Itishree’s last words: the tragedy of another brave heart

I visited village Manida under Delanga Block of Puri district to meet father of Itishree Pradhan, who was brutally killed in Raygada. I was deeply saddened and totally stunned. A visit to the family and there was no doubt in my mind that she belonged to a really poor family struggling to make both ends meet and I do not know how they can ever recover from this episode. Possibly they never will.

I am utterly appalled by the manner in which the young girl was killed despite her grievance of sexual harassment very much known to all levels of the government. She kept fighting for justice till the last moment. This is not a political issue. I am horrified as a father of a daughter. How have things come to this sorry state in Odisha, once upon a time known as a peaceful state?

Let me briefly recount the sequence of events. Itishree, who belongs to a poor family from Puri district, had become a Sikhya Karmee far away from home in the tribal district of Raygada. She was posted to Tikri, where she was subjected to sexual harassment by a School Inspector Dandsena. She reported the matter personally to the local police, block level officials, the district Collector, the district S.P. and when no action was taken she also met the Chairperson of the State Mahila Commission, the State Human Rights Commission and the State Director General of Police. She gave a written petition to the Chief Minister of Odisha. The State Human Rights Commission ordered the district authorities to enquire into inaction of the local police. An administrative enquiry found the allegation to be true. An F.I.R. was registered. She kept fighting bravely despite threats from powerful people. But, no action was taken despite all levels in the Government structure being aware of the sexual harassment she had gone through. Dandsena was not arrested. This inaction emboldened Dandsena and his associates and finally they killed her by pouring kerosene as they had threatened.

The victim had knocked at the doors of all and sundry, but the system failed to redress her grievance or intervene and the young girl was finally killed. The victim had personally met the District Collector, the S.P., the Mihaila Commission and the State DGP. She had given a written petition to the Chief Minister, who is also the Home Minister. Who else is she supposed to appraise of the harassment that she had gone though at the hands of powerful people? Even after an administrative enquiry found the allegations of Itishree to be true and even after registration of an F.I.R, with the Police, no action was taken and Itishree could not be protected from the dastardly attack.

From her death-bed Itishree has given her last testimony, which is actually a ‘dying declaration ‘under Section 32 of the Indian Evidence Act. In her statement she has blamed the Chief Minister and the local M.P. Jayram Pangi for the fatal attack on her. I salute her courage in remaining steadfast even as she faced death. If this does not make the Chief Minister bury his head in shame, what will?

The murder of Itishree is in many ways more serious than that of Babina, Madhabiliata or Nirbhaya cases since this was clearly in the knowledge of authorities at all levels of the government. It is also apparent that the State Government has learnt precious little from the Babina or Madhabilata episodes and the general sense of outrage all over the country and the system failed once again. When the Babina and Madhabilata episodes happened, as a responsible opposition party, we had spearheaded the protest that led to the resignation of a Cabinet Minister and the appointment of one more judicial commission. In the wake of the Nirbhaya case in Delhi I had through my blog made a number of constructive suggestions to improve the situation in the state with regards to safety of women. The State Government has hardly got any interest in the issue and therefore my suggestions were ignored. Nabeen Pattnaik and his Government continues to be callous because they feel that they can get away by ordering one more Crime Branch investigation and announcing a few more lakhs as compensation. I commend the decision of the family of this brave girl to reject Nabeen Pattnaik’s compensation; true to the spirit of Itishree. Nabeen Pattnaik should learn that people of Odisha may be poor, but they cannot be purchased by money.

So long as BJD continues to win elections, the security of women will not be any matter of great concern to the state Government. Congress paid a heavy price for attacks on women, particularly the Chabirani and Anjana Mishra cases. The time has come for the people to make the state Government realize that neglecting issues of protection of our daughters and daughter-in-laws will have a serious political cost in purely electoral terms, then and only then, can such callous attitude be remedied.

Where are the BJD spokespersons who with great fineness and gift of the gab take up the cause of women on national television. Is it that only attacks in Delhi, heinous as they may be, concern these English-speaking Delhi-based faces of BJD? Even in the case of Linchon Subudhi, BJD leaders were competing against each other to proclaim from the roof-top how they are committed to women’s issues. What about Itishree? Why have they not asked the local M.P. to resign even after the truth becomes so apparent? What has been the state Government’s response to growing numbers of Crimes against women in the state? As per statistics of the National crime Records Bureau not merely atrocities against women are on the rise, Odisha also has least percentage of cases ending in conviction. Appearance apart, Nabeen Pttnaik has provided an administration where the offenders have least likely to be punished and this is proved by statistics.

The Itishree murder is a case of monumental failure of the entire government structure. Many could have intervened decisively, but they watched as an innocent girl was brutally murdered. She had requested for protection and help which never came forth. There is now a need for an objective investigation into entire sequence of events. Police inaction of this scale, despite the matter getting personally reported to the state DGP by the victim and a written order of the State Human Rights Commission cannot be a matter of accident. There is a need to find the entire conspiracy because those who provided protection to the perpetrators of this crime or pressurized the police not to act are as guilty as the killers and must be booked for conspiracy. If the Government indeed cares for safety of women, particularly working women, a CBI investigation should be ordered rather than making a few lower level government functionaries scapegoats. Nabeen Pattnaik must take the accountability as the Home Minister and order a CBI investigation immediately. It is also the responsibility of all sections of society to pressurize the Government to order a CBI investigation or else we will be as guilty when the next girl is killed at the hands of another predator. It is time for Odias to realize that the political support that they have extended to BJD is largely based on an appearance and that truth is otherwise.     

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Why must we sign an MOU with Odisha's farmers?

I have returned after a six-day padyatra in Western Odisha (14 November to 19 November) focusing on farmer’s issues as part of our parivartan campaign. Under the 12 years- rule of Naveen Pattnaik farmers have suffered the most and they are visibly bitter. 

Green revolution and the success of the cooperative movement have empowered the peasantry in many parts of India. Odisha has seen no green revolution and the cooperative movement remains rather weak. 70 % of the state’s population depends on agriculture. Most of the land holdings are either small or medium. In the absence of proper land reform and consolidation, many are share-croppers and farm workers. There are very few rich farmers in Odisha, may be their total number will be a few thousands. Poverty and the problem of agriculture, thus, go hand in hand. The entire country has been talking about an elusive second green-revolution. Can India become rich without the agrarian scene in states like Odisha improving? What has the state Government done in the last 12 years to improve the lot of the farmers? How can poverty be alleviated without the agrarian scene in the state improving?

·         As per the State Government’s Economic Survey (2011-12) in 2000/2001 the total cultivable land was 58 lakh 29 thousand hectares. By 2010-11 the total cultivable land had reduced 7 % and had become 54 lakh 7 thousand hectares.

·         The yield per hectare in Punjab is 41.48 quintal. In Odisha, the yield per hectare is less than one-third of Punjab at 13.93 quintal and below the national average of.

·         Punjab has 97.70 % of land irrigated. In Odisha, the official estimate is 36.70 %. But, during the padyatra farmers showed us the pathetic condition of canals and the large number of dysfunctional tube-wells.

·         In terms of use of farm inputs like HYV seeds, fertilizer and pesticides Odisha is much below the national average and remains almost at the bottom. Despite receiving huge subsidies from the Central Government the sell and distribution of farm inputs remain uncertain and there are frequent reports of squandering of funds and mismanagement.

·         With climate change the frequency of vagaries of nature like delayed monsoon, draught conditions, non-seasonal rain and flooding have been increasing. Elephant menace has become an equally big problem. Farmers are reporting crop loss from 50 to 100% almost every year. They are able to get a small amount of money as compensation for crop loss after a lot of running around.

·         Farmers are not getting remunerative price for their produce because of poor marketing linkage and procurement infrastructure as the state Government continues to deny distress sell.

·         Farmers are unwilling to avail any credit because of the uncertainties around agriculture. A civil society group, led by a former Judge of the Odisha High Court, has now documented 27 cases of farmer’s suicides. The State Government continues to deny all cases of farmer’s suicide.

·         The State Government has done nothing to support agro-based and food-processing industry that could have provided better market linkage for farm produce.

Mr. Naveen Pattnaik has signed many MOUs with big business. The farmers neither speak in English, the only language that the Chief Minister understands, nor can they provide donations for any favours to the politico-bureaucratic cabal ruling over the state. I have committed to the people that we will first sign an MOU with the farmers of Odisha. We have to usher in a green revolution and I am sure that the Central Government that has provided about 30 thousand Crore in some 18 different schemes to the state Government during the last 12 years will open its coffers if we can project the scope of a green revolution that can liberate farmers, 70 % of the state’s 4.19 Crore population, from a desperate existence close to the statistical poverty-line. The four agro-climatic zone will require different focus. But, the success of cultivation of corn in Umarkote, Cotton in Gunpur, and Sugar Cane in some pockets have shown the huge potential of agricultural growth. We have taken on board the following demands on the basis of discussions with farmers:

·         Ensure remunerative price for farm produce by strengthening the procurement infrastructure and market linkage.

·         Provide bonus of Rs 300 on top of the minimum support price of 1257 fixed by the Central Government.

·         Comprehensive insurance coverage and payment of compensation for crop damage within seven days at remunerative values. The procedure should be simplified to prevent harassment.

·         Payment of 20 lakhs as ex-gratia and provision of a job under the state Government in case of farmer-suicide due to distress because of either crop-loss or indebtedness.

·         Loan-waiver and loan rescheduling in case of crop loss.

·         Make sure that Soil-test Centres are established at accessible distance and results are given free of cost within seven days of submission of soil samples. The test results should be handed over with specific advice regarding the choice of crops.

·         Establish more cold-storage and encourage Government and private sector investment in providing market linkage and cold chains.

·         Revive the canals and the tube-wells and make sure that the target date for irrigating 35 % of the land in every block is met without any further delay.

·         Take up large irrigation projects like lower Sukhtel, Anga and lower Indra. Increase the percentage of irrigated land to 75 % in ten years.

·         Reserve water in the existing reservoir for use by farmers. Industries may set up reservoir at their own cost for getting water.

·         Set up an Agricultural University in Western Odisha and strengthen the Agriculture department to guide farmers to much higher levels of productivity through the use of the best farm inputs and the best choice of crops.

·         Improve animal husbandry and allied activities.

Naveen Pattnaik wants to recover 70,000 Crore from Mining houses once the favours that he has shown during the last decade has become public. But, the total revenue loss is now being estimated to the tune of 3 lakh Crore. So much could have been done for the farmers with all these lost/looted money. The neglect of the agriculture sector is a critical issue related to poverty-alleviation and the overall economic growth of the country. India’s urban elite should show due compassion for farmers while forming views on the performance of Mr. Naveen Pattnaik during the last 12 years. India cannot become rich while Odisha’s farmers remain poor.