New trick: Chilika birds killed by poisoned lily buds

--18 held, over 100 bodies of birds seized

BHUBANESWAR: Chilika, which is known as a hot spot for migratory birds in winter season, is now facing a new danger from seasonal bird hunters.

Migratory birds are under threat as these hunters keep hobnobbing in the largest brackish water lake of Asia and using new tricks to poach the avian species.

Forest officials said the hunters mix poison in the bud of lily flowers in the lake to kill the birds. They also use some traditional and modernised nets to capture the birds.

This dirty and dangerous trick of the hunters came to light after the Tangi forest range officers arrested one Arun Kaleshi for hunting birds near famous bird hub Mangalajodi area. Kaleshi confessed that he was using these tricks to capture dozens of birds in the lake.

Arrest of 18 bird hunters by the forest officials this season showed that poaching has been high in the region. The forest officials also seized six boats and more than 100 birds from the hunters’ possession.

According to Tangi forest range officer Ashok Kumar Das, the forest staff arrested Kaleshi and seized around 23 bodies of birds from his possession. “We have 17 base camps and engaged 70 employees to keep close vigil on poaching in the lake,” said Das. Environmentalists demanded that early steps be taken for the safety of the migratory birds in the lake.

Interview of Odisha Congress chief Prasad Harichandan

My crown of thorns to turn a Cong crowned with glory: Prasad

Me with PCC president Prasad Harichandan

He is a rare figure in the State Congress having no factional leaning. He is also one of the few sane voices in the party like Leader of Opposition in Assembly Narasingha Mishra. No wonder, Prasad Harichandan’s nomination as the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president by the party high command has been widely hailed in the State organisation. A comparatively young leader, he is viewed as the one who can inspire the youths in the party and breathe vibration into the organisation. He talked to Hemanta Kumar Pradhan of The Pioneer in an interview on Thursday.

From a boy of Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das’ land of Satyabadi to become Odisha chief of a national party, how do you feel?

A boy feels blessed who is born in the land of Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das. I feel humbled by the assignment given by my esteemed leader Cong president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi.

Don’t you feel that you are donning a crown of thorns given the present state of affairs in the party?

The crown of thorns is a reminder of two things: It is exceedingly painful; and it goes with sufferings. If it is set on my head, I’m willing to endure the pain and shall bear the sufferings. Ultimately, the Congress will be crowned with glory, honour and victory.

It is a long perception that your party has several groups working in their ways. Can you end factionalism in your party?

In any democratic party, you find plurality with regard to any political proposition. But if this turns to division of opinions then the wall of factionalism is ‘raised’. We will moderate such differences to minimal possible level so that the wall of factionalism is ‘razed’. Of course, it’s a daunting business, but we shall try to do it.

After the party’s serial electoral defeats, confidence of Congress workers is on the wane. How can you revive the party and what is your plan to instil confidence among party workers?

True, the four successive defeats have demotivated the party cadres. The vote share of the party has dropped. We have to recharge our cadres, utilise their potentials, exploit the advantages in favour of the party and, thus, chart out a way forward aiming at winning the 2019 elections. For this, we will rebuild the party structure from the grassroots, design a clear and coherent strategy to revive the party. We shall present a vision for the State to fulfil people’s aspirations. We have to identify issues which will persuade people and make them feel that our party is with them in their time of need.

(Takes a pause)

Now, a structured organisation has to be rebuilt with emphasis at the booth level. The continuing membership drive will be widespread bringing youth, women, dalits, tribals, farmers and others in the State into our party fold. We will come out and hit the street to make the people understand about the State Government’s misdeeds, scams. We will organise the party workers and come out on the streets across the State as it will show us road of change. The party, which will be geared up for the Panchayati Raj elections in 2017, will make a roadmap for the party’s success.

Do you feel the seniors who didn’t get the coveted PCC chief post will sincerely work under you?

There are very senior and eminent leaders in the party who are way ahead of me in all respects. They are our guides, mentors and philosophers. Rather, I’ll work with them. Rather, they will allow me to work with them. In an organisation, more in a grand old party like Congress, it is imperative to bridge the widening generational gap. We will bring young and elder leaders together. The senior leaders will guide to design programmes and strategies and the young cadres and leaders will make it happen.

How do you see the BJD Government’s performance?

The years of the BJD rule is full with huge performance deficit, massive governance failures, mega scams and major scandals and scores of unmet aspirations. The Government is excessively bureaucratised and ineffective and there has hardly been a visible impetus to developmental activists. Ruling the State for almost 15 years, BJD has caused only miseries for its 4.2 crore people by its misgovernance.

Yes, the Government has received rims of spaces in print media and uncountable timeslots in electronic media for its ‘best performances’ in chit fund scam, mining scam and the very recent land and house allotment scam.

Now, farmers are waiting in the market yards for procurement of their paddy with a hope to get a good price for their produce, but the State has left the farmers’ fate in the hand of the millers. The situation of migrant labourers is horrible and the recent death of a man from Boudh stunned the State. If the State has done a good job then why farmers commit suicide every year and why people migrate to other States in search of work? Is there any proper answer to my questions with the State Government?

The interview was published in The Pioneer English daily on December 19, 2014  

No relief for Ganjam hilly villagers from lone rough road

--Not repaired properly; authorities churlish

BRAHMAPUR: For the villagers of Podagada, Jhatipadar, N Barapalli and Raghunathpur under Ramagarh gram panchayat in Ganjam block, a good motorable road is still a far cry. Except a three-km-long slush road, the villages surrounded by mountains have no other alternative roads to connect to the National Highway-5 at Palur Junction, 37 km away from here.

Around 4,000 villagers depend on the road which was in precarious condition. The rural road has become a headache for the people of these villages as it has hundreds of potholes and substandard works of stone chips making the road a hell for commuters. According to villager Rabi Narayan Pradhan of Jhatipadar, a portion of the shoddy mud road had been constructed in 2002 after several years of struggle. Surprisingly, the constructed portion had become rough after two years, he added.

Again a contractor got the road tender and had started repairing another portion of the road. “We were happy about the construction of the road, but after a few days of the work, the contractor left it halfway by only scattering black stone chips on the road,” said a villager of Podagada. “Anyhow the road was manageable to commute before construction, but after this it became rough to very rough. The strong black stone chips scattered all over the road starting from its beginning to the end created problems for vehicles and commuters,” said Duryodhan Sahu of Podagada village.

Youths from the villages said the hired auto-rickshaws or cars take more money to come to their villages only for the deadly road. “If we hire vehicles like auto-rickshaw or taxi at night, some of them don’t come fearing the road’s condition,” said Basanta Pallai of Podagada.

“Some children and elderly persons of the four villages got injured in accidents which took place on this road,” said an old woman of N Barapalli village and added that the ambulance take almost double time to cross the road while taking a patient to a hospital. “It’s horrible to drive the vehicles on this road. We always pray god while taking a heart patient to the hospital,” said an auto-rickshaw driver Golak Kumar Sahu.

Pradhan said the State Government with the help the World Bank had sanctioned a multi-purpose cyclone shelter along with an all weather road to Podagada and Jhatipadar a few years back. The cyclone shelter work has been completed, but the road work is yet to be started, he added.

“We have been demanding for the construction of the road, but nobody is paying heed to our demands,” said Duryodhan, adding, “When we asked Executive Engineer (RW-II Division, Brahmapur) about status of the road, he informed us that a contractor had challenged the tender process in the court as a result of which the work was not taking off.” When contacted, Engineer-in-Chief (Civil) got angry and pleaded not to disturb him for a silly matter.

The story was published in The Pioneer English daily on November 6, 2014  

‘Aim to touch millions of hearts’- A tale of two city slum kids

BHUBANESWAR: Unlike Switzerland, people residing here don’t obey zebra crossing rules on the roads. The European country is very kind  towards its children,” said Rupak Gouda and Jasmin Nisa of Science Park slum in the city, who had attended a children conference held at Caux in Switzerland recently.

The two children, who are active members of the Humara Bachpan child club, took a pause and said they saw several good initiatives taken by the Swiss Government for children. Their transportation system was child-friendly and living condition was also good, they added.

“An elderly people also says sorry for committing a minor mistake in that country which I found very educative and inspiring,” said Rupak, a +2 first year student reading in city-based Acharya Harihar College.

We were listening to Rupak and Jasmin’s success story in a small house in the slum which was connected with a narrow road slashed by small drains connected with dingy houses. When we asked Rupak about his feelings towards slum, the boy stopped smiling and said he had raised the issues related to the awful living conditions in Bhubaneswar slums in three international conferences held in New Delhi, Switzerland and Hyderabad.

In the conferences, Rupak and Jasmin had raised eight points related to slum problems including housing, water, sanitation, public space, electricity and public transport. “Living condition is very bad in the slums. We cannot get a good space for playing for which we feel dull,” said Rupak, adding, “The sewerage and drainage problems in the slums create breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other germs as a result of which we fall ill most of the time.”

Jasmin, a Class IX student of Unit-IX Government Girls High School in the city, said they have several child clubs in different slums of the city. Child advocates of the clubs meet together and discuss about different problems of slums. After discussion, they meet people’s representatives and Government officials to solve problems of their area, she added.

“Two years back, I had joined the club formed by Humara Bachpan campaign. The campaign helped me attend international child conferences to represent Bhubaneswar,” said Jasmin.

The duo said a group of children from different slums had met Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Mayor Anant Narayan Jena recently and discussed about different issues related to children. “We were very happy that the Mayor behaved with us like a normal friend and lent his ears to our grievances,” they added.

Jasmin, who wanted to be a social activist and fight for rights of slum people living in the country, said the Government should ensure that every girl child of the slums gets education and equal rights.

Rupak, who wants to be an aeronautical engineer to help the Indian Air Force, said every children of the country have rights to get education, live with dignity and get basic necessities which should be guaranteed by the Government. “We have been raising this point in every forum that the Government should help us in improving our living condition,” he added.

The duo was also selected to meet the President of India on the occasion of Children’s Day on November 15. They would represent the State in the national level.

The smiling little girl and the talented boy came with us to the end of the slum road to say goodbye. While leaving the place, Jasmin’s words, “Aim to touch million of hearts” were reverberating in my mind.

The story was published in The Pioneer English daily on November 5, 2014