HVK Archives: Orissa's knights in shining armour
Orissa's knights in shining armour - The Observer
Dina Nath Mishra
()
17 July 19970
Title: Orissa's knights in shining armour
Author: Dina Nath Mishra
Publication: The Observer
Date: July 17, 19970
Out of 30 districts of Orissa, 10 are affected by drought. Among these 10,
undivided Kalahandi and Bolangir are the worst hit. Conditions in 29 blocks
of the 37 falling under these districts is miserable. For the last five
years there has not been adequate rains in this 'area resulting in
continuous drought. Practically the people have been left to their fate by
the state as well as central governments.
Symbolic relief work apart, the administration seems to be callous to the
suffering humanity of this area. There is widespread corruption in the
relief work of feeding the starving people. Even 10 per cent money is not
spent due to siphoning off of funds at various levels.
One can assess the gravity of situation from the fact that kharif rice
production in the 14 blocks of Bolangir in a good monsoon averages 2.75
lakh tonnes in a good monsoon. Last year, the rice production was just
70,000 tonnes. The huge shortfall has caused havoc among the impoverished
population.
The pathetic conditions of 2,777 villages of the worst drought-hit
districts warrants urgent attention. But the state government takes it
easy as drought in this area is a routine affairs for decades. It is this
attitude which has made Kalahandi and now. Bolangir a synonym for drought
and starvation deaths. There were reports of destitute parents selling
their child due to hunger and helplessness. Lakhs of people have migrated.
People have sold their cattle At throwaway prices as they can't feed them.
The drinking water problem multiply the misery and results in various
disease with almost negligible medical facility. A sick person is more
likely to die than survive in that area.
Western Orissa was once famous for its teak and sal trees. Today there are
hardly any forest cover in Bolangir, Nuapada, Bargarh and Kalahandi.
According to reliable estimates, not even 10 per cent of the forest cover
remains today. The rest has gone to fill the coffers of timber smugglers
and ruling politicians. Even today the duo continue to destroy the forest
in tandem with blatant disregard to the law.
The state government admits that the mindless cutting of forest has
contributed to making this land drought-prone, but nothing has been done to
stop it.
In 1993, the central and the state governments had come out with an
ambitious project of Rs 4,557 crore to fight the drought in this area on a
long term basis. But, after the grand, announcement, nothing has been done
during the last four years.
The question arises as to why the government and administration is totally
insensitive to human miseries caused by .natural calamities. Why it stops
at symbolism? Why projects announced with great fanfare do not materialise?
It is solely because the persons in power lack a commensurate sense of
duty. They don't realise the obligation of service to the people. For them
these Words are hollow and meaningless.
The response of RSS and its cadres to natural calamities is a study in
contrast. The disastrous typhoon in West and East Godavari district of
Andhra Pradesh last year is an example. A lot of announcement were done by
chief minister Chandrababu Naidu. Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda saw
the typhoon devastated area by aircraft and returned back. Andhra chief
minister Chandrababu Naidu had announced that 49,000 houses would be built
by the government to provide shelter to the devastated populace.
Whatever has happen to that announcement? On July 5,1997 an appraisal was
done. Only 253 houses were built and allotted during this period. Out of
them, 250 were built by RSS-sponsored relief committee. RSS chief Rajju
Bhaiya handed over these houses to the people who lost their homes.
In Orissa also RSS sponsored organisation 'Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram' is
literally feeding tens of thousands of people in the drought-affected
areas. Early this year A B Vajpayee sent a team of BJP MPs to Western
Orissa to see for themselves. as to what was the condition in which
drought-hit people were living. BJP vice-president K L Sharma and
president of the party's youth wing, Uma Bharti, toured the drought
affected area of Western Orissa.
Deeply touched by the widespread suffering, Uma Bharti took upon herself
the responsibility of feeding as many hungry people as possible. She came
to RSS secretary general H V Sheshadri and asked for a 'pracharak' to
manage the distribution part of the relief work. One Bharat Kumar was given
that responsibility. He, in turn, created a network of a few hundred
workers who were deputed to supervise the distribution on a day-to-day
basis up to the panchayat level.
Uma Bharti took charge of organising donations of rice. She approached
Punjab chief minister Prakash Singh Badal for 60 trucks of rice. Badal
immediately promised and said, go and tell people of Orissa that "Punjabis
would not allow anybody to die of hunger: if you need more, my doors are
open".
Similarly Haryana chief minister Bansi Lal gave 40 truck loads of rice.
Then the question of transportation arose. Uma Bharti went to Railway
Minister Ram Bilas Paswan and asked for free transportation by railway.
She made. it clear that the distribution and collection of the rice and
other relief materials are being done by 'Sangh Parivar' organisations.
Paswan told hat he wouldn't mind it as it was relief work.
The train load of rice were flagged off by chief minister Badal from
Rajpura. The same goods train came to Ambala to load Haryana rice. Paswan
saw to it that the train reached Orissa destination within shortest span.
The rice reached within five days to Orissa and distribution started on the
large scale. Twenty thousand people started getting 10 kg rice per head
per month basis.
Now Uma Bharti is collecting truck loads of rice from grain merchants of
Delhi and other 'mandies'. Petrol pump dealers have also come forward on
the request of Uma Bharti with the generous contributions. Apart from her,
various RSS organisations are collecting relief material and the
distribution work is in full swing.
A trust of Gujarat has come forward with a donation of Rs 60 lakhs. The
distribution of rice and medicine is being jointly implemented by the trust
and 'Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram'. But these efforts are Insufficient, as the
task is gigantic. Mercifully, these efforts go much beyond symbolism.
A few months back hundreds of passengers died in a crash in the sky
involving Saudi and Tazik plane over Charkhi Dadri 40 km away from Delhi.
Spontaneously, RSS people ran to the spot and helped the relatives of the
dead people in finding the bodies which even policemen were not prepared to
handle. Such is the RSS spirit for selfless service.
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