Nuankhai and Phuspuni festival, the farmers, is living in an unspeakable pathos and insurmountable grief.

The state government has all kind of schemes for all categories of people but none are in use; all government schemes are as if meant for the thekadar and chamcha of the ruling political party.

The Government collects huge revenue from this region, almost 75 per cent. But never works for the tax payer. The farming community who filled the state treasury is abandoned like anything. Farmers are deprived of their basic rights. They are neglected. If a state is not meant for its subjects then the subjects have to introspect about the state. Time has arrived.

Author Comments on Politics and Culture. The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own.

Reawakening Kosali and Coastal Conspiracy

Saket Sreebhushan Sahu

Kosali language as a separate language, and recognising its relevance and identity are opposed by coastal Odisha intellectuals. They are vehemently arguing about unilateral linguistic character of Odisha. Odisha is multi-lingual state, with two major languages, Odia and Kosali, and Odisha should provide education through the languages prevalent in the state. In a hypocritical step the Odisha government is providing instruction in elementary education through some of the Adivasi languages of the state. But it is mere a political gimmick to lure sympathy of Adivasi and their votes. In the Binjhal caste affluent Bargarh district, the state government has appointed 28 Binjhal language teachers; it is true, at a time Binjhal language was existing, but many a generations have passed and Binjhal tribes have adopted the mainstream Kosali language of the region; but no Binjhal language exists now.
When vigorous movement demanding recommendation of Kosali language is going on, to pacify the agitation tactically, the government t wrote letter to the centre government but to show-off the common folks and brutally made blunders, misrepresented about Kosali to the centre. The committee chaired by an Odia poet played with the sentiments of 2 crore Kosalis. The Coastal lobbies in a deliberate conspiracy with the full support of state machineries lauded with funds and power, one-by-one, step-by-step, hatch to butcher the Kosali movement; felicitated Kosalis poets as Odia poet, employed writers groups to Christianized Kosali to Odia, funded pro-Kosali organizations to hold Odia meetings, hired activist from Kosal region to stage fast unto death dharna and what not?

As to why Odisha government is reticent in recognition of Kosali as a language in its own right is beyond me. This as you can imagine has caused severe bitterness in Kosal or Western Odisha region.
As you know when in 1993 High level Commission was established, Indian government specifically asked the commission to exclude Bodo from deliberation because it had already promised Bodo people that Bodo would be included in the 8th schedule to quell the agitation of the students of the area. In the words of the Parliamentary committee, however, in the light of the Bodo Accord signed between the Government of India on the one hand and All Bodo Students Union and Bodo People’s Action Committee on the other on 20 February, 1993, the Government decided to delink the matter of inclusion of Bodo language in the Eighth Schedule from the issue of setting up of High Powered Body for evolving criteria for inclusion of more languages in the Eighth Schedule. Eventually Bodo along with Maithili, Dogri and Santhali were included in the 8th schedule. So what one expects the Kosalis to do ? Become militant ? Violent ? Rasta Roko, Rail Roko? Learn a few pointers from Naxalites ? Is that the only way ? In what way, claims of these languages are any better than Kosali ? Is not the government indirectly encouraging Kosalis to go the way Bodo people took?

So far Kosalis are going through all the civil channels, such as, writing memorandums, providing documents of authenticity of our claim, producing literature, making movies, conducting seminars, engaging in debates, launching newspapers and periodicals, presenting about Kosali at national platforms and everything imaginable but to no effect.
As it stands now, aggressive Odianisation with a missionary zeal has resulted in putting huge part of population in a disadvantage in education and consequent huge drop-out rate in schools. Many states have more than one recognised language, and such measure enhances the cultural mix because of mutual respect between the language groups. Behind the opposition to recognition of Kosali, there is an oft repeated assertion that Kosali is nothing but a dialect of Odia. This is patently not true, and worse, it is paternalistic. Most coastal Odishans can’t speak Kosali, nor are they familiar with any Kosali literature. They are much more familiar with Bengali in northern coastal area and with Telegu in southern area. So why this pretence? Why not celebrate the linguistic diversity in Odisha instead ?

Author Comments on Politics and Culture. The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own.

Bargarh hospital- a symbol of corruption; Municipality – breeding ground of mosquitoes

Dear all,

Bargarh is the home of the present state health minister Prasanna Acharya. He has been in the power since a long time and elected many times.

When he became the health minister people had a lot of hope that he will take care of the rotten health system of the district by paying more attention to the health system. On normal days even bed-sheets are not supplied to the beds; but today – all the beds were neatly covered with white bedsheets. People were talking of this every where in the hospital.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vKVlbFybzg

Also there have been confirmatory news from people that the in-charge doctors in maternity ward have been asking for money – the amount varies from 1500 to 5000 on case to case basis. Also the agent working as the middle men asks the attendants not to disclose this matter to any one. Leave apart other corruptions those prevail – from medicine companies bribing the doctors to prescribe their medicines which may not be available in the Jan Aushadhi Kendras.

Besides the ASHA workers do not do their work, instead they try how to trap the patients into the medical trap.

Also instead of writing the chemical composition of the medicines by their generic name they ask specific company medicines to be bought. There is a big price gap between generic medicine price and specific company product – ranges from 2 to 20 times higher for the specific treatment. Many necessary and emergency medicines are not stocked in the hospital for the general free distribution.

Besides few exceptions, the hospitals are very good business centres for the doctors and medical companies. Doctors, medicine companies, and netas hand in had are danging tango.

—-

Bargarh is one of the most dirty town ofOdisha. As the dengue fever spreads across mining industrial zones of Odisha, this town has till now not recieved any case. But -Municipality of Bargarh is so effective that they have made the police station a nice mosquito breeding ground, so also the Dist. Govt. Hospital.

The visual is of the Police Station at the centre of the town and how mosquito are happily breeding. On asking the IIC of the PS, he said that he has nothing to do with that, it is not his duty, and it is the dept. of Collector. The municipality officials never listen to them.

How is that possible ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNLovALpS7Q

Regards,

Amitabh Patra

Bargarh

M: +91-8763324299

Nitish Kumar vs Naveen Patnaik and Bihar vs Orissa

Following letter was sent by Prof. Arjun Purohit to different e-groups during a discussion on development in Orissa and Bihar:

Development means different things in Orissa and Bihar. In Orissa development means ushering in mega mining projects, no matter what net benefit is to the state, socially, economically, environmentally, and what not and the cost in the same measures. Costs have been enormous. Laws have been violated to suit the purpose of the mining barons. It has created an unsettling hostile ambiance between segments of citizenry.

Pollution has reached toxic levels in the air. Orissa produces six per cent of total toxicity in the air in India though it has only 4 per cent of the population. That too is concentrated in select places, not diluted over the entire state, making it even more lethal. The prevailing mantra, in the words of a promoter of last Investment Bhubaneswar symposium, is “top down” development. Thus the inter-regional disparity is increasing and will continue to increase, thus creating even more discontent and social unrest across the state. This mantra basically means that if you look after of big things, benefits will trickle down to lower rungs in the society eventually. It also means that the population in the lower rungs, especially those affected by these mega projects, are not knowledgeable as to what is good for them, and therefore need not be consulted or the projects need not be explained to them; only “experts in BBSR know and so projects can be implemented against their will. This of course leads to elitism, which leads to feudalism, which ultimately leads to authoritarianism.

In Orissa, development in education means trying to garner as many centrally funded institutions of higher learning, and even the private institutions, such as Vedanta and SRI Sri universities, and locate them in extreme concentration in a small strip. How IIT,IISER,AIMS,Sri Sri or Vedanta will have a dent on illiteracy, the hall mark of Orissa, is known only to the “experts”. Development in healthcare ? I can not understand how the current obsession of massing 10 or more medical colleges in the vicinity of BBSR will do any good to cholera stricken folks in Kashipur and Lanjigarh. To put it bluntly, there is a disconnect between mega concentrated “development” projects and real developmental needs of Orissa.

From my scant knowledge of what regime of Nitish Kumar for the last five years, development mantra is different: “Ground Up”, that is, take care of small problems and big problems will be resolved. It also means that trust must be earned by the government from population of all sectors, even the most vulnerable and not very educated. Thus small farms which employ a large section of the populace are strengthened and enabled. Nitish Kumar provided bicycles to school kids to go school.

The news report says that this has increased enrolment of kids in schools in rural areas by fivefold. Not many mega mining industries any more because with Jharkhand separated out, not much mineral deposits left. I had an opportunity to visit Patna about six years ago. The main roads were filthy with foul smell all over. Law and order situation was very bad. My host Dr.Sinha, retired director of A.N.Sinha Institute warned me not to be out in the city past 6 P.M.. He used to use five locks on the front door of his house even though he lived in a gated community. During my very brief stay, I found in the local newspaper that one of my old contemporaries,a  retired prof in English, was shot dead while reading his newspaper in front veranda of his house. I spent couple of hours in the Pali institute in Nalanda  on my way to Rajgir. There they told me that a few days ago, a Mongolian Buddhist monk was kidnapped for ransom ! I was told in Patna that when Lalu’s daughter got married, the new cars in the showroom of car dealers across the city were taken away at night breaking the glass windows so that they could be used by the groom’s marriage party in Barat ! The dealers were threatening that if such things persisted they would close the dealerships forever ! Recently I talked to my friend Dr.Sinha, who assured me that things have improved beyond imagination, and I was invited to come back and see. Before I vouch for the improvement in Patna, I really have to see and believe what I was told.

There seems to be a new optimism in the air. It seems Nitish Kumar has managed to earn trust from all segments of the population,intelligentsia and ordinary citizens. That by itself is a great accomplishment. It seems Sarvodaya movement of J.P.Narayan is rising again from the grave. I hope and pray that Bihar continues to be on the mend, and be an example for the neighbouring states.

Prof. Arjun Purohit, Canada, E-mail:apurohit1934@gmail.com

At places like Balangir, Odisha govt. should invest more on renewable energy production

Dear honorable CM of Odisha,
 
It is reported in The Samaj that Jharsuguda will be the highest electrical power producing town of India: http://wp.me/pFC4h-Gu
 
Is this a good thing for Jharsuguda which has already high concentration of heavy industries? The western Orissa will be full of thermal powerplants as many are coming up at Birmaharajpur of Sonepur, Titlagarh of Balangir, one at Kalahandi and one at Sundergarh. The temp of western Orissa will increase many fold.
 
Titlagarh is known in the country for recording highest temperature during summer. Places like Titlagarh needs more non-polluting industries like solar power plants. I belive in such places the govt. should invest more on solar power units.
 
Also, putting all the industries in the western Orissa and establishing most of the HRD institutes in the coastal belt is not at all a good idea. It is surprising that various places of western Odisha like Balangir do not have any state govt. technical institutes viz. engg/medical college or central govt. instituts.
 
This needs to corrected.
 
 
Best regards,
Sanjib
–
Dr.Sanjib Kumar Karmee, PhD
Department of Biotechnology
Delft University of Technology
Julianalaan 136, 2628 BL Delft,
The Netherlands

Supporting the demand for establishment of an Indian Institute of Management at Sambalpur city

To,

Honorable HRD Minister Shri Kapil Sibal

CC: 

Mr. Naveen Patnaik, honorable Chief Minister, Odisha
Honorable MPs, Odisha
Journalists and Intelligentsia  

Sub: Supporting the demand of establishment of an Indian Institute of Management at Sambalpur city
 
Dear honorable Shri Sibalji,

MHRD and other central Govt. ministries have been establishing various centrally funded institutions in Odisha to make it a developed state. However, most of the centrally funded institution viz. National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), and railway medical college are located in Bhubaneswar. So far, the state govt. has not established any centrally funded Institutes in the western part of Odisha.

From decades the people of western Odisha have been demanding the establishment of centrally funded institutes. But nothing is happening as Orissa govt. is continuing to be capital-centric by proposing new central governments institutes in the capital region. However, in principle, it should happen like it is happening in various developed states of India (viz. Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharastra, etc). I wish Odisha should follow the example of developed states of our country.
 
As reported by media Shri Amarnath Pradhan, honourable MP has raised the issue of Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Lok Sabha and demanded its establishment in Sambalpur city [1].  This demand is genuine. I wholeheartedly support the demand of Shri Amarnath Pradhan, honourable MP.
 
Sir,

Kindly, consider the proposal for establishing an IIM at Sambalpur city; which is well connected to all districts of Orissa and all  cities of India.
 
The Sambalpur city of western Odisha is sandwiched between Burla and Jharsuguda. Burla-Sambalpur-Jharsuguda region is emerging as a knowledge hub and establishing such an institute will help in cross-fertilization of ideas among the scientists, economists and scholars of humanities and social sciences.
 
Beside that Burla-Sambalpur-Jharsuguda area has many advantages viz.
 
· Burla-Sambalpur-Jharsuguda area is well connected to most of the regions in the state and emerging as a central location for on going industrial activities in Odisha such as Sambalpur – Angul – Cuttack – Bhubaneswar belt, Sambalpur-Jharsuguda-Rourkela belt, Jharsuguda – Sambalpur – Lanjigarh – Rayagada – Koraput belt, and Sambalpur – Jharsuguda – Korba – Bilaspur-Raipur belt. Apart from the existing Industries, several major industries are coming up in this region including Vedanta Aluminum in Jharsuguda. These Industries will provide an extremely good environment to the students and staffs of Indian Institute of Management for carrying out various management related consulting projects and student internships. 
 
· Sambalpur and Rourkela city area are two major metropolitan areas of the state. Burla-Sambalpur-Jharsuguda is more accessible for students from all the districts of western Orissa.

· The AAI is taking initiatives to establish an airport in Jharsuguda (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jharsuguda_Airport). Moreover, this area is well connected to Bhubaneswar, Rourkela, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Vishakhapatnam, Raipur, Nagpur, Ranchi, and Mumbai by rail.
 
· The Burla-Sambalpur-Jharsuguda area has all the necessary amenities like road connectivity, hotels, malls, restaurants, bookshops and parks which will definitely attract world class faculties for this Institute.
 
 
Therefore, the central govt should establish the Indian Institute of Management at Sambalpur city of western Odisha.
 
Thank you and best regards,
 
Sanjib
 
References:
1. http://www.tathya.in/news/story.asp?sno=4395, http://wp.me/pFC4h-G6

—
Dr. Sanjib Kumar Karmee, PhD
Department of Biotechnology
Delft University of Technology
Julianalaan 136, 2628 BL Delft,
The Netherlands

Will Vedanta University relocate to Tamil Nadu or Andhra Pradesh?

Following is a report from the http://www.businessworld.in:

Anil Agarwal’s projects in Orissa seem to be running into rough weather. His Niyamgiri Hills mining project has received a fresh blow with the Attorney General endorsing the environment ministry’s powers to not give clearance to the project. Agarwal’s other project in Orissa — Vedanta University — seems to be going nowhere. It appears it would take years before the first brick is laid on his most ambitious, and grandest, education project.

Agarwal, founder of London-based Vedanta Group, turned heads in 2006 when he said he would set up an 8,000-acre, $3-billion university under the aegis of Vedanta Foundation (which later changed its name to Anil Agarwal Foundation or AAF) in the state’s coastal town of Puri. He also offered $1 billion from his personal funds. Agarwal’s holding in his companies is worth more than $10 billion (as on 31 March 2010).

However, as with most projects requiring land acquisition, the university project, too, got mired in controversy. On 17 March, Orissa Lok Pal Justice P.K. Patra recommended a vigilance probe against AAF’s land deals. In May, the environment and forests ministry withheld clearance for the university, citing “irregularities, illegal, unethical and unlawful deeds”.

With the odds stacked against it, AAF is weighing other options. “Two states have extended an invitation; a decision is likely to be taken on a new site in two months,” says Ajit Kumar Samal, in-charge of the university project. He, however, refuses to divulge more details. Experts say the alternatives to Orissa could be Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, which have good educational infrastructure. “Any place near Hyderabad or Chennai would be a good location,” says Narayanan Ramaswamy, head of education practice at consultancy firm KPMG.

The more important question, though, is: is a large university of this kind feasible in India?

Too Ambitious?
Vedanta’s justification for requiring so much land is simple — to build an institution on the lines of Stanford and Harvard. The 8,180-acre Stanford University was established in 1891. Harvard, set up in 1636, is the oldest institution of higher learning in the US, and has about 5,000 acres. But both were set up when land was not a precious commodity. Besides, the US is a far bigger country than India, and can afford to have universities of such scale.

For a densely-populated country like India, 8,000 acres of contiguous land — later scaled down to 6,000 acres — for a university is hugely ambitious. Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University, for instance, has only 1,000 acres. Large universities like Hyderabad Central University and Banaras Hindu University have 2,300 acres and 1,300 acres, respectively. Utkal University, Orissa’s largest, functions in 400 acres.

“In today’s age of high-speed broadband communication, there is no need to be hell-bent on geographical proximity,” says Ramaswamy. The entire knowledge city in Dubai, which houses 30 universities and 450 business partners catering to over 40,000 students, functions well within about 575 acres of land.

Samal doesn’t agree, though. “The architecture is prepared keeping in mind the topography of the place. In Puri, there are no high-rise buildings and hence a ‘horizontal’ plan.”

But now, with Vedanta talking about other states’ interest in the university project, what happens to the 4,000 acres already acquired for it by the Orissa government?

Cheap Land
AAF doesn’t seem to have given it much thought. Developing this as an off-campus could be an option. But locals say the land acquisition is just on paper and “the land will continue to belong to those who reside on it now”. Samal says that AAF has spent Rs 100 crore on land acquisition so far. For 4,000 acres, that works out to Rs 2.5 lakh per acre, among the cheapest rates in India. The area is strategically located between Puri and Konark on the sea coast.

Click here to view enlarged image

Others, too, have got land at cheap rates in Orissa for educational institutes. Harivansh Chaturvedi, director of Greater Noida’s Birla Institute of Management Technology (Bimtech), says that Orissa had offered land at Rs 7 lakh per acre in 2001; Bimtech bought 30 acres for Rs 2.20 crore. Haryana had offered 7 acres for Rs 17 crore. In 1985, Xavier Institute of Management was given 20 acres with a building at Bhubaneswar for free. The institute, in turn, reserves 50 per cent seats for local students.

AAF’s other option is to monetise the real estate by coaxing technology giants such as IBM, Wipro, TCS and Infosys to set up research facilities in the campus. It also wants to invite venture capitalists to fund start-ups doing research projects and develop this as a hub of innovation, in much the same way as Stanford does.

However, this won’t be easy. According to Praveen Bhagdada, manager at Bangalore-based Zinnov Management Consulting, technology companies weigh the pros and cons of an institute before signing up with it. “It is early days yet,” says an executive with a top IT firm.

Companies such as Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Motorola, Mitsubishi and Lockheed Martin are located in the Stanford Industrial Park. Blue-chip companies such as Silicon Graphics, Sun Microsystems and Cisco had begun as ideas in the university’s computer science department.

Agarwal would be hoping for a similar miracle in India. Whether that will happen in Orissa or somewhere else, or whether it will happen at all, is a billion-dollar question.

shalini dot sharma at abp dot in (This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 02-08-2010)

Dr. Digambara Patra’s Letter to CM of Orissa: No rationality while recommending High Court Branch in Berhampur for South Orissa

Following letter was sent to us by Dr. Patra:

Map showing RDC (South Orissa)

Dear Honroable Chief Minister Shri Patnaik,

If South Orissa gets a High Court Branch, then why should it be located in Berhampur? Map of Southern RDC of Orissa is attached for reference.

It is not a secret that Orissa Government is partial towards Berhampur, Chief Minister of Orissa has even recommneded to have a branch of High Court in his home district without understanding the need of the whole area.

There is no logic why Berhampur should be chosen in South based on distance and geography. The map also clearly shows most backward districts (yellow), backward districts (pink) and avergare districts (light blue) of Orissa. Ganjam is a average district and Behrmapur is 170 km from Bhubaneswar (the distance between Angul and Bhubaneswar). Berhapur has exceptionally used South Orissa tage to its own development without impacting development of whole region. We do not have problem if Behrmpur is developed as a city like Rourkela in Orissa, but its not at all suitable as regional station for South Orissa.

If distance, geography and need of deprived are not taken care, then why should we have a separate branch? If people of South Orissa can travel to Berhampur, then why not Bhubaneswar, which has better communication (goldenquadrangle highways), trains and take less than few hours from Berhampur?

Such decision remind me when Biju Patnaik had said to agitating people in BHAWANIPATNA in ealry 1990s for a University demand: “HE CAN”T MAKE UNIVERSITY IN EVERYBODY’S KITCHEN YARD”

BUT IT SEEMS THE STATE GOVERNMENT IS DOING THE SAME ALWAYS TO FAVOR BERHMPUR IN SOUTH ORISSA.

The political depravity and favoritism should be stopped by Orissa Government. In the name of South Orissa most of the faciltites are provided in Berhampur which hardly benefited the region. The RDC located in Berhmpur is unable to monitor work in Kalahandi, Nuapada, Boudh, Nabarangpur etc and lots of central Govt grants are returning back. The progress is much slower than expected.

Orissa Govt should awake now. The RDC should be relocated and High Court branch should be rather be located in the central location of South Orissa which can directly boost all the region. Attached map is a reference as the most backward districts of the state are intelecutally marginalized by the Government itself.

Thank you and best regards

Digambara

Digambara Patra, Ph.D
Assistant Professor
Department of Chemistry
American University of Beirut
Beirut, Lebanon
Email: digpatra@yahoo.com

National Ghumura Research Center at Bhawanipatna

To
Shri Naveen Patnaik, Honorable Chief Minister of Orissa
Smt Ambika Soni, Honorable Minister of Culture & Toursm

CC
Smt Pratibha Patil, Honorable President of India
Dr Manmohan Singh, Honorable Prime Minister of India
Media

Dear honorable Shri Patnaik and Smt Soni,
Research work by Dr Dolagobinda Bisi, Jayanta Kumar Behera, Parameswar
Mund, Dr Mahendra Mishra, Dr Dasarathi Achraya, Gopinath Mohanty, etc
[1-2] quite unique and distinct in terms of popular culture of Orissa
region, one of the researcher has mentioned that among the districts
in Orissa, probably Kalahandi could be one of the district having more
number of different dance forms (comprising tribal and non-tribal
dances such as Ghumura, Banabadi dance, Dongira Kondh dance, Dalkhai,
Rasarkeli, Dhab, Dhimsa dance, Butia Kondh dance, Gan dance, Paraja
dance, Madal dance etc) compared to any other single district in
Orissa.

Even many such researchers think Ghumra has not got equal status like
Chau in the national level. After Odishi and Sambalpuri Dance, Ghumura
is one of the most sought dance form in Orissa. Though it is thought
to be a popular was dance in ancient India, its identity is still
hidden in the village level in one of the backward pockets of India
comprising South Western Orissa, Northern Andhra Pradesh and Eastern
Chhattisgarh, more popularly confined to KBK-Kandhamal region.
Researchers [1] point out origin of Ghumura dance is related to
mythological days of Ramayana where it was used as an instrument for
warrior music by Ravana. It is depicted in Sarala Das’s Purana [2].
Ghumura was also mentioned as an instrument for warrior music/dance
form in ancient and medieval period by various kings & kingdoms.

Later on it has evolved from a war dance to a dance form for cultural
and social activities. The dance is associated with social
entertainment, relaxation, love, devotion and friendly brotherhood
among all class, creed and religion in the present days. Traditionally
this dance is also associated with Nuakhai and Dasahara celebration in
many parts of Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
Although dress code of Ghumura resembles more like a tribal dance,
researchers argue [1-2] different mudra and dance form present in
Ghumura bear more resemblance with other classical dance form of
India. It is no way inferior to any other folk or classical dance in
India and should not be derecognized as a tribal dance as it is being
played by both tribal and non-tribal people since centuries.

In present days rarely there was any organization like Mahabir
Sankrutik Anustan who has been at leat trying to retain such rich
dance culture of ancient time still hidden in tribal and backward
pockets of India, predominantly in KBK region.

Unfortunately Ministry of Culture, Government of India has not yet
classified this one of the rarest ancient dance in the official
classical form derecognizing as a tribal dance. It is very importance
that ministry of culture gives equal importance to this rare and
unique form of Indian dance form in the national level.

As there is neither sufficient funding, encouragement, nor any
national research center, nor even any national recognition for
Ghumura dance or for its artist, this unique and rarest dance is
slowly vanishing and losing its hidden charisma and beauty in modern
days.

Although many artists from various Indian dances have been recognized
by Padma Shri, Padma Bibhusan etc, Ghumura artists were not yet
equally rewarded by the national government recognitions in the same
level.

I urge the Ministry of Culture, Government of India and Orissa state
Government to take necessary steps to give special fellowship, funding
and recognition for Ghumura and its devoted artist working in the
backward pockets of Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

Apart from National Chhau Centre at Baripada, a National Ghumura
Research Center at Bhawanipatna is required at this hour for not
losing this rarest and unique Ghumura dance forever.

For the above mentioned reasons Orissa state Government may also
consider to have a center/branch of Utkal University of Culture in
Bhawanipatna to educate and carry out research work on various dance
form of South Western Orissa and KBK-Kandhamal region (Kalahandi
region has one of the most diverse verities of dance forms as it is
the melting point of Western Orissa, Southern Orissa and Chhattisgarh
Culture) as well as to study culture and languages present in South
Western Orissa (Languages also include verities of tribal and
non-tribal languages in one specific region of KBK-Kandhamal-Boudh).

References
1. Loka Nutrya Ghumura, Edited by Parameswar Mund, Mahabir
Sanskrutika, Anusthan, June 2002
2. Kalahandi: Loka Anusthan, Edited by Jayanta Kumar Behera, Dr
Dolagobinda Bisi, Parameswar Mund, Mahabir Sanskrutika Anusthan, 1998

Thank you and best regards
Digambara Patra

—
Digambara Patra, Ph.D
Assistant Professor
Department of Chemistry
American University of Beirut
Beirut, Lebanon
Email: digpatra@yahoo.com