Ask Dana Majhi not to worry: development will be delivered soon! - Ranjan Panda

(Pic: grabbed from a tv news)

This picture is now making millions of rounds in the media.  This is of Dana Majhi of Kalahandi district whose wife died and the hospital denied him a mortuary vehicle. He started walking down to his village carrying his wife himself and had crossed about 10 kms of the total 60 kms road that some media people discovered this, made a news and called up the district medical officials so that a vehicle can be arranged.  The entire country is angry on this incidence and rightly so.  This is a shame on our system but I am sure no one will be held responsible for this.  After we discover another such news, Dana Majhi's case will be forgotten.  After the Mahanadi issue popped up, we have forgotten the Nagada malnutrition deaths of children!

This brings me back to a few pertinent questions that I keep asking to myself and others.  1. What is the real development? Building roads and buildings or having a humane system that manages these? 2. How has the GDP growth number helped improve the service delivery system and more importantly the accountability of the system managers i.e. government? 3. Is it really 'development deficit' or the failure of 'development?' 

Don't be under any illusion that Dana Majhi's case is a singular one in the country.  This is just one of the reported cases.  There must be thousands of such cases happening in each state during the duration of my writing this post.  Our governments are busy in 'construction' as the 'image' of development.  We have all sorts of jargons like Smart Cities, Digital India, bla bla... but no teachers to teach our children in govt. schools, no doctors to treat the common people, no growth in quality public transport, no increase in provisioning clean drinking water and most importantly no accountability. 

Be it contamination of drinking water, failure of health administration in cases such as the one in point, pollution of water bodies by industries, killing of our forests and rivers by our government policies/actions, collapse of our education system so on and so forth, no one is accountable.  Each time a case gets reported and there is a media/public outrage, an inquiry committee is formed that either delays the report till the public memory fades or covers up the mistake of the govt.  The government that we see does not behave like one elected by the people and meant for their service but a servant of the powerful politicians, bureaucrats and their masters.

Our memory fades and we clap when another road is built for the rich's car and industrialist's goods truck to ply. 

We love roads, buildings, big shots and our ability to forget things so fast. 

We are positive people, we should not report all these negative news.  Praise the governments, the politicians and bureaucrats day in and day out and there are many benefits on the cards! Dana will get some more kilograms of rice, a few thousand rupees and a few artificial sympathizers.

Keep doing that my progressive friends! Keep calculating the GDP numbers.  Development is going to take birth in this nation some day for sure!!

-    - 26th August 2016

India below Pakistan in Happiness Index: The age of crowd justice has arrived?

Towards crowd justice system, barbarism and a banana republic: And India is below Pakistan in Happiness Index!

Ranjan Panda

A dalit being beaten up just for touching an upper caste fellow is nothing new in India.  What's new is an assembly suspending an MLA for not chanting 'Bharat Mata ki Jai.' As if this chant was part of the oath to be taken and the MLA refused to do so, hence failing to oblige to his constitutional duty. 

It is also new to see growing examples of Muslim and Kashmiri people being killed or beaten up, or even arrested for 'rumors' about their eating 'beef.' 

There are many such examples including the Patiala Court incidences where 'advocates' holding national flag and chanting 'Vande Mataram' abused women, beat up journalists, students, academicians and public.  An MLA too delivered crowd justice in front of the court premises, by beating up a political activist.

A pattern is visible. One rumour is spread or a dictum is given.  Rumour such as the 'beef eating' and dictum such as chanting the 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' (or else you are anti-national). 

And then, a group of people jump into action, street justice is meted, Parliament is made to debate, then some MPs/MLAs/Party workers issue many kinds of barbaric warnings against anyone who is anti-national according to them. 

Heads and tongues are wanted and rewards worth crores are offered for anyone who can bring these 'anti-national heads and tongues.'

TV debates aid these happenings, some even play party to fuel these acts of dividing the country.

Doctored videos, howling anchors and trending TRP become the norm of the hour.  Nation does not discuss vital issues like farmer suicides, robbery of banks by greedy corporate houses, drought, atrocities against tribals and dalits, fake encounters of tribals to benefit mining companies, so on and so forth. 

Some men in the highest ranks of power remain mute spectators, some play party to all this game.  Many of us too fall prey to the design and play our own part through bits and pieces. 

As the nation keeps engaging in all these barbaric and stone age happenings, the promises of economic progress, jobs to unemployed, etc. are conveniently forgotten; deadly bills such as the Aadhaar is passed in the parliament, Vijay Mallya is aided to leave the country, justice for Rohith Vemula and other students elude, fake certificate case of the HRD Minister gets further delayed in the courts of justice. 

Environment laws are tweaked to give rise to crony capitalism, Ambani registers highest ever profit due to global slump in crude oil price but consumers keep paying through noses for petrol and diesel, so on and so forth.

What also happens is that India's billionaire tally in the Forbes List rises up to be at the 3rd position, but India continues to remain a very underdeveloped country at the 130th position of Human Development Index. 

As acts of divisive forces and hate brigades keep increasing, India discovers itself lagging behind Pakistan, Bangladesh and China in the World Happiness Index.

Development, the rhetoric, slips to an illusion.  One suddenly discovers thyself cursed to be living in a stone age of 21st Century.  It's difficult to find out whether time has failed us or we have failed time!

(Note: This article is not in line with objectives of this blog.  However, some issues affecting the country have potential to impact all spheres of actions.  Hence, I thought of posting this one as a general piece of thought.  I regret the inconvenience to readers of this blog who don't expect such an article. Please bear with me.)

Innocent voiceless 17000 trees martyred and no noise!!

As if burning property worth 25000 crore was not enough, killing people was not enough, raping women on the highway was not enough: the Jat reservation struggle had to kill 17000 trees as well...

And instead of punishing the violent people, the government accedes to their demand! What s shame!!

Peaceful protesters get beaten up, but violent protesters win.  What is the government trying to signal?

When humans depend on guns to buy peace!

It is said India spends somewhere between 200-300 million USD per year and Pakistan about 50-60 million USD per year to guard the world's highest and most difficult Siachen glacier, where no one stays and where it is almost difficult to do anything. And both the countries are spending this since 1984.

So, in about 34 years India and Pakistan together must have spent between 8500 and 12,240 million USD just to guard a glacial border.

And, that is not it. A news site claims, The Siachen Glacier has engulfed over 8,000 Indian and Pakistani soldiers between April 1984 and April 2012. All soldiers who are deployed in this glacier face acute problems both during and post deployment.

Imagine if we had a better, peace loving world, which respected humanity more than war; what would have happened with this huge amount of money spent by two poor countries of the world!!

बरसने को मैं भी तरसू! A Hindi Poem in response to Monsoon Deficit...

बरसने को मैं भी तरसू

एक दिन मैने आसमाँ से कहा,

मुझे ज़रूरत है भूरी भूरी बारिश के बूंदो की

मुझे उम्मीद है हरे भरे खेत ख़लियानो की

है उम्मीद मुझे हरे भरे लहराते पेड़ पौधों की

पर खैर मुझे ये हरे घाँस की चादर ना दिखी !!

अब तेरे इस ढोंग से परेशान हु मैं

क्योंकि हरे रंग से दिल नहीं भरता मेरा

देना है तो बारिश ही दे दे ऐ आसमाँ

हर एक बूँद के लिए हरियाली है तरसती !!

बरसा दे बूंदे इस कदर की,

दिल मेरा भी भरे और धरती भी खिल उठे…

सुन कर मेरी यह शिकायत

आसमाँ फिर बोल उठा,

बरसने को मैं भी तरसू

गरजने को बादल भी हैं उतावले

उड़के काश मैं आ जाउ तेरे पास

जब चहुँ तब बरसू ऐ पगले !!

पंख मेरे तूने ही काट डाले

उन पहाड़ियों और वादियों को उजाड़ डाला

पेड़ पौधे तो अब तेरे साथी ना रहे

तूने तो अपनी जड़ को ही उखाड़ डाला !!

मेरी पेह्चान तुझसे नही

तेरा वजूद है मुझपे निर्भर

अब भी वक्त है थोड़ा सुधर जाने को

अब तो थोड़ा डर और रहम कर

प्यार गर तू अपने आप से करे 

मेरी और यह धरती के प्यार को न खत्म कर !!

- रंजन पांडा

===

(My poem in response to one of the worst deficit rainfall years that we are facing now)

The Fake Baba and Chit Fund: Only the fools follow the God Men/Women...

I have kept myself away from commenting on the crazy affair that has been going on in our TV channels and newspapers in relation to a Fake Baba (Godman) called 'Sarathi Baba.' However, the obsession that is now visible in this connection for the last few days forces me to write a few lines. Sorry, it may be a longer post than usual.

How it all began? A self styled God Man was caught in CCTV of a Hyderabad hotel in an unusual attire. He was wearing a jeans, a shirt and a sun glass unlike his 'Baba avataar attire' that people (his followers) are accustomed to see him in. One particular TV channel got the images and it became a 'sensational news' running almost 24x7. The channel claimed it investigated and found out that the Baba had checked in the hotel with a girl whom he claimed his wife. The hotel bills were also obtained which showed that the Baba supposedly drank foreign brand liquors, chicken and all that he is not known for in his public life.

The news spread like communal riot from one channel to almost all just in a day. People started protesting on streets, in front of the Baba's ashsams, in social media and in all possible places. Activists were seen spitting on car of an office bearer of Baba's organisation who was in Bhubaneswar to do a press meet, facebook and whatsapp got loaded with N number of photohopped images of Baba in different positions: sometimes holding a girl on his lap, sometimes with the girl who was seen with Baba in that Hyderabad hotel and all kinds of derogatory slogans/messages written over them. The protests have taken political colours and the police action against advocates, workers of political parties and protesting common people have been inhuman and illegal.

People have come up with several theories to establish the Baba's link with the ruling BJD, the local SP's (Superintendent of Police) involvement in extracting money from the Baba to protect him against all his illicit activities, so on and so forth. Media investigations have claimed that the Baba has been involved in chit fund, in illegally holding property, having black money and all that one can attribute to such dhongi (hypocrite) people.

The Baba it seems has been arrested last night owing to public pressure. The media is still abuzz with Baba news and several important news are now hiding from the screens and papers. Of course, we are now used to this phenomenon.

Now let's try to dissect this media and public trial with some logic. At the first instance, as far as my knowledge goes, any citizen of India can go in any presentable attire and stay in a hotel by paying the charges. Baba did that. I don't know what made the girl to accompany him to stay there but am deeply saddened by the way the girl's name and photographs have been used in both mainstream and social media. It is out and out derogatory and abuses her right to life and privacy.

Some media houses are claiming to have unearthed a great evidence by showing that they have obtained flight tickets that confirms Baba in fact flew to Hyderabad with the girl. What a great Khulasha (discovery) that!!! But they forget that the Baba has every right to buy a ticket and fly in an airplane.

Now coming back to the girl. Are we raising legal issues about her being seen with the Baba or we are just behaving like moral police? Let me make it simple. At the first instance, did the girl raise a complain that she was abducted, hypnotized, forced into a sexual relationship or anything of that sort? What she says now(post this episode) in defense or to avoid being harassed by such trials is a different issue. Initially, as it is seen, she had no complaints. And she is no minor either, as we can see from media reports.

So, legally in this case, Baba has not committed any crime. At least I believe so. However, the issue is about faith. The Baba has played with sentiments of lakhs of his followers for sure. But who follows such Babas? The fools!

The agitation and obsessed media activism has made another khulasha about the Baba. He has been involved in many illegal activities including perhaps chit fund scams. But do we believe the authorities did not know about it? All such illegal dens of our God Men are well protected by the authorities (throughout the country). The chit fund scams flourished due to fool investors and because the scamsters got protection from the govt. authorities including police. But we keep silent until some such incidence happens. In fact many so called intellectuals maintain a criminal silence even as such frauds flourish in their neighborhood for years. So the media trial has a positive angle.

One good thing this episode has done is to bring the Baba's illicit doings under scanner, for the moment though. All the complaints against him, that were conveniently ignored and suppressed by the govt., may get a new lease of life post this episode of khulasha. However, will it be the end of road for such Dhongi Babas and to the foolishness called 'blind faith.' A big NO!

I only feel sorry for the way the girl has been treated...

Thanks and regards,

Ranjan Panda

'Forest rich' poor states vrs 'Forest poor' rich states!

Odisha' shows good compensatory afforestation records, Gujurat fails to compensate even a single tree it cut -

Statistics say it all. Believe a CAG report of 2014 and you would know that afforestation has happened in only 7 per cent of lands as against the target of 1,03,390 hectares where trees should have been planted since 2002 under the compensatory afforestation schemes.

The state of environment report of CSE finds out Gujurat and six other states (Haryana, Kerala, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Punjab and Rajasthan) did not plant a single tree against what they cut all these years. While many states lagged behind only Odisha and Assam showed high level of afforestation, this report says.

Well, while these are statistics only and the reality is surely different as we have seen in the grassroots. However, the so called rich and developed states have failed compensating forests even in statistics!

Die a holy death and get an insurance cover worth half a million!

Wondering if this Rath Yatra would be a good season to die in Puri. Insurance for accidental deaths including drowning has been increased from .1 million to half a million rupees. I am sure the incomplete drains, disastrous sewer network and other half way through infrastructure would be a good cause of drowning, more probable if it rains during the festival when millions will be crowding the city.

And well, death due to adulterated food and contaminated water should also be covered under this insurance scheme that is available to pilgrims between July 17 and July 30.

Then, the temple administration couldn't complete the Effluent Treatment Plant by June 30 deadline. Lord Jagannath may eat clean( I m not sure though) prashad but bhakts have to bear the brunt of untreated kitchen waste from his temple. Mind it, no small kitchen this. It generates 50 KL of waste water daily.

It is said a death can't be holier than when it happens it in the Dhams!

Evolution Theory's New Catch: How a Monkey gives birth to a Butterfly!!!

My little darling daughter Khushi (Prakriti), studying in standard 7th, always surprises me with her imaginations. Last night was a bit different as she came up with a whole new evolution theory.

She said, "Papa, after doing a lot of thinking I have reached to this conclusion that a Monkey can give birth to a Butterfly." Surprised, I asked, "how?"

Khushi: "See, you are a Monkey but I am a Butterfly." Explaining further, she said, "you belong to the Monkey class but girls are like butterflies - colorful and always wanting to fly."

My sweet little princess, you are really amazing. I just wish that you continue viewing life like that and live one with liberty and flying colors. God bless!

Ah, those first drops of rains!

Ah, those first drops of rains;

Dancing down, piercing through the scorching heat...

So refreshing, so promising!

Stay with us please;

For the craving fields, soul and mind...

Will Indian Children soon lose their right to Egg Protein?

Most states run by BJP deny Eggs, an essential protein, to children in the Mid Day Meal (MDM) schemes. This goes in sync with the vegetarian culture they are supposed to be promoting. The latest ban of Eggs comes in Madhya Pradesh where 52 per cent children suffer from malnutrition.

A recent survey reveals that vegetarian people have more protein deficiency than non-veg eaters. Several communities including tribals, dalits and others across the country have non-vegetarian food habits. By denying Egg to children in MDMs therefore the governments are denying both protein and right to live the way people want.

Roads to Prosperity? A case to ponder...

@ Redhakhol: These children rush to each slowing vehicle on the National Highway to sell forest/orchard fruits that fetch them peanuts. They risk their lives and miss childhood. The same products are available in city markets at high prices (5 to 20 times more) but these primary producers don't get the benefit.

But we keep building more and more roads in the name of 'Development'. Which gap are these highways bridging and whose development are they bringing?

Searching for an answer to farmers' woes...

Why are the children of farmers not interested to become farmers? If we can find real answers to this question, I think, we can address most of the problems farmers of this nation face today...

A common man’s perspective on India's yearly budget exercise!

The Indian budget exercise is typical.  Each year it targets to achieve somewhere between 5 to 10 per cent of growth for the country on an average by following a formula where the Super-Rich are given all possible incentives and subsidies, and right to loot natural resources and the poorest of the poor, so that they achieve a growth by hundreds of times and then throw some peanuts for the rest of the country.  

The peanuts percolate down to the next few categories of riches, keeps thinning to virtually vanish at the level of middle class.  

The people at the brink, who have suffered all the losses due to the free loot given to the Super-Rich, suffer a huge slump in their economies and are pushed to further margins.

   

We can generally comment that, to achieve a national average GDP growth rate of 5 per cent we have to make the Super-Rich grow by 500 per cent and degrade the Super-Poor by 500 per cent.  

Pick any industrial house owned by India’s Super-Rich families and you will understand this economics.

Ranjan Panda

Shiva and the poison story - Happy Shivaratri Day Wishes!

Mythology says it that Lord Shiva swallowed all the poison to save mankind. Sadly, the same mankind is now forcing itself and all other species swallow poison day in and day out, all in the name of progress...

Wish you all a Happy Maha Shivaratri!

Cyclone's new geography!

About two decades ago I had said how disasters will engulf newer areas owing to climate change. Some people, especially so called experts and even some NGO leaders, termed me as a mad person. These two decades have shown that droughts have spread to Coastal Odisha, floods to Western Odisha and now cyclone to South and Central Odisha...

Congratulations Nobel Peace Prize Winners from India and Pakistan!

Nobel Peace Prize to Rights Activists Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai becomes much more important and relevant because it comes at a time when both Indian and Pakistani governments are at their best to push 'Human Rights' to the brink (for so called 'economic growth') and both are preparing for a war. Besides sending our a good message to the world, I am hopeful this educates both the governments about 'Human Rights' and 'Peace'...

Congratulations Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai!

Why it is not possible to build an IIT or IIM in the Other Odisha?

From a citizen of Other Odisha (rest of Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Corridor) to Governments of Odisha and India:

Dear Governments, 

For the last six and half decades, you displaced our people, cut our trees, exploited our mineral resources, and oppressed our people whenever they resisted to such moves.  All this you did in the name of 'development'.  For the last couple of decades, you have accelerated your pace of such development and have widened roads to cut more trees, located power plants and other industries in our areas by killing more water bodies, by displacing more people and by reinventing your forms of oppression against the agitating masses.  All these decades, we have been hearing that 'bhittibhumi' (i.e. infrastructure) is being created in the state.  

After all these years of bhittibhumi bikash, can you answer us why it has not been possible to locate an IIT or IIM in the western or southern Odisha, in want of appropriate infrastructure?  Where are you building the infrastructure then and at whose cost?

When will you stop exploiting the Other Odisha to build your Odisha (Bhubaneswar-Cuttack corridor)?

We need an answer!

Ranjan Panda

Why we should never throw rotten tomato at corrupt, non-performing and fraud politicians?

Rotten tomato, once used to be thrown at ill performances and bad politicians, is now a delicacy.

A friend just called me from a village in Deogarh district. His father has died and tomorrow is the Ganga Shraddha feast (the closing ritual that ends with a feast). He tried to buy tomato from Deogarh and nearby areas but found it too costly at Rs.80/- a kilogram. He is now trying to get 'any quality' tomato as he cannot afford the above price. I tried it with a whole seller of Gole Bazar market at Sambalpur, who has offered me Rs.50/- a kilo but with a condition. 'Bhai, please promise that you won't scold me for the quality,' said he. Now the choice is mine. Or, do I really have a choice?

Such are difficult situations actually. My friend's feast is not possible without tomato, and I cannot help him in any other ways than sending low grade tomato. Half rotten, half good to be specific.

The governments have made us compromise our lives in so many senses. Or is it a revenge being taken by all those politicians who have received 'rotten tomato welcome' in the past?

Make Bhubaneswar a separate state!

Our adivasis are best preserved in wall paintings of the capital city; our health care system is well developed in the capital city; our education system is well groomed in the capital city; and our officials are well protected in the capital city. Power has been centralized, corporations and commissions centralized and even corruption centralized...

Time Bhubaneswar be made a separate state for the best interest of rest of Odisha...