Development news of orissa and India

Kendrapara, Orissa, India

Palpable tension erupted between the Dalits and upper caste people at Sanamarichapalli village under  Koilipur Gram Panchayat in Rajnagar block of Kendrapara district on Tuesday following the Village Education Committee (VEC)members allegedly denied   two upper caste fellow village women  ,who were members of Maa Ambika Self Help Group (SHG)   to prepare  mid-day meal in Maa Siddhamarichani Nodal Primiary school, and forcefully  confined the two Dalit women in the kitchen room alongwith the cooked stuff by locking the door from outside.

Some upper caste persons refused two Dalits women of the said village ,Ketaki Sethy and Sebati Sethy ,who were entrusted to cook Mid-Day Meal recently  in the school, to quit their jobs on Tuesday. When they denied to quit their job , they were allegedly forced to remain inside the kitchen room with the cooked stuff as some upper caste villagers ,who were the VEC members of the school , confined them by locking the room from outside .As a result, tension erupted between the upper caste and Dalit community members of the said village.Later, some upper caste community members allegedly released the two Dalit cooks  from illegal confinement, said Rabindra Kumar Nayak ,the head master of the Maa Siddhamarichani Nodal Primiary school .

According to locals ,The authority entrusted Maa Ambika Self Help Group (SHG) on last 2007  to provide mid day meal to the students .Earlier two upper caste women Kamala Baral  and Basanti patra were preparing Mid Day meal for the students but the SHG entrusted two Dalits women on Tuesday to cook food for the students . .

“On Tuesday Niranjan Pradhan the member of VEC an upper caste persons allegedly  abused and locked us in a room of the school”, alleged Ketaki Sethi one of the dalit cooks of the school.

“The school has a total number of 192 students in 7 classes , out of which majority  of the students denied to eat Mid Day meal that were  cooked by Ketaki Sethi and Sebati Sethi , who come from a Dalit community  for which the village education committee decided to appoint an upper caste woman as the cook of the school” , informed upper caste villagers .

“Why there were  so much argument over the appointment of  Dalit cooks it is yet to be ascertained .But earlier , some VEC committee members allegedly created problem over cooking of mid day meal. As a result I brought to the notice of the local BDO on Monday  ” said Saraswati Sethy , the secretary of SHG who manages midday meal in the school.

The local administration  tried to take the parents of the students into confidence to resolve the matter but all in vain , informed Narayan Nayak, the Block Development Officer of Rajnagar.

When contacted, the District Inspector of School Saroj Kanta Bihari  stated  that social discrimination would not be allowed under any circumstances. Adding that “We have already initiated a probe into the matter and will take necessary action.”

The situation has worsened to such an extent that now both the Dalit and upper caste  communities of the village and its nearby areas are at loggerheads over the issue. Notably, on last year some Dalit students were denied by the Head master in- charge of Siddha Marichani Nodal Primary school of Sanamarichapalli village not to offer peeled coconut directly in front of Deity Saraswati while they were observing the Saraswati puja in the school .

A case has come to the fore here at Kendrapara  on Monday where a student has forced to remain in mentally agony and appeared in  High School Certificate (HSC)examination for last two years ,though he was passed in 2008 . Thanks to the callous and slipshod attitude of concerned authority in torturing mentally and psychology for last three years .

If sources are to be believed , one Rajesh Kumar Sahoo,the son of Pravakar Sahoo and kabita sahoo of Sujanagar under Gulnagar Gram Panchayat ,who was studying at Gulanagar high School , appeared in the HSC examination conducted by  Board of Secondary Education in the year 2008 from Gulanagar high School .

According to Rajesh Kumar Sahoo, he appeared in the HSC examination at a school in Derabish  block in 2008 by bearing the roll number 33RE037.When the result published , he went to a Kendrapara-based cybercafé and saw that he failed to succeed in the HSC examination .Later, he also cross checked his roll number in the result book ,but his roll number was not found in the result book .

According to Rajesh , he failed to score pass mark at least in four papers ,including Sanskrit ,Science and MIL(Oriya) , in the year 2008 HSC examination   as per the mark sheet which he obtained through the internet

‘I was sure that I would definitely achieve success in HSC examination in the year 2008 . if not in  second division ,then  I would definitely succeed in HSC examination by getting third class “, stated Sanjay.

“As a result, being frustrated and remained mentally depressed , I once again tried my luck in 2009  by filing form to sit once again  in the HSC examination from the Gulanagar High School .I also gave HSC  examination    in the year 2009 by bearing the roll number RE02088 at Kendrapara government High School. But as ill luck would have it, as per the result book ,I failed to succeed once again.”,added Rajesh.

“When I found that I was once again failed to achieve success in the HSC examination in 2009 HSC examination , I not only once but also twice made an attempt to end my life by hanging myself  after remaining mentally and psychologically depressed .But ,my mother and grand mother managed to save my life by coming in time for my rescue and encouraged me to go for another try to achieve success in HSC examination”, stated Rajesh.

This time , too their son has  also filled his form to appear in the HSC examination recently from the school .But to their astonish , after five days of filling the form to appear once again in the HSC examination , the school authority allegedly asked his son to come to the school and when he reached the school, the school authority allegedly provided  him the HSC  pass certificate of his which was issued from the Board of Secondary Education ,Orissa in the year 2008 and the school leaving certificate, informed Pravakar Sahoo, the father of the ill-fated youth

“. As per the certificate that  my son has obtained from the school recently, it has been written in the HSC certificate that he has passed in HSC examination ,which he had  appeared in March 2008 by bearing the roll number 33RE037” ,added the father of Rajesh.

Pravakar Sahoo alleged that” due to the callous and perfunctory attitude of the school authority my son not only bear the burnt of failure in HSC for last two years but also he wasted his valuable time of two long years. Had the school authority seriously crosschecked my son’s mark list during the filing of  his form  in the year 2009 to sit in HSC examination , then my son would have not lost his valuable years by remaining in the same class while he has got success two years back.”

“We also committed a mistake that we have also failed to get the fail HSC  marksheet of our son in the year 2008. But it was the responsibility of the school Head master and the teachers  of the school to cross check the mark sheet and provisional certificate when it came from the Board office. Another thing , the head master has also issued school leaving certificate in my son’s name   on dated 8^th July ,2008 after 13 days of  the publication of  HSC examination result. But ,how they failed to provide certificates to my son “,said Kabita Sahoo, the mother of  Rajesh.

“My son has lost two valuable years in his studies , who will return . Now his friends are going to appear in Plus two annual examination . But ill luck would have my son , five days back, he was preparing himself for  coming HSC examination .Not only this, in last two years we have spent Rs 30,000 in his tuition . Now my son is in confusion what to do next either to go for college or to stop studies for ever.The most important thing is my son tried to commit suicide twice after remaining depress .So  .I would not leave the school authority for showing callous and irresponsible attitude to my son. I am going to file a petition before the District consumer Redressal Forum demanding to provide Rs one crore to my son for wasting his valuable two years and forced my son to remain in mentally agony only due to their irresponsible work.”, stated Kabita.

When contacted ,Sarojanalini sahoo ,the in-charge Headmaster of Gulnagar High School , confessed that the school authority ,especially the clerk of the school,who has been entrusted in this work,  has committed the mistake. The parents of Rajesh should not blame totally to the school , they were also responsible for their son’s ill fate .Had they come to take their son’s marksheet in 2008 , then such unwanted  situation might have not  occurred .

The Sub collector of Kendrapara, Ranjan Kumar Dash, informed that he has already asked  the CI of Schools to conduct an inquiry in the alleged matter and to take disciplinary action whoever found guilty in this case.

Meet the 26  year-old personnel ,Badal Kumar Singh , a resident of Bira Nilakanthapur village  under Derabish block of  Kendrapara district .In profession ,he is  a personnel of Indian Air Force , but apart from his profession  he has been playing  a good Samaritan role since last nine years for the meritorious students of his area  by providing monthly scholarships to the students from his own purse with an aim to encourage them to go for higher studies  . For his act ,he has become popular in his area and set an example for others  .

The 26-years old Indian Air Force(IAF) personnel , who is now officiating at Bhopal based-Tactical Air Center as a corporal, used to provide scholarships to as many as eight students of  seventh standard in his area after organizing scholarship examination in the area  with the help of  school teachers in his block.

Cutting the daily expenses from his pockets he used to provide monetary assistance to the talented scholars of his region . He finds immense pleasure by searching the talents in the remote schools and inspiring the meritorious students to go for higher studies, said the IAF personnel, Badal.

According to Badal, he is a meritorious student. He failed to remain in top ten position in the state following he failed to scored some more numbers . Later, he studied +2 science at Ravenshaw college and joined in Indian Air Force.But as he has a keen interest on study and failed to fulfilled his dream of going for higher studies, so he decided to help the tiny meritorious student   In 2005 , he formed “Pratibha Samman Organisation” and made some savings  with an aim to help the meritorious student .

In 2006 , he took two months annual leave from his job along with a month casual leave to haunt talent by organizing scholarship examination for the Class-VII students.He prepared questions for class VII students and later conducted scholarship examinations for class VII students  in Derabish -based three schools ..

Later, he felicitated top five meritorious students ,who acquired top five positions in his scholarship examination, by awarding them a certificate and monthly Rs 100 to them for a year. In , 2009 , he gave scholarship to 8 students ,who managed to remain in top eight positions in his organized  scholarship examination .A defence person generally goes for holiday  in order to give time to the family at the native village , but here it is an exception. He used to dedicate his leisure  hours by preparing question papers and scholarship examination by requesting the teachers of the area, added Badal.

He bears all the expenses for conducting scholarship test  for  seventh standard student every year . This year, the AIR Force personnel is going to organize the scholarship tests for the standard seventh school students on coming 24^th January .

“Till my last breathe , I will provide scholarships ,though it might be a meager amount , to meritorious student from my own purse by organizing scholarship examination  in order to encourage the meritorious student and to bring more talented students  into the front”, added Badal.

Due to the negligence and callous attitude of the police, an ill-fated 24year-old Scheduled caste  girl ,who is now bearing the burnt of an unwed mother ,of Badatota Chhapali village under Mahakalapada police limit  is waiting patiently to get justice as the police have yet to arrest the youth ,who allegedly lured her by keeping  false promise to marry her and succeed in  keeping physical relationship with her and later made her pregnant. Though more than 5 months have already been passed to the FIR lodged in the local police station the police are yet to arrest the accused ,  alleged the victim girl’s family members.

According to the ill-fated unwed mother , Hatabhagi Behera (name changed) , belonged from a fisherman community ,of Badatota Chhapalivillage ,who has given birth to child a three days ago ,and now leading a monotonous life with her family. She and her widow mother were staying at the village and were collecting bread and butter by doing menial work. And by selling flattened rice in the nearby villages.

“About one and half years  back, once  my mother allegedly sent me to bring some rice by borrowing from the neighbour’s house .Acting on the direction I went to my  neighbour Satyabrata Tarai ,the son of late Prahallad Talari , and searched his mother to borrow rice from her  . But  as ill luck would have it, Satyabrata finding me  alone in his house ,allegedly raped  me  forcibly .Later, I returned empty handed and Satyabrata  chased me to my house and provided 5 kg of rice to me by asking not to disclose the matter “, alleged the victim unwed mother , Hatabhagi Behera.

Later, Satyabrata   came to my house in a regular basis and  allegedly lured me by giving  false promise of marriage and  kept physical relationship with her and as a result she got pregnant .

The matter came to the fore when the family members of the girl came to know about the pregnancy after the girl was medically examined in the local hospital. Later , the victim girl’s widow mother  brought the matter before the accused youth’s mother and requested  to give her son’s marriage with her daughter  as  due to the guilty of the youth her daughter became pregnant . But the youth’s mother allegedly denied the proposal and the youth told before the villagers that he is innocent in this matter, alleged the victim unwed mother

Being failed to get justice from the youth and his family members , the girl later brought the matter before the local Mahakalapada police and lodged an FIR in the local police station on last 1^st August 2009. The local police except filing a  police case and going to search the accused youth once did not take any action against the youth to nab the youth .A couple of months back  , her mother went with some villagers in order to get justice from the police but the khaki clad police personnel allegedly denied justice by saying that the IIC has been changed and they would not able to help her out from the problem. Being frustrated from all quarters , Hatabhagi on 18^th January,10 gave birth to a child .

Recently, the unwed mother  has  brought the matter before the  notice of the  chairman of State Women commission  and SP of Kendrapara to intervene into her matter by providing justice to her   and to .nab the accused victim.

According to the mother  of the victim girl, as the accused youth’s family is rich, the local police were in hand in glove with the accused’s family and also allegedly by taking monetary gratifications do not want to arrest the accused youth .On the other hand they  had allegedly  helped the youth to flee from the village .

Hatabhagi Behera’s case is a tip on the ice-berg .There are several cases pending in the police stations of  coastal Kendrapara district where the police are yet to give justice to the  victims by arresting the culprits .

When contacted the IIC of Mahakalapada police station  ,Tapas Pradhan informed that  he came to know about the matter  recently as a couple of months back he was not the in-charge of Mahakalapada police station. He promised to initiate action in a war footing basis to give justice to the ill fated girl by  arresting the culprit.

By Rajesh Kumar Behera in Kendrapara, Orissa

Some of the rare and unique photos , letters, magazine ,journals and .coins relate to Netaji Subash Chandra Bose, which are yet to be possessed at state museum or at Netaji Subhash Birthplace National Museum at Oriya Bazar, can be found  at the house of a 46-years old  minority community person ,Mohammad Mustaque , in Fakirabad village  under Kendrapara township area .

Mustaque  obtained  an old photographs of Subash Bose with the family members of Ashok Banerjee of Cuttack.  The octogenarian Ashok Banerjee ,who is still alive and residing at cuttack , sits on the lap of  Netaji Subash Bose in 1935 . At that time , Ashok Banarjee was only four year old  at that time.

The gazette notification of Bihar and Orissa of 1913 where it was mentioned that Subash Chandra Bose passed entrance examination in 1913 have also been possessed by Mustaque .

Similarly, Mustaque managed to grab  a handwritten letter of Captain Laxmi Saigal of Indian National Army. The original copies of the magazine ‘Forward ” published by Subash Bose are also preserved at his house. The special issue of INA “Basumati” a Bengali magazine and the  only postal stamp issued by Indian National Army(INA) under the leadership of Netaji Subash Chandra Bose in 1942 after liberating Manipur ,”the meaning of Leftism “ an  article written by Netsaji in Socialist Republican magazine in the year 1941 when Netaji was in Kabul are some of the treasure trove of Netsji’s which were collected by Mustaque from different sources .

Two rare coins, which the government minted to observe the centenary of the Subash Bose has taken a pride position at Mustaque’s house .

The centenary of Subas Bose was observed in 1997 and the government minted coins in 1997 displaying the photos of Subash Bose. But due to inadvertently , in some coins the centenary year was wrongly mentioned as 1996 and Mustaque displayed three mint error coins  in his museum.

The homeopathy box , Muguni (granite) glass, lantern and some rare photos of Netaji which he possessed from late Abdus Sattar Hazzari’s house at Fazalpur village under Korei police station   have also been kept at  the house of Mustaque in Fakirabad .

Though several rare and antique collections ,including related things to Netaji ,were with Mustaque but he is not displaying it publicly  as a fear is looming large over him that he might be nabbed red handedly for possessing several rare things illegally or  the state government and Netaji Subhash Birthplace National Museum might take the possession of the things which he allegedly collected from several persons house  and also illegally possessed some of the rare things during night , informed the locals.

Each and every things related to Netaji should be preserved for posterity .The state government should take the possession of  Netaji’s  paraphernalia from Mustaque and should preserve it in the state museum or at Janaki Bhavan in Oriya bazaar, demanded the intellectual masses of Kendrapara.

If the sources are to be believed, Mustaque allegedly hand –in-glove with some antique lifters allegedly  collected some rare things and preserved at his house. When contacted Mustaque denied to comment in this regard .