Ramlila to create unity among youths

Over the past one year ‘Ram Lila’ has helped to reorganize youth mass of Kuchinda in Sambalpur district because of the strong massage behind the great epic of the country. This has also put a positive impact on the youths who are hardly aware about the richness of the cultural and tradition of the country. The cultural lovers and artists have decided to make it an annual event to be performed every year during Chaitra Navratra’. The event that is presently underway in Kuchinda town has converted into a cultural revolution among the youths. The event has brought a unity among the youths as they all become a part of the event.

But this was not the scene last year when, when Kundaposi Mandir committee of Kuchinda took a decision to perform ‘Ramlila’ in the town. They thought through the event they would create awareness among the youths about the culture and tradition of the country. But it was not an easy task for them. Many argued that this was wastage of money as every one wants to settle down before television sets to watch their regular family soaps than to see a traditional event. However notwithstanding with the challenge, the organizers tried to make the event go as per scheduled.  

“Initially the response was poor, but we keep the show on and people appreciating our efforts requested not to discontinue it. So we decided to continue it as a yearly event”, the director of the show and one of the organizer of the Kundapashi Ramlila Mahotsav, Kuchinda Suratha Naik said

 According to him the ‘Ramlila’ is not only an opera show for amusement but it is an event which helps people to know the great epic of the country as well puts an impact on the people. Naik pointed out that it helps them to discover many hidden talents from the locals. Since we do not want to hire outside artists, we try to hunt local talents for the show. “We have discovered many talents who remain hidden in the society. We pick them up and give only few hours training. Surprisingly they give mind-blowing performance in the stage”, Naik added.

Sources said the young mass of the Kuchinda sub-division of the district are becoming soft target of the Maoist as the region is surrounded by forest. Many young people have joined the outfit diverting from the mainstream.  People feel awareness among the youths regarding the richness of the country’s culture and tradition will make the youths to judge the situation properly.    I appreciated the decision of organizing committee as it will give a good impact on the youngsters who are presently indulged in nefarious activities causing harm to the society” , former Defence officer  Col Pravat Kumar Panda participating the event as guest on Friday.  I was not aware about the rich culture of the country. “It is a nice experience for me when I became a part of the event. I feel proud as the event has united the youth force of the region under one umbrella.”, young participant Malay Behera said. 

No Land for resettlement colony: MCL will give cash compensation in lieu of residential plot

Animesh Sahay

The Mahanadi coalfield limited has decided to purchase land from private owners to construct resettlement colony for displaced and mining affected people as government fails to provide non-forest land to the company. This was disclosed by the Chairman cum managing Director of the company Animesh Sahay on Wednesday. While speaking to the press and media persons on Wednesday, Sahay informed that the company sustains huge loss over past few years because of the delay in mining in the residential areas.  “Due to unavailability of land we are unable to evacuate the people residing in the mining area causing loss of production. But now government has allowed us to purchase private land where we would construct rehabilitation colony for resettlement purpose”, Sahay said.  Sahay pointed out that approximately 6500 families in Talcher areas and 1651 families in IB and Basundhara coalfields area are supposed to be affected in the current year. For their resettlement MCL needs huge area of land. So we have formulated a package for the affected people where they would ask to accept money in lieu of residential plot.

 

Sahaya informed that till 31st March MCL has provide 9986 jobs to the land losers out of which 919 jobs was created in the current 2010-11. “MCL is committed to its CSR activities and spending Rs.5 for ton of coal produced by the company on welfare on the people living in the periphery of the company which comes to Rs 55.29 crores in the year 2010-11”.sahaya added.  He informed that the coal production in Talcher area has been reduced but there is an increase in IB valley. 

On the other hand the company has planted 89,527 trees in 2010-11 and has proposed to plant 1, 83,053 in the current year as a responsibility towards the environmental protection, Sahay added. Claiming the highest income tax payer of the state, Sahay informed that the company has paid an amount of Rs 3170 crores to both state and central government as various tax and duty out of which Rs 14.40 crores was paid as income tax.     

Bezbarua house to convert into a literary museum

The hope of re-construction of the ‘Bezbarua house’ located in Sambalpur becomes brighter after the visit of a 6-member team led by the president of Assam Sahitya Sabha on Monday afternoon. Visiting the dilapidated house, the members have promised to construct a building in the memory of the famous poet of Assam Laxminath Bezbarua  who was residing in that house for more than 20 years.

The president of the Assam Sahitya Sabha Rang  Bang Tarang informed that Sambalpur becomes a sacred place for people of Assam because famous poet Bezbarua created most of his literary work during his stay in Sambalpur. He also appreciated the behavior and custom of the people of Sambalpur as it more or less similar to the behavior and custom of Assam.  “We found a similarity in the behavior and attitude of the people of Assam with the people of Orissa. We feel proud for Sambalpur because the town has given shelter to our great poet Laxminath Bezbarua  who created all his literary works from this place”, Rang Bong Tarang, the president of Assam Sahitya Sabha said.

A meeting was organized by the district administration in the collector office to felicitate the visiting guests. Senior citizens and literary personalities of Sambalpur have taken part in the deliberation who opined to begin a new avenue of cultural exchange between Assam and Orissa.

It may be mentioned here that Laxminath Bezbarua, profounder of modern Assamese literature was residing in a house  located near Mandela chowck for more than 20 years during  1917 to 1938 in connection with his timber business.  During his stay in Sambalpur he created many of his literary works. After his death the house was purchased by a local trader. But the house was constructed on a government leased land, so it comes to legal litigation as there was dispute between the administration and the purchaser. Finally the purchaser moved to high court.  Since the case is still pending in the court of law no body takes care its maintenance part. 

 “We are taking step to resolve the case as soon as possible. Since the place has historical importance, we will recommend the government to declare it as a protected place. We have also assured to the visiting guests to cooperate them in all manner for the reconstruction of the building in the memory of the great poet”, collector (Sambalpur) HK Dash said. 

In the deliberation eminent citizens including Abhaya Padhi, Bhagwat Nanda, Arjun Ranjan Panda, Deepak Panda, Bamapada Tripathy, Sriballav Panigrahi were prominent among others who present and discussed with the visiting team. The DIPRO (Sambalpur) Surya Mishra coordinated the programme. 

Fired for rehired: plight of a college teacher

Bibhuti Bhusan Kar, a former political science lecturer of Deogarh College is running pillar to post fighting against the injustice after he was sacked by the college’s governing body couple year back. Kar made allegation that the governing body did this in order to appoint a less qualified candidate on the pressure of a local political leader. With good academic qualification and serving for more than 14 years, his dream was shattered when he received the terminate letter in 2008. He tried to fight tooth and nail to retain his job but could not succeed. Finally he set on a hunger strike in front of the office of commissioner of higher education, Bhubaneswar where he took attempt to immolate himself on 27^th July 2010. But he was restrained by the police and than commissioner (HE) taking sympathetic view on him, forwarded his grievance to the zonal director office at Sambalpur to probe and submit a report for further action. But Kar’s fate remained unresolved till date as inquiry was not yet started by the zonal director.

B B Kar

“We have received his allegation where contented that his service was illegally terminated to appoint a less qualified candidate in his place. We will conduct an inquiry soon to submit the report to the higher education department”, the zonal director (higher education) Sambalpur Rajalaxmi Mishra said.          

 Kar accused that he was cheated and deprived of his right by the governing body of the college even after serving sincerely for more than 14 years in the institution. According to him, he was appointed in 1995 when the college requires a fresh candidate following an increase of seat in the +3 Arts classes. He continued his service in the college till 2008. But the governing body appointed one Sasmita Pradhan in his place by manipulating the documents. “When I applied documents related to my services through RTI, the college management refused to supply it. I have filed a case against the management before the state commissioner of RTI”, victim Kar said. He alleged that the college management has prepared forge documents to make her appointment prior to him, but the salary book and cash book of the college would reveal the truth.  

On the other hand the principal of the college C R Dash admitted that Kar was working in the institution but he expressed his ignorance about his matter as he joined the institution recently.   “I do not have much knowledge on this issue since I joined the college recently. But from the available documents I came to know that he was terminated as he was kept in a contractual basis” principal Dash said.