Centre has always betrayed Orissa due to meek State leadership

By Sanjaya Kumar Pradhan
Finally, Congress Led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) got majority, 261 out of 543 Lok Sabha seats, surprising not only the opposition camps (BJP-led NDA, Left led third front and fourth front) but the Congress itself. People have once again proved all pre-poll and exit-poll wrong.
Was it really a mandate for Congress led United Progressive Alliance (UPA), or against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) or the so called third and fourth front? Is the victory not that of UPA but the defeat of opposition (Third and Four Front)? Is the new ruling alliance UPA worthy?
These are the questions which have cropped up in the post-poll. This article has a detailed analysis of politics in India with special reference to Orissa. Do voters have really an option to choose their government or are they forced to vote a political entity into the power due to lack of a better choice? Above all, the straight question is whether UPA at the Centre and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Orissa have done any significant work for the people to win their mandate again?
National scene
Congress emerged as a single largest party getting 202 seats and UPA - 262 seats. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Samajvadi Party (SP), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Janational Dal Secular- JD (S) have extended their unconditional support to UPA taking the tally to 320, surpassing the magic figure of 272 to form the government. However, there are some key concerns and myths that need to be analysed.
First, we need to analyse, how UPA got 261 seats. People have not voted for UPA but against the opportunistic, unworthy, unrealistic parties (especially third and fourth front). Third and fourth front were really threat for the country, who were all set to blackmail the central government for their selfish and local issues to fulfil short term goal of their party, compromising the national integrity. They have completely lost the faith of people. Third and fourth front dominated states like Andhra Pradesh (TDP), Tamil Nadu (AIDMK), Kerala, West Bengal (both LEFT), Bihar (RJD, LJP) and UP (SP, BSP) have given huge success to UPA, which has helped UPA to occupy the power at the Centre.
Popular Myths:
Congress is trust worth party: Is completely false. The party, which has ruled the country for more than 40 years and still have slogan that it will work for the poor people. The previous prime ministers of the party have been promising for upliftment of poor, to provide basic education and healthcare and to create employment opportunity improving agriculture. But it has failed completely. In fact, the poverty and unemployment have gone up drastically. It has neither worked for poor people nor it will work in future. Every time the party has come to power has created new scams. It doesn’t create employment but without fail create scams.
Rahul Gandhi charismatic leader: After result declaration, Congress senior leaders have started praising Rahul Gandhi for his charismatic leadership. They gave all credit of the success to Rahul for his extensive tour and public meetings across the country, experimentation of youth leadership, eklachalo in UP and Bihar. The media also joined in the line of chamchagiri Congress leaders. Congress even didn’t recognise hard work of its two Congress chief ministers of Delhi and Rajasthan. Delhi swept all seats; Rajasthan got 20 seats against 4 previous elections. While talking to media, a senior Congress leader continuously denied contribution from Sheila Dixit for the victory in Delhi. The blind followers and chamchas of Congress only know to praise Gandhi family to be in their good book. They keep admiring Rahul and Sonia without understanding the reality on the ground. Do you think that he is a Charismatic leader? Has he really brought more seats to UPA kitty? He has toured all states. Why Rahul’s charisma didn’t work at all in states like Bihar, Orissa, Karnataka and Jharkhand.
In Orissa, NDA alliance was broken, BJD contested alone leaving BJP aside. There was huge possibility for Congress to come to power. The changed leadership, Rahul visited many times but result is very pathetic. Even this time, it got less assembly seats than previous. Congress is claiming that it has given so much resource to Bihar, NDA ruled state. Why did it get less seats (now only 2) than 2004 (4 seats) in Bihar. Where is Rahul’s charisma in Orissa and Bihar?
Youth Leadership: This is a hype that Rahul Gandhi “youth icon” has brought many young bloods into Indian politics. It is true that there are many young MPs in Parliament, but who are they? He himself has admitted without political ground, it is almost impossible to come to Indian politics. They are from the family of previous political strongholds like Chief Minister, Ministers and party leaders. Example – Rahul Gandhi, Son of Rajiv & Sonia Gandhi; Varun Gandhi, son of Menaka and Sanjay Gandhi; M Azhagiri, M Azhagiri and Dayanidhi Maran, whole extended family of Karunanidhi; Milind Deora, son of Murali Deora; Supriya Sule, daughter of Sharad Powar; Jyotiraditya Scindhia, son of Madhavrao; Nilesh Rane, son of Narayan Rane; Agatha Sangma, daughet of P.A.Sangmamany, Sachin Pilot, son of Rajesh Pilot and more. These all are political heir, industrialists.
When these so called political heirs and industrialist or their children study in the best schools (private) in the country, best colleges in the world (LSE, Oxford, Harvard etc) and dream to be astrophysician, IAS etc (otherwise at least they can easily be a doctor, engineer, manager). But at the same time, children in rural and tribal area are struggling to complete their primary, secondary education and rarely go for college education as they can’t afford. They hardly dream to be a teacher, clerk, police habildar, peon, Anganwadi etc. Now, one can imagine the gap between the real Indian youth and the so called “youth icons”, projected by Rahul Gandhi. The rural poor, educated youths are treated as real untouchables and there is no entry to any major political party. All parties are controlled by political heavy weights and reserved for their children and relatives. This is called Political Corruption. Can Rahul Gandhi stop this political Corruption, which is very much in Congress?
Loan waiver and NREGA winning factor: Congress is claiming these two areas like Loan waiver and National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) brought huge success. Congress should introspect. If the loan waiver got success, how many more seats, it has got in the infamous farmer suicide Vidharbha region, Maharashtra. The number has gone down. NREGA is another form of exploitation of labour and decentralisation of corruption. NREGA has given 100 days employment opportunity to one person of each BPL family as unskilled work. It shows that the mindset of Congress. It wants to suppress and exploit people as master and indulge in misappropriation.
Congress knows very well how to rule poor people keeping them away from the real power. They talk about the success of NREGA, which has given the 100 days of employment to rural poor. This is just like throwing roti at barking dog to stop shouting. They provide unskilled labour to rural educated young people paying Rs 10,000 per year (Rs 100 daily for maximum 100 days), when their children are earning in lakhs/ crore per year (as it has been shown that more than half of MPs are crorerpati and have earned 1600% in five years) and spending thousands of rupees daily for their lavish life. This is the attitude of Congress to maintain status quo and poor people should never think about the real power. The money has come to district level through NREGA, so it has to be spent. Therefore, the district wants to achieve their target % of utilisation and spend without really strategic plan for future development and creating community assets. Earlier only the top politicians took benefit, got huge money using their power fulfilled their vested interest. The local politicians also forced them to share some. That is NREGA, which has shown the way for local politicians at Panchayat level to get money providing false documents, doing their work with public money it means the corruption has come to Panchayat level.

Orissa Politics
Now let’s find out the reality in Orissa. The state is blessed with natural resource, potentials human resource (educated, intelligent) but it stands at the bottom of development. Lack of political will and central leadership, Orissa is always betrayed by the Centre. Congress leaders ruled the state maintaining their chamachagiri to Gandhi-Nehru family to retain power. Congress had ruined the state leaving Orissa, one of the poorest states in country. Congress government each term involved in corruption and misused the resources.
The state has been ruled by higher caste (Brahim and Karan) for 95% time and for 40 years by Patnaiks only. However, Biju Patnaik was among the very few national level and vocal leaders from Orissa. He worked hard for the development of Orissa. After the death of Biju Pattanik, Mr. Naveen Patnaik was brought by the party to gain power in Orissa, who led the newly formed Biju Janata Dal (BJD).
Mr. Patnaik claims of corruption-free good governance but what is in the field. The BJP-BJD government did not do any significant development, as it was unable to check the forced out station migration of educated youths in search of employment, to develop agriculture providing irrigation and introducing technology, to provide quality education (primary, secondary or professional), to use existing natural resource, to use grants/ schemes for the welfare of poor.
The government has started selling natural resources of the state at cheap rate only. The frustration of unemployed educated youth and underdevelopment has resulted extremism in the form of Naxalism in Orissa. This discontent is gradually growing in the state. Now government is spending so much resource for empowering police, law & order, which was not required at all. The so called clean government led by Patnaik has created huge corruption in ground for a lay man. Whether, the common people can get the IAY without giving bribe of at least Rs 5,000 (out of Rs 25,000), can get old age pension with giving Rs 500, resident/ income/ caste certificate without giving Rs 100-200 in Tehsil office, school leaving certificate without giving bribe of Rs 50, etc etc, The amount may be small for our political biggies but it really matters for the people to give their hard earnings. Can any development work happen / sanction without giving a share, 30% of the total budget to engineer and BDO at Block level, so contractor takes 30% and the remaining is spent for construction of road, bridge, community buildings. What quality of work, you can expect? The BJP-BJD government did nothing for youth and farmers.
The government claims that it has given rice at Rs 2 per Kg. This is another form of dominance and showing sympathy like congress government to the poor Oriyas. These short-sighted politicians neither worked for inclusive growth nor now working to empower people and making them self-sustainable. The government should empower people to manage (to earn) their family, to educate their children in good schools, to get better health services, to construct own house with hard work etc.
Road map for future
The politicians should give high priority to create employment with dignity (not only unskilled labour) for all, using existing natural resource. The government should work for agricultural development, creating basic infrastructure (irrigation, food storage yard and market), introducing technology and scientific agriculture practices, establishing food-processing units across the country.
The government should provide quality education and other services to all. The basic healthcare will ensure better health human resource, who will contribute for the development of the country. The rural infrastructure, community infrastructure has to be improved very fast. The legal system has to be improved drastically.
Mumbai based writer works in the developmental sector. You can send your comments at janatavikasmanch@gmail.com and visit www.janatavikasmanch.blogspot.com for more information.