Transforming Indian Politics: ‘Personality Cult’ vrs. Systemic Reform

Interview of Sri Rahul Gandhi to a TV channel has become a major talking point in conventional as well as social media. No one should forget that Congress has been in power for the last ten years and if Shri Rahul Gandhi had wanted he would be Prime Minister today. I am not sure if anyone else would have given up the opportunity to be India’s PM. Why PM, we would not wink an eyelid to settle for much less?

 

By all reckoning Shri Gandhi had a tumultuous childhood. He saw power from very close quarters when his grandmother Indira Gandhi and father Rajiv Gandhi were Prime Ministers. Equally, he remembers how Mrs. Gandhi was jailed and finally assassinated and Rajivji was called names and killed. I am not surprised that he has not got the thirst for office characteristic of the Indian political class and he is not desperate like many. He has seen it all. Both his grandmother and his father were great patriots, served the nation with utmost sincerity and yet they were consumed by the vicissitudes of unkind Indian Politics. After all that he has experienced in life why should he be scared of anything or anybody? As he rightly said one has to look deeper into his life’s circumstances.

The young leader is deeply conscious of the basic unfairness in Indian society and believes that unless there is fundamental reform in the structures and processes of Indian politics, people will not be empowered and public policy will be lopsided. Currently, the doors of political office are not open to talented youth unless they come from political families. Once someone becomes MP or MLA he or she dominates the constituency for a long long time, at times for as much as half a century. A vacancy occurs when a leader is no more, only to be filled by the late leader’s kith and kin. Even at the state or central levels a few individuals decide who will contest for political office. An aspiring MP or MLA needs money to nurture a constituency, build a cadre base and organize political activities and then there is a huge additional cost in contesting elections. Most young men and women stand no chance. Also, the MPs and MLAs by tradition have to do the work of local self government rather than be judged for the purpose for which they are elected, i.e. law making. Major political parties and their leadership lack the courage or the conviction to make basic political reform the focus of public discourse. They want to market a few dreams and somehow occupy office even if for a few months, often they appeal for an opportunity to be in office at least for a few months. What Shri Gandhi is saying is that India has seen many Governments, but the political system remains innately unfair and closed and unless we can change the system there is no escape from unfairness, nepotism and corruption. He continues to be driven not by any chair, but by the desire to expand and deepen democracy. I thought his argument was matured and sophisticated and should be understood with an open and progressive mind. If he is not waving a magic wand, it is out of basic honesty and depth of understanding.

Congress Party has decided to hold primaries for selection of candidates in 15 Parliamentary Constituencies for 2014 elections as a proof of concept. So, not the High Command, not the PCC, not the Pradesh Election Committee, not through lobby, but by direct voting people of these Constituencies will choose their own candidate. This is the biggest experiment in political reform since independence that is being attempted. True, a baby step, but extremely significant. I find it strange that the media is hardly keen on such substantive issues. Because the political structures in countries like the Unites States of America are open that a Black academic from Harvard, Barack Obama is today the President of the most powerful country in the world. He was nominated not by a few Washington insiders, but by the cadre of the Democratic Party, though he does not belong to any political family. A time will come when party tickets for any constituency will be decided not by Delhi or Bhubaneswar, but by the party supporters of that constituency.

Such radical and fundamental reform will in no way be easy to implement. Firstly, those dominating politics will not easily relinquish their position and influence to make way for talented youngsters. Secondly, all political parties have to start a similar process of reform to open their doors because ‘winability’ may work more in favour of established players. Thirdly, instead of voting on merit local considerations of caste and community can derail the process of creating a meritocracy. What Shri Gandhi is expecting is that there will be debate among potential candidates and the best will be chosen by majority vote like in the United States. But, leaders who are established would also have nurtured the cadre and end up becoming candidates even in the new selection process. Moreover, there has to be a redefinition of the power and responsibility of MPs and MLAs. Today they are encroaching upon the powers of local self-governments. They have to yield to functionaries in the Panchyat Raj Institutions and Municipal bodies and focus on law making; effective control over the executive, particularly through the legislative committees. But, India will have to bring about radical reform in the political process if we are to expand and deepen democracy and build a system based on fairness and justice. The way Indian democracy is functioning is not exactly the way it was conceived or anticipated. Many distortions have crept in that need a course correction to avoid the twin threats of autocracy and anarchy.

In the American System the President, no matter how talented or popular, can have only two terms, which comes to a maximum of eight years in office. In India, like in many other developing countries, once elected, PMs and CMs build a huge personality cult. A bunch of self-serving sycophants surround these leaders and sing paeans to create illusions. Those who were three years old when Naveen Patnaik came to power in Odisha have now become voters. Those who were taking their matriculation examination may by now be 30 years old. Since childhood, they have remembered the name of Naveen Patnaik as part of general knowledge. So, the name Naveen Patnaik dominates in their conscious self and reinforced consistently by huge billboards, cutouts, advertisements, media coverage and populist freebies; all telling them that Naveen Babu is pro-people, has developed Odisha and will soon make the state prosperous. Once there is such a huge personality cult hardly is there any scope for debate on public policy because many have already made up their minds. So, I am not surprised when these young men ask if there is any comparable alternative leader. The whole situation is convoluted and bizarre.

Just to avoid emergence of a ‘personality cult’ our constitution makers had after long deliberation selected a Parliamentary form of Government, despite the fact that India is a federal country like the United States and a Presidential System looked a more attractive proposition. Unfortunately, the principal opposition party in the country BJP has decided to go for a Presidential style election campaign. In my opinion it is the duty of every citizen to respect the Constitution and it would have been wrong on the part of the Congress Party to announce a PM candidate disrespecting laid down constitutional process. If Shri Gandhi  was desperate to become PM, he would already be PM, why announce his name. But he has his eyes on larger issues of democracy and public policy making. Leaders can always avoid substantive questions of democracy and resort to rhetoric using Bollywood-Style dialogues of 56 inch chests converting political discourse to a populist soap opera. After a while people will realize that they were cheated by clever marketing, but crucial opportunities to initiate substantive reform would have been lost once again. The focus on personality and the focus on reforming the system are two divergent ideological positions.

The Congress and the BJP represent two distinct ideologies and not two individuals or personalities. Shri Gandhi  believes that unless we are able to reform the system, governments will come and go, but the basic unfairness in the system cannot be eradicated. Leaders will promise many things to the people, but after a while the basic unfairness will catch up, system will be unable to deliver and ultimately in frustration people will reject one set of leaders in favour of another, but not before feeling disillusioned and cheated once again.   

Rest in peace, Mandela no more

The Great Scientist Albert Einstein once famously eulogized Mahatma Gandhi with the immortal words, "Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth." These words apply in equal measure to the other great soul of the twentieth Century Nelson Mandela, who left this world on 5 December, 2013 for heavenly abode.

If Gandhi strode like a colossus in the world in the first 50 years of twentieth century, the next fifty undoubtedly belonged to Mandela. No leader was anywhere equal to the moral standing of Mandela in the contemporary world. He inspired people, particularly the youth around the world.

A human being cannot be God. But, if ever a human being came close to be deemed as holy as God it was Mandela. A lawyer by training, Mandela sacrificed his career in the legal profession and fought with fortitude against white minority rule in almost a hopeless situation. He remained in prison for 26 years, most of it in solitary confinement doing hard labour. But, he never gave up, never compromised. Even when he lost his family members, his own mother and son, he could not attend the funeral because he refused to undertake any bond. His fight was political, but also deeply moral like Gandhi. He became the symbol of righteousness, fortitude and courage for millions of people around the world. The Black South African may have been liberated by the struggle that he waged. But, even the rest of the world viewed him as an inspiration and embodiment of all that is good in humans.

Once he became President he could have used his power to prosecute his past tormentors. But, he forgave and inspired everyone else to forgive evil. He was compassion personified. He created the multi-racial, the inclusive rainbow nation that modern South Africa is today. Many countries fought against colonizers, but none of the other leaders became the icon and the inspiration that Mandela was in our times. He brought people of all colours and races together and established the truth and reconciliation commission for uniting people. He could have been divisive. But, he bore no grudge against anyone, not even people who ran the immoral apartheid regime, not those who put him behind bar for long 26 years. He spoke of peace and prosperity and worked for inclusiveness and multiculturalism rather than seeking revenge and justice.

Mandela very openly admitted the influence that Gandhi, Nehru and the Indian freedom movement had on him. In a way the DNA of Indian National Congress and the African National Congress are identical. He was as much Indian as he was South African or even more than that he belonged to the entire human civilization. South Africans cannot claim exclusive ownership over Mandela as much as India cannot claim exclusiveness over Gandhi. The history of the world rarely sees such great inspirations and moral icons.

I am deeply saddened by the death of Mandela and hope he will inspire us to bring people together, to make politics inclusive and of course be as humble and simple as he was. Congress party in India must always stick to the path of Gandhi, Nehru and Mandela and work for an inclusive society. There will be trials and tribulations, but ultimately it is our moral direction that will determine the destiny of our society. Anger, hatred, regional and communal politics will never succeed. That is the story of Mandela.

Rest in peace Madiba, the father of South Africa and the father of the world in our times.    

End Mafia rule in the Meramunduli-Talcher-Angul Industrial Cluster

I visited Talcher to meet Sri Brajakishore Pradhan, Hon’ble MLA Talcher and a close associate. Besides speaking to the MLA and the district officials I also discussed with many members of the public. The situation in the Talcher area is grave.

The Meramunduli-Talcher-Angul cluster has now become one of the top three most polluted places in India and among one of the most polluted in the world. The State pollution Control Board is aware of the problems, but cannot act because of the powerful people who protect industries in this cluster. The ambience air quality is very high on poisonous gases and SPM. Both surface and ground water have been polluted. The soil has become polluted and infertile. MCL has not been able to provide jobs to many displaced families and they continue to languish in waiting lists and moving from pillar-to-post with the hope of regular employment. As adhoc measure some have been provided low-paid contractual jobs. The temperature level in summer has gone up by a whopping 5-6⁰ Celsius and Talcher is now consistently becoming the hottest place in the state reaching 48-49⁰ Celsius in the summer. Winter is gone. From time-to-time people approach various authorities and fail to get their grievance redressed. The development of the area has excluded the local population, who are angry and frustrated. The MLA has been elected by the people and has the responsibility of representing these grievances and in the process he was arrested at the behest of Company officials

During the visit I was told that companies have officials of the state government in their pocket. The affairs of Bhushan steel is not an exception. Over the years many have lost their lives in Bhushan and the factory has become a death-trap. But, how was the company running without clearance from the Pollution Control Board? How was the Company violating standard procedures? Was it without the knowledge of the state Governments and the local officials?

The situation in respect of other companies like MCL is no different. Police Officials from the level of Constables to the highest levels in the state are benefitting from these companies. Many of them are in transportation business, some have got their children employed in these companies, and some have given their houses on rent to these companies. One senior police officer is running a shadow company that is engaged in transportation business. Another senior police officer has given his house in Bhubaneswar on rent to a Joint-Venture Company of MCL. Aren’t these clear cases of conflict of interest? How can senior officers indulge in such dubious dealings? The allegations are far too many. The least that the Government can do is to investigate all these allegations. In fat, no one in Talcher is surprised by the rough and ready method adopted by the police to arrest the MLA.

Talcher Police has no jurisdiction to arrest anyone outside their jurisdiction. They could have issued a notice under Section 160 of the Criminal Procedure Code and if the MLA had not cooperated they should have applied for a non-bailable warrant. An arrest would have been justified if the Police had felt that the MLA was absconding or that they need to subject him to custodial interrogation. The MLA was attending the current session of the Assembly and was in full public and media view. The Police also had no intention of carrying out any custodial interrogation because he was sent in judicial custody almost immediately. The purpose was clearly to use state power to suppress a popular movement around extremely genuine public issues and intimidate the people. The State Government needs to realize that they cannot suppress a popular and democratic movement by using the Police. On their part the Police were more than happy to be used because from top-to-bottom they have their own vested interests. Basically what you see in Talcher is a mafia-type of activity and a clear nexus involving company officials, the police from the top-to-bottom, other district and state government officials and various political power centers in the state.

I have advised the MLA to help authorities normalize coal production and transport because such disruption can affect the power situation in the country. But, at the same time the state government should not neglect the local people as they have done in the past and expect normalcy. Genuine grievances of the people must be addressed expeditiously. The Chief Minister should personally visit Talcher, which he only does during elections.

 The MLA has demanded a C.B.I. investigation into all these dealings and I support this demand and hope that the investigation will extend to Bhusan and in fact the entire Talcher-Angul-Meramunduli cluster. All these Government officers and Politicians must be exposed and prosecuted. The mafia rule there must end.

I hope all these issues will be discussed thread-bare on the floor of the Assembly and the Chief Minister will explain the action that his Government proposes to initiate to break the nexus and stop Talcher from being ruled by the Mafia. 

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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Press Release Date: 23.10.2013

Niranjan requests a special relief and rehabilitation package for Cyclone hit Odisha

Bhubaneswar, October 21, 2013: Former Minister and senior Congress leader Shri Niranjan Patnaik has requested the Hon’ble Agriculture Minister, Shri Sharad Pawar for a special relief and rehabilitation package for Odisha in view of the extensive damage by cyclone Phailin in South Odisha, particulalry Ganjam and flash floods in North Odisha districts like Mayurbhanj and Balasore. Sri Patnaik has said that the amount available under the National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF) may not be adequate to restore the infrastructure devastated by the calamity and what the state needs is a substantially higher assistance.

In a letter to the Agriculture Minister, who heads the inter-Ministerial group that will take a final call on the amount of money to be provided to odisha, Shri Patnaik reminded that in 1999 when NDA was in power in the Centre, two cyclones hit Odisha, one in Gopalpur on Oct 18-19 and the other in Mahanadi Delta on Oct28-29. In the Gopalpur cyclone similar to the Phailin there were ‘zero causalities’ despite the India Meteorological Department (IMD) giving a two-hour alert to the authorities. Evacuation was successfully carried out as has been done now. The present BJD government has been confusing between the super cyclone of 1999 in Mahanadi delta where there were considerable loss of life and the Gopalpur cyclone where there was no casulaty. In fact, Mr Patnaik pointed out that Gopalpur is 25 feet above the sea level and historically there has been no casualties making land fall in Gopalpur in 1971, 1972, 1999 and 2013.

He said, the Central Government had given no support to the state government in 1999 Gopalpur cyclone. The then Defence Minister George Fernandez had visited Gopalpur and Sri Naveen Patnaik as a Central Minister had reached Gopalpur on Oct 19, a fact that he seems to have conveniently forgotten.  But, Ganjam got no financial assistance from the centre despite their ‘disaster tourism’. Even after the super cyclone, the Central government refused to declare the Odisha Super Cyclone as a ‘national calamity’ because it did not come under the category of ‘rare severity’ and the assistance we got was a pittance.

This time, the Central Government, the IMD, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have provided excellent support. “I request that the Central Government should maintain this spirit and not neglect the state in providing assistance under the National Calamity Contingency Fund. The state gets money from the Planning Commission for preparing capabilities for dealing with calamities and thanks to the UPA Government, the state has been receiving generous support of plan funds and the state’s capabilities have improved as also the capabilities of central agencies. But, the relief and rehabilitation assistance comes from mainly NCCF, which will not be adequate” Shri Patnaik said.

“Our past experience is that the BJD government have become expert in putting their party symbols to all centrally sponsored programs to claim credit while continuing to campaign on ‘central neglect’. Despite the hypocrisy of the BJD, I request the Central Government to take an objective view above partisan consideration and provide at least four times more money from what was provided by the NDA Government after the 1999 Super Cyclone,” Shri Patnaik averred.

In Malkangiri, losing the fight for hearts and minds

15-05-2013

The Hindu

In Malkangiri, losing the fight for hearts and minds

  

Panchayati raj representatives in the Naxal-af f ected district have resigned en masse to protest the apathy to their development needs, but the Odisha government remains unmoved.

Last month, 65 representatives of panchayati raj nstitutions in Malkangiri, Odisha, resigned en masse protesting against the apathy of the State government. All Adivasis, their principal demands have been the extension of an irrigation canal, road repair, and the supply of drinking water to villages. They had been making representations to the State Government and meeting officials but to no avail. Even after they resigned, Bhubaneswar has hardly taken note of the grave constitutional and governance crisis this has caused. What would the reaction have been had this happened in say Jammu and Kashmir?

 Tackling Naxals

Panchayat raj institutions are integral to our constitutional edifice. No minister or bureaucrat from Bhubaneswar has decided to visit the district to establish an interface with the elected adivasi leaders. What can be more insensitive?

 In early 2009, the Central Government decided on a significant initiative to deal with rising Maoist violence. Here, the deployment of Central forces was increased and States given support to add to their capability in coping with Maoist violence. The expectation was that a grid pattern of deployment of Central forces, supported by special forces with deep penetration capability, would facilitate developmental and governance initiatives. Affected districts were provided assistance under the Integrated Action Plan (IAP), which was one more method of gap-funding after the Backward Regions Grant Fund (BRFG). Besides, the districts were given additional funds under various Centrally- sponsored schemes. The strategy has worked wherever State governments have been able to benefit from Central assistance. Where the State administration is disinterested, the Central effort has yielded limited benefits.

 Neither money nor security forces individually or together can win the hearts and minds of people, if money remains unspent and all that people see are large numbers of heavily armed personnel. This is precisely what happened to Malkangiri four years later. The State Government has been unable to create capacity or improve governance. Development schemes can hardly be implemented. Ministers and bureaucrats are unwilling to visit the district to personally take charge, review implementation or assuage the frustration of the Adivasis. There is a case for a rethink on our strategy to deal with what the Prime Minister has termed the biggest internal security threat to India.

Underutilised funds

During a recent visit to Malkangiri I met the Adivasi leaders. They were simple and straightforward in talking about the issues that affected them and expressed a great sense of helplessness at having been cheated by the government. They no longer trust it. Ironically, Malkangiri is among the top three Naxal-affected districts of the country with 60 per cent Adivasis and 81 per cent people below poverty line. The district gets generous funds under Central schemes as well as under BRGF and IAP yet fares poorly on all development indicators besides reporting extremely poor utilisation of Central funds. Malkangiri’s misery is being perpetuated by the insensitivity, inaction and neglect of a callous State government. Unfortunately, civil society has little time for the Adivasis. Innocent children are dying of diseases, youth are unemployed, women are vulnerable, farmers do not have access to irrigation and there is an atmosphere of bedlam and unprecedented institutional decay.

Poor infrastructure

Under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, the district has received Rs.35.39 crore till February this year, but only Rs.14.78 crore has been spent. Out of the 3,024 units sanctioned under the Indira Awaas Yojana housing scheme, about 30 houses have been built. Under the IAP, the district has received Rs.85 crore out of which Rs.30 crore remains unspent. Malkangiri has as many as 36 health centres apart from the district headquarters hospital. But they remain non-functional as at least 40 posts of doctors, including specialists, are vacant against the sanctioned strength of 87.

Roads are in bad shape and people have been repeatedly blocking them to voice their anger, but to no avail. Road projects worth Rs.460 crore, of the Public Works Department, and Rs.630 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) are yet to take off. Only 35 per cent of the funds under PMGSY have been used. Ironically, the Chief Minister holds the Works portfolio, which is supposed to maintain all major roads and look after the Water Resources department. Political executives from Bhubaneswar hardly ever visit the district. When they do, they never spend a night even at the fortified district headquarters. When Ministers, secretaries and bureaucrats are unwilling to visit the district and senior police officers move around in helicopters provided by the Central Government for security reasons, we cannot blame the district officials for their unwillingness to visit the interiors, particularly after the kidnapping of two Collectors from the Bastar region. The State Government has failed to build a bridge across the Gurupriya river that separates the cut-off areas from the mainland of Malkangiri district. The cut-off areas are essentially the eight gram panchayats of Kudumulugumma block separated from the mainland district by the Balimela reservoir constructed in 1977. The dam project separated some 33,400 people in 151 villages from the Odisha mainland though they are connected on the other side to Visakhapatnam district in Andhra Pradesh.

Rights violations

In 2001, the Collector and Superintendent of Police “ran away” from the district. On the Chief Minister’s request, the Central Government sent four battalions of Central forces as well as a helicopter. Money has also been provided for the modernisation of the police force. The State Government meets the entire expenditure on fighting Naxalites under the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) Scheme of the Central Government. To this, the Central Government has now sanctioned two engineer battalions to attend to road work in areas where contractors are not taking up work. Instead of providing security cover, the security forces have become the only government agency present or visible. There are repeated allegations of human rights violations. This when the purpose of security cover was to implement development work and sort out governance issues.

The Centre has poured in funds and deployed huge numbers of security personnel. But, what does one do if the State administration fails to implement and tackle governance issues? What if Ministers and bureaucrats do not carry out routine reviews and inspections? Since the kidnapping of Collector Vineel Krishna, governance has more or less collapsed. No development has taken place, fuelling the current crisis that has forced elected Adivasi leaders to resign.

The Adivasis are simple people, who have for long tolerated the highhandedness of the administrators and the police. Now, they have been left to face armed Maoists.

To me, this is a grave constitutional crisis and all efforts must be made to restore grass-roots democracy here.