WATCH VIDEO - ROAD TO KOSAL STATEHOOD

Special Thanks to All Kosal Students Union , Anand Sagar Dash & Organizers of Balangir Bahi Haat for this video ..

20000 attends Massive rally in support for KOSAL state

Balangir:-The demand for a separate Kosal State got louder with the Kosal Kranti Dal (KKD) having organised a huge rally and meeting before the Collectorate here on Saturday, attended by delegates from eleven districts of western Odisha.

“The people have gathered here to protest against their continuous exploitation by the successive Governments at Bhubaneswar, and Kosli, not Odia is our mother tongue as well as language of the region,” observed KKD president Pramod Mishra.

All those anti-Kosal forces making capital of the resources of this region would be ousted from here by 2014. This is a token strike and protest by the people of the Kosal region and there would be many more such rallies in future. A separate Kosal State is the only solution to the problem, Mishra said further.

Condemning the reported move of the Government to mine bauxite in the Gandhmardan hills, Sajjan Kumar said the mining would destroy the precious flora and fauna of that area besides damaging the ecology beyond repair.

He called upon the KKD activists to save Gandhmardarn and save the ecology as the next 50 years would be crucial for mankind, as the deteriorating environment is going to bring damages to the earth.

He also called upon the people to reject the political party tickets and rather file nominations as KKD candidates and work for formation of a separate Kosal State.

“We would not allow lifting of kendu leaves, coal and other minerals from this region,” observed Baidyanath Mishra.

Protesting against the continuous economic exploitation of this region by the outsiders, a bandh will be observed in the 11 Kosal districts on March 31, Mishra announced.

The culture and language of the region is one of the best in the world and no political parties have worked for promotion of the Kosali Language, observed Goreknath Sahu and presented a film CD on Kosali to Pramod Mishra.

Eminent Kosali poet Haldhar Nag recited a poem in praise of the Kosal land.

Earlier, a massive rally from the Kosal Kalamandal was taken out through the town.More than 20,000 people attended the rally in support of Kosal state.

The KKD leaders submitted a memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister through the District Collector demanding a separate Kosal State.

People of Western Orissa are opting for Kosli, Sambalpuri in census

Courtesy : Indian Express

By Ratan K Pani

Rudrani Pradhan, a housewife at Budharaja here, questioned the enumerator whether she can mention Sambalpuri as her mother tongue. The enumerator responded by saying it was up to her.

Rudrani’s not a solitary instance. Even as Andhra Pradesh is embroiled over the demand for a separate Telangana, there has been a silent move by the people of the region, through the ongoing census, to establish a different cultural identity based on linguistic affinity of their own.

Though the move might help the cause of Koshal Kranti Dal (KKD), a political outfit, ahead of polls, it is bound to widen the gap between the people of western and coastal Orissa.

The question relating to mother tongue was included in the Census for the first time in 1881. In the 1891 Census, the question referred to ‘parent tongue,’ which was defined as the language spoken by the parent of an individual. It was then changed to language ordinarily spoken in the household in 1911, while it was again replaced with the word ‘mother tongue’ in 1931.

While during the previous Census the mother tongue was mentioned as ‘Oriya’, in the ongoing Census, a large number of people of western Orissa are mentioning either Sambalpuri or Koshali.

The issue cropped up a couple of months ago when some outfits requested people to record their mother tongue either as Sambalpuri or Koshli in the Census. The outfits reasoned that socio-economic development of the region was not possible without the development of their language.

The KKD has taken up the issue and since then has launched a campaign urging people to record their mother tongue as Koshli.

KKD president Pramod Mishra, however, said the campaign has no political undertone and stressed their demand for inclusion of the language in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution.

He said the enumerators are ignoring the demand of the people to register their mother tongue as Koshli and informed that they had moved the Census Commission and directions have been issued to the District Collectors accordingly.

The move seems to have struck the right chord among the masses except perhaps in Rourkela, which has a large cosmopolitan population.

2,575 farmers' suicides reported in 9 yrs in Orissa State

As many as 2,575 farmers committed suicide in the State during last nine years from 2000 to 2008 of the BJD rule.

Replying to a question on the issue in the State Assembly on Tuesday, Agriculture Minister Damodar Rout admitted that as per the State Crime Record Bureau, alleged suicidal deaths relating to farm activities during the nine years was 2,575.

Besides, he said, during 2009-10 and 2010-11 (till February), a total of 64 farmers allegedly committed suicide as reported in the media.

However, there was no proof that the suicides were related to agricultural activities, he said while replying to a related question from Congress member Dambarudhar Ulaka.

Giving details of the 2,575 farmers' suicide, Dr Rout said the highest number of 378 suicidal deaths was reported in 2004, followed by 365 in 2003, 345 in 2002, 283 in 2006, 260 in 2008, 256 in 2001, 254 in 2005 and 199 in 2000.

On the alleged suicidal deaths during the last two years, he said the highest number of 11 farmers died in Sambalpur district, followed by eight in Bargarh, seven each in Sundargarah and Keonjar, three each in Balasore and Dhenkanal, two each in Balangir, Cuttack, Ganjam, Nuapada and Puri and one each in Boudh, Kalahandi, Gajapati, Jagatsinghpur, Jharsuguda, Mayurbhanj, Koraput and Nabarangpur.

Dr Rout said that for development of agriculture and farmers, the State Government has taken a number of measures by continuously increasing the demand for grants for the department. While `344.58 crore was provided in the 2008-2009 Budget, it was increased to `747.72 crore during the 2010-11 Budget to implement pro-farmer programmes, he said.

Kosal Kranti Dal to launch issue-based stir

The Kosal Kranti Dal (KKD) will go in for a change in its strategy and enter the arena of issue-based politics for enlisting greater support of the people, said the party’s secretary general Baidyanath Mishra here.

Speaking at a Press conference, Mishra said his party has enlisted some major issues of western Odisha in general and of the district of Sundargarh in particular to launch agitation. He explained how the western part of the State was denied the privilege of having the headquarters of the Commissionerate-II of Customs, Central Excise and Service Tax though earmarked for Rourkela 13 years back.

Mishra alleged of a conspiracy by the Rourkela Steel Plant and the State Government in not shifting the headquarters and in the process around `500 crore of revenue is siphoned off per annum from the western region. To facilitate a discussion on the subject an audience of the district Collector has been sought. Meanwhile to divert public attention a camp office of the Commissionerate-II is being opened at Rourkela which would be opposed tooth and nail, he said.

Mishra opposed the idea of mining in Khandadhar and Gandhamardan hills and suggested to develop them into international tourist spots so that the flora and fauna of these historic places are not disturbed.

On the demand of an ESI medical college and hospital at Rourkela, he was of the opinion that the hospital should be established at Sundargarhm which has locational advantage being nearer to the coalminers.

Declaration of entire Sundargarh district as drought-affected, shifting of the Claims Commissioner’s office from Bhubaneswar to Sundargarh and adequate teaching staff for all colleges of western Odisha were some of the other Mishra highlighted.

KKD general secretary Kedar Patel, leader of the youth front Hrudanand Behera, vice-president of the district unit Ramachandra Amat, spokesman Jaisingh Singh and tribal leader Santosh Minz were present at the Press meet.

Jam & chocos from desi mahua (Mahuli) soon

Courtesy-TOI

There's more to mahua than a pleasant headiness. The addictive bloom will now be used to makebreakfast essentials like jam and jelly. Chocolates and pickles could also be sourced from the intoxicating flower.

Nearly 90 per cent of mahua, which is grown primarily in western Orissa, was being used for the production of country liquor.Mahua is locally know as Mahuli in Western Orissa. But now the SC-ST development department and Agriculture Promotion and Investment Corporation of Orissa Limited (APICOL), will be exporting mahua to European countries for making pickles, jelly, chocolate and jam.

Experts from IIT, Kharagpur and IIT, Delhi will train mahua pluckers as to how to collect the flower and ready its components for the export market.

APICOL chairman Balakrushna Ratha said they have got the Central Union Certification (CUC) for exporting mahua raw materials. "We had a meeting with CUC officials recently and put forth this issue as result of which we got the permission to export the mahua," said Ratha.

He said this effort is primarily aimed at alleviating the economic conditions of marginal farmers and the landless poor of the KBK region.

"On a pilot basis, we have started this programme of training mahua collectors in Balangir, Padampur and Koraput. There will also be SHGs which will be entrusted with the collection work in a scientific way," said Rath.

Kosli Tribals demand action against fake caste certificates

Courtesy:- The Pioneer

Hundreds of tribals of Balangir, Sonepur and Boudh and other districts carrying their traditional weapons marched on the streets here on Friday, led by leaders Brajakishroe Singhbhoi, Nirnajan Bisi and Satyanarayn Bhoi of BalangirZilla Adivasi Kalyan Sangha They demanded action against the fake certificate holders and scraping of State level scrutiny committee, formed to look into the fake caste certificate issue.

"So far out of the 353 fake certificate complaints we have submitted to Government till today, only 11employees have been dismissed and three have resigned. While the district level scrutiny committee has cancelled 34 caste certificates, the State level scrutiny committee has cancelled only six fake caste certificates. If in a year the State committee have cancelled only six caste certificates, one can imagine it would take how many years to decide the fate of 353 fake caste certificate cases," questioned Niranjan Bisi.

"We demand immediate scrapping of the State level scrutiny committee and the certificate cancellation power be vested with the competent authority district who are issuing the caste certificate," demanded Bisi.

Even today the Kulis and Doras are enjoying the benefits of tribals even though they are not tribals .We demand the arrest of those people who have enjoyed the benefits of tribal's and recovery of the same benefits from these persons, Bisi further demanded.

Later they submitted a 32 point memorandum to the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary through District Collector SN Dey and demanded revival of district level scrutiny committee. "When RS Gopalan was Collector, we submitted our demands of taking action against the fake caste certificate holders and immediate action against more than 36 fake tribal people were taken, informed Bisi.

The Collector who received the memorandum from the tribal leaders assured them of necessary action.

"We didn't take steps to paralyse the district administration as requested by it. We are waiting for one month. Unless concrete action is taken we will take further steps in this regard," he informed.

A three-tier police arrangement was made and seven platoons of police including armed police, SOG jawans were deployed during the protest, said Superintendent of Police Ajay Sarangi.