Endless water journeys

Photo By- Satya P Nanda.   Courtesy -  Balangir Facebook Group

Original Article taken from DECCAN HERALD written by Sarada Lahangir

Twenty years after the UN conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, which recognised that the world needs to manage its water resources in a sustainable manner, and 10 years after the Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights iterated that “the disproportionate burden women bear in the collection of water should be alleviated”, women continue in their endless trek for water the world over.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), almost one fifth of the world’s population (about 1.2 billion people) lives in areas where water is physically scarce. The unaccounted burden of water collection in such circumstances invariably falls on women.

Take Kasturi Pangi of Dumripadar village in Odisha’s tribal Koraput district. Despite being in her seventh month of pregnancy, she has to ferry a big pot of water on her head for at least a kilometre each time she goes for a refill. Says Pangi, “The water source is about half a kilometre away along the national highway, and every day I have to make at least three such trips to meet the family’s water requirements.”

The actual value of this effort is lost on her, as indeed her husband, Sarat Pangi, a construction worker. When asked about his wife’s daily scramble to collect water for the family, he casually mumbles, “She has to bring the water in time so that I can take a bath before I leave for work at 8 am.”

In Odisha, there are innumerable villages that have no committed source of water or have very poor water supply. According to Census 2011, around 35.4 per cent of families in the state have to travel long distances to fetch drinking water. A decade back this figure was 30.8 per cent. In other words, there has been an almost 5 per cent rise in the number of villages without adequate water during the summer. 

Some districts are worse off. Every second family in the tribal-dominated district of Kandhamal travels more than half a kilometre to fetch drinking water, while 50.4 per cent of houses are not near any source of drinking water. Kandhamal is, in fact, the worst affected among the state’s 30 districts. The data further reveals that in rural Odisha only 7.5 per cent households has access to tap water, while 19.8 per cent depends on wells and another 66.9 per cent uses tubewells.

The day starts early for these water carriers and things get particularly harrowing during the summer months. “When the river dries up under the hot summer sun, we women sometimes have to dig a hole on the river bed to access water. These holes are known as ‘chahalas’ and we have to wait for each one to fill up before we can scoop out more water,” explains Malati Bag of Kirakela village, in Nuapada, another water scare district in the state. 

Life is hardly easier for the women of Bolangir district which is, like the others, a tribal dominated one. Sabitri Tandi of Bangomunda block in Bolangir has to go to a water source about half a kilometre away from her home. Since she has to make three such trips a day in the searing heat, she ends up covering three to four kilometres every day.
What is generally not reported is the high price women pay for water collection in terms of their physical health. 

Jamuna Dharua, 23, from Bolangir, has a tragic story to relate, and this despite having a well in the premises of her home. Last year, she suffered a miscarriage while drawing water from the well. Recalls Dharua, “We have eight member families solely depend on that one well for all its domestic use and on an average, we have to draw at least 20 buckets of water from the well every day.

I was in my fourth month of my pregnancy during a time when the water level of the well had gone down to 15 ft deep because of dry summer conditions. While I was drawing water, I felt a mild pain in my lower abdomen that I overlooked. A few days later, I had a miscarriage and the doctor explained that bending over at the waist for a long time while drawing water from the well could be one of the factors for this.” Ironically today her sister-in-law, who is pregnant, spends much of her day drawing water from the well.

Dharua’s mother-in-law, Kalabati, 60, is quick to defend herself, “Our women are used to this kind of work and everyone does it — my ‘bohu’ (daughter-in-law) — is no exception. Jamuna’s miscarriage was an accident. I don’t keep well, so I cannot help these girls with such chores. So if my ‘bohu’ doesn’t do this work, who will? My sons?” 

Scarcity of water has other health implications as well. As summer wears on, the people of Bahadulki village of Rayagada district become dependent on the local stream for their daily needs and incidents of diarrhoea and cholera shoot up because the stream is contaminated by water from a nearby drain. Explains one woman who didn’t want to be named, “We are getting infections because of this water. When we get our periods, there is insufficient water to clean our clothes, and we end up with urinary infections.”

Explains Bhubaneswar-based social activist, Amrita Patel, who is familiar with women’s concerns in this region, “Generally, I have seen women in rural Odisha carry massive 15- or 20-litre aluminium pitchers full of water on their heads, while holding on to another 10- to 15-litre bucket full, and walking several kilometres. One hardly ever sees a man carrying even a small pitcher of water on his head! This is because, according to local social norms, getting water for domestic purposes like for drinking, bathing and cleaning is the sole responsibility of the women.”

What disturbs Patel is that public discussions on reducing the burden of women in terms of water collection only revolve around the need to reduce the distance to the source by provisioning a water source at an accessible location. While this is an important concern, she believes that the time has also come to break the norm that ensures that water collection is strictly seen as a woman’s task.

Ranjan Panda, Convenor, Water Initiatives Odisha, a voluntary organisation working on water issues, is worried about the future. Says he, “As the years go by, sources of drinking water are only going to get depleted, given our vanishing water bodies. This will make women even more vulnerable in the future. It is time that society becomes more sensitive to the issue. So far the government has never addressed it from a gender perspective.”   

western Odisha handloom industry struggles to survive

News Courtesy :- Telegraph

The state-run handloom industry is struggling for survival and lags behind in popularising the indigenous patterns and fabrics of Odisha whereas private players are doing roaring business.

The plight of weavers, who cater to government textile organisations and many of who have quit their hereditary profession in the past few years because of financial pressures, reflects the fact.

Sonepur, the hub of Sambalpuri textile materials in western Odisha, is home to at least 50,000 weavers. But, absence of an organised market has pushed them into a state of misery. The weavers’ co-operative society, which used to look after the community, is now non-existent in Sonepur while the Odisha State Handloom Development Corporation has been shut down since 2001 and its 500-odd employees continue to struggle for their outstanding wages.

The condition of weavers in Sambalpur district is no better. Lack of proper support from the government and the soaring price of yarn have forced several weavers to quit their traditional profession. “The number of weavers in the state has decreased remarkably. Several weavers are quitting their traditional profession,” said Manabhanjan Meher, advisor to the local weavers’ society, Nikhila Odisha Meher (Bhulia) Samaj.

“One cannot think of supporting his family by weaving alone now. Hence, several weavers are giving up their traditional profession. There were 40 looms at Badbazar. But, a majority of the weavers gave up this profession. Now, there are only three looms at Badbazar,” he added. The government should take steps for controlling the price of the yarn to save the weavers, he said.

The state handloom and textile department said Odisha had 43,652 looms being run by 1,92,339 weavers. Of them, 86,355 weavers operate under 526 weaver co-operative societies and 18,154 are organised under the 1,511 self-help groups.

The weavers, who are not covered under co-operative societies, find it hard to run the profession because of inadequate wages, rise in price of yarn and absence of an organised market.

“I have to depend upon the sahukars (intermediate tradesmen), who supply me with the raw materials such as yarn, dye, and later in turn, take away the finished product from me. While the sahukars enjoy good profit by selling the product, I am paid a meagre wage,” said Parameswar Meher, a weaver of Ranipur village in Sonepur. Parameswar said the wage he got was meagre considering the fact that it took at least 15 to 20 days to weave a sari. “All my family members are engaged when I weave a sari. It takes at least 15 to 20 days to weave a sari and I get only about Rs 2,000 as my wage,” he said.

Rama Meher, another weaver of Kendupali village in Sonepur said it was difficult for him to run his family with the weaving profession. “I have to look for something else now to feed my family since our ancient profession of weaving is not enough for a livelihood. Many in the village have already quit the profession and are doing better as skilled labourers,” he said.

Internationally acclaimed Padmashree Chaturbhuj Meher, who established the well-known handloom store Meher’s that has among its clients President Pratibha Patil, film star Jaya Bacchan and many international cricketers, said the Sambalpuri textile had a huge market. But, there had to be right policies by the government to develop this market, he said.

“With the adoption of new technology such as the Jacquard loom, the weavers now weave more exquisite textile materials, but they don’t get the right price for it. While the independent weavers have to market their product themselves by travelling to the big cities, the others, who are not financially sound, have to depend upon the sahukars who exploit them,” he said.

Management head of the Meher’s Gouranga Patra said the government-run handloom organisation Utkalika was the reason behind quitting of weaving by around 300 artisans.

“It was doing good business, but in the 80’s, the management there was corrupt and they did not repay the weavers, who had taken huge loans to give Utkalika their consignments. This caused a permanent damage to the handloom industry in the state,” sai Patra.

He said the government could take up initiatives in giving weavers promotion to improve the scenario. “Once a weaver has expertise at a certain design or pattern, he should be given promotion by being assigned to work on a more intricate design and a costlier fabric, so he ultimately earns more and also acquires skills. We have around 3,000 weavers working for us this way and they are doing very well economically,” he said.

Last year, the department of handloom invited well-known designers from all over the country to promote the patterns of Odisha at their fashion shows. But, there are other important things to be looked at, feel experts.

“What our handloom industry needs now is better marketing strategies and design innovations. We could experiment with our patterns and add more creativity to suit the international market. Our silk and cotton fabrics are so rich that there is great demand of the Odisha fabric throughout the world. We must capitalise on it. I use it in my creations and get great response world over,” said well-known fashion designer Pritam Panda.

Officials of the state handloom and textile department said the state government was taking all steps for the development of the handloom units and weavers. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik has announced a special package for the handloom weavers that includes infrastructure development, capacity building of the weavers, intervention of modern technologies and marketing promotion. Naveen will inaugurate an exhibition of Odisha handloom products in London next week to showcase fabrics from the state.

“The handlooms production in Odisha during 2011-12 was to the tune of Rs 180 crore because of sustained efforts of the state government,” said a senior official.

Two major co-operative bodies — the Odisha State Handloom Weavers Co-operative Society (popularly known as Boyanika) and Sambalpuri Vastralaya — have significantly improved their performance. The sales turn over of Boyanika was Rs 52.62 crore in 2011-12 and it earned a profit of Rs 1.13 crore in 2010-11. Similarly, Sambalpuri Vastralaya had made a turn over to the tune of Rs 20 crore in the same year, said the official.

As Odisha’s textile products are facing the problem of duplicated products outside the state, the government has registered two textile items (Odisha ikat and Kotpad handloom fabrics) with the Geographical Indication Registry (kind of patenting at Chennai under the Union commerce ministry.

Five more indigenous and exclusive products of Odisha — Sambalpuri bandha, Sonepuri Bomkai, Dhalapathar screen, Habaspuri sari and Berhampuri patta and jodo — were in the pipeline, said the officials.

Only Rs 40 cr to Khurdha-Balangir line : KKD Protest Across Kosal

The KOSAL KRANTI DAL and ALL KOSAL STUDENT UNION (AKSU) organised a Rail Roko at Balangir station on 20th March 2012 in protest of the meagre allocation of fund for the 20 year old Balangir-Khurda railway line..The rail roko was withdrawn after the local police intervene.

Political reactions across Balangir:-

“It’s shocking that the Central Government neglected Odisha again. Giving a mere Rs 40 crore for the Khurda-Balangir rail line is absolutely shameful and a sheer neglect of the genuine demands of the people of western Odisha,” said BJD MP Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo here.

Raising the fare will badly hurt the poor people of India, he added.

“The allocation of Rs 40 crore for the rail line is too ‘meagre’ and we condemn the apathetic attitude of the Central Government towards the people of Balangir and this region. If the allocation goes in this way, it will take many long years to complete the Khurdha-Balangir rail project,” lamented Bhavani Satpathy of Balangir Citizens’ Committee.

The Railway Board chairman had assured of looking into the project, when a delegation comprising Baisnab Parida, Prasanna Patsani, Sivaji Pattnaik, Rudramadhab Ray and Bhavani Satpathy met him in New Delhi in December, 2011.

He also assured to run the railway from Bhubneshwar to Begunia, besides commencement of work from Balangir side, Satpathy said. However, not a single assurance given by chairman to the delegation was fulfilled, Satpathy pointed out.

The allocation for Khurdha-Balangir railway line must be substantial every year. We demand at least Rs 200 crore for the rail line annually and a specific time limit to complete it, said Kosal Kranti Dal president Promod Mishra.

The rail line which would serve as a linkage between coastal region and western parts of Odisha, besides ensuing economic development, has been ignored and a meagre allocation has been made this year. The announcement of setting up a railway wagon factory in Sitapali in Ganjam is somewhat “surprising” and it should have been set up anywhere in western Odisha, Mishra said further.

Photo Courtesy :- Swadhin Mishra

Happy And Prosperous Phagun Puni (HOLI) To All Kosalbasi

WATCH ONLINE KOSLI-SAMBALPURI MOVIE BHUKHA

KOSLI / SAMBALPURI MOVIE BHUKHA WATCH ONLINE :-

Bhukha or Bhookha is a 1989 Kosli language film directed by Sabyasachi Mohapatra. The movie was produced by Sabyasachi Mohapatra under the banner of Kumar Productions and had music by Ramesh Kumar Mahananda.This movie is based on the Sambalpuri play Bhukha written by Manglu charan Biswal. This is the first film in the Kosli/Sambalpuri language and the first film from the Orissa state to get an International Jury Award at the Gijón International Film Festival.

CAST :-

Sarat Pujari

Sadhu Meher

Bijaya Pujari

Swati Roy

Chitta Pattnaik

Mantu Mahapatra

PART 1 :-

PART 2 :-

PART 3 :-

PART 4 :-

Video courtesy :- Beni Media Group

http://www.youtube.com/user/saketsree

KOSLI MATRUBHASA DIVAS ON FEB 21, 2012

Kosal Ekta Manch is observing "Kosli Matrubhasa Divas" or "Kosli Mother Language Day" on the occasion of World Language Day on February 21, 2012 at Bhubaneswar.

The meeting will be held between 9.30 AM to 2 PM at Red Cross Bhawan. Sachibalaya Marg, Unit 9

9 AM - Breakfast

9:30 AM - Meeting

2 PM - Lunch

Kosli Matrubhasa Divas: Concept Note

Language is never the prerogative or monopoly of limited group or community. The uniqueness of a language lies in its universal appeal. That is why it is said that in the galaxy of linguism every word is a glittering star. Kosli language might be a little star in the universal firmament but it does twinkle and occupy a space of its own in the linguistic world. Drawn from this logic one cannot but say that kosli is a full fledged language and not a sub language of Odiya as claimed more often than not. Kapila Samhita says “ Punya Swarnapuri prokta punya marjara kesari, kosalesu punya traya punya chitrotpala nadi ”. History says and linguists agree to the fact that Awadhi, Baghelkhandi and

Chhatisgarhi are the derivatives of kosli Language. As india remains India even after the partition of Pakistan and Bangladesh, Kosli remains the principal language of Kosal region even after these languages have established themselves as separate languages. Therefore linking Kosli with Odiya is a misnomer. Kosli is spoken by more than one crore population and that it has survived the test of time and hegemony of a larger community over a minor , is itself a testimony to cherish.

This language is craving for recognition from a pretty long period but as history repeats, the Odiyas look down upon and reject the status of the language like the Bengalis who once said “ Odiya Ek Ta Bhasa Na e” . Lalu Yadav said Jharkhand will be built over his dead body. Today Jharkhand is a reality and Lalu Yadav is still alive. Tall claims of notorious people have never got cognizance of the civil society and it will not be a surprise if such elements are alive in Odisha too.

Nothing is permanent because ‘change’ is the truth and that is constant. There will be a change. kosli as a language will be accepted one day even by its worst adversaries. Today on this day, when we celebrate the Kosli Matrubhasa Divas in the capital of our neighbouring state, we only appeal to the conscience of those who wrote the political history of Odisha, to rethink as to whether their brethren in Kosalanchal are justified in their demand for recognition of the language in the 8th schedule of the constitution and to grant the second official language status of the state as well.

Baidyanath Mishra, 94370 83025

Whither KOSAL - An intro about KOSAL written in 1946

This manuscript was published some time around 1946.

The author of this manuscript is unknown.

This document was obtained from

Mr.Dilip Kumar Padhi

Hotel Sujata, Sambalpur---- KOSHAL, 768 001 INDIA

mail:vu2dpi@gmail.com

URL:http://www.qsl.net/vu2dpi

Whither Koshal

Kosal Kranti Dal (KKD) to launch a month-long stir for Kosal State from Dec 23

Originally Written By Sudhir Misra for DailyPioneer

The Kosal Kranti Dal (KKD) will launch a movement in the entire ‘Kosalanchal’ region to sensitise people about its demand for a separate Kosal State from December 23 to January 23 next.

This was announced to the media on Sunday by KKD chief Pramod Mishra. The entire ‘Kosalanchal’ has been divided into five zones along with Boudh and Athmallik subdivision of Angul district, he said.

Commenting on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati’s move to create four smaller States out of the existing UP, Mishra observed that it is high time the Government of Odisha adopted a resolution in the State Assembly in favour of a Kosal State. All political parties should come forward to join hands for formation of a separate Kosal State, Mishra said.

The month-long movement in Balangir district would start from Harishankar on December 23, and simultaneous Yatras would be organised in the other districts of the region, Mishra informed.

“After this movement, we will visit New Delhi and put forth our demand of creation of a separate Kosal State to Centre leaders. We will also stage a dharna before the Parliament during its next session,” Mishra informed further.

Interstate Sambalpuri Drama Competition At Sambalpur

The 15th Veer Surendra Sai Inter-state Sambalpuri Drama Competition, organised by Yuba Udayan, will be held at the Aranyaka Mandap at Jharuapara , Sambalpur from 24th December to 31st December 2011.

As many as 22 sambalpuri-Kosli drama will be performed on the stage with three dramas per day.

The dramas will start from 6 PM daily.

• Yuba Udayan started in 1997 to bring all the theatre activists otogether.

• Veer Surendra Sai All Orissa Sambalpuri Drama Competition was born for the revival forthe Kosli / Sambalpuri drama activities. In the inaugural year only 19 plays were presented and the next fourteen years witnessed 346 plays being staged. Kosli theatre has engaged scripts, directors and artists to work for performing these dramas.

FIND BELOW THE DETAIL LIST OF SAMBALPURI DRAMA'S TO BE PERFORMED DURING THIS COMPETITION

Archaeological Explorations and Excavations in Western Orissa

By Sri Sasanka S. Panda

The explorations of archaeological sites of the western part of Orissa was taken up by the Britishers soon after the Archaeological Survey of India was established with Major General Alexander Cunningham as its first Director General. His assistant Mr. Joseph D. Beglar surveyed the Upper Mahanadi Valley (both Orissa

and Chhattisgarh regions) and could locate places like Rajapadar (Belkhandi) in Kalahandi district,Ranipur Jharial and Titilagarh in Balangir district,Narsinghnath in Bargarh district and Baud town having archaeological remains and early temples as well as temple ruins. He undertook an extensive tour of this area in 1874-76 and has

left a graphic account of what he discovered in these places, which is published in Volume-XIII of the Archaeological Survey of India Report in 1882. Beglar's Report on Narsinghnath has been quoted in the Sambalpur District Gazetteer (1932) by Mr. F.C. King in pages 248-250. Mr.King has reproduced another Report of the

Archeological Survey of India for 1904-05 on Narsinghnath by noted Orientalist and historian Mr.G.R.Bhandarkar.

CLICK THE LINK BELOW AND DOWNLOAD THE PDF FILE ABOUT VARIOUS ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS AND EXCAVATIONS IN KOSAL (WESTERN ORISSA)

Archaeological explorations in Western Odisha

Starvation Death Continues in Kosal - 3 died in Nuapada

News Courtesy :- The New Indian Express

The spectre of starvation deaths continues to haunt KOSAL region (western Odisha), with three more suspected cases being reported from Sinapali block of Nuapada district in the last two days.

The State Advisor to the Commission of Supreme Court on the Right to Food is scheduled to visit the block to ascertain the cause of the deaths.

Reports said Laxman Jagat (27) of Kuliadangri village in Karanbahal gram panchayat died on Friday.His brother, Ghasi Jagat in his complaint to the police said Laxman was suffering from prolonged illness due to malnutrition. His wife and daughter left the house leaving behind Laxman and his widowed mother.Since then the two have been surviving on her meagre old-age pension.

And a day after Laxman breathed his last, Lochani Bewa (60) of the village also died due to malnutrition.While the villagers accused his son of not taking care of him, there is no denying that he died without food.No rice was procured using the Antodaya card for the last three months.

Similarly, Durbal Nag (55) of the village also died on Saturday leaving behind a physically-challenged son, Ralen.The father-son duo depended on their quota rice which failed to reach them in the absence of a proper distribution system.

Block Development Officer (I/c) of Sinapali, Debasis Sinha said while Lochani Bewa and Durbal Nag died of natural causes, medical report of Laxman Jagat is awaited.

He admitted that 10 to 15 beneficiaries had not received rice under various schemes and he was probing the matter.

The distribution of rice in the gram panchayat was virtually stopped after villagers locked the gram panchayat office on September 21 and the arrest of Executive Officer Tankadhar Bhoi for irregularities in the distribution of rice.

His successor Madhab Hati claimed that the villagers had not been cooperating, affecting the distribution.

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Our view :- Blaming the villagers wont work anymore.It has been more than 7 decades since we got our independence and were forcefully merged with the Orissa province.But till date there is hardly anyone sitting in Bhubaneswar is worried about our people.These blocks of Kosal region are prone to starvation deaths and large scale migration and this is not new...It's been happening since many decades but it seems the Orissa govt has gone into deep sleep...Had these incidents would have happened in Coastal Orissa, the whole state govt Machinery would have become active in helping them round-the clock...The bottom line is still we the people of KOSAL region are being treated indifferently..Our lives don't have values for the colonial masters sitting in Bhubaneswar

Celebrating 37 years of Rangabati - The Baap Of Indian Folk Music

A rare picture of the RANGABATI team ...This is the team who made the BAAP of all Indian Folk Song "Rangabati"

Singer :- Jitendriya Haripal and Krishna Patel

Lyricist :- Mitrabhanu Gountia

Composer :- Prabhudutta Pradhan

READ BELOW AN FACE TO FACE INTERVIEW WITH THE LEGENDARY SAMBALPURI SINGER JITENDRIYA HARIPAL...

The following interview was published in the Hindu Newspaper on May 27, 2001

Nearly two decades ago, Jitendria Haripal sang 'Rangabati', a number that was on everyone's lips. The cassette outsold the competition. Now, Haripal, a dalit and one of the foremost exponents of Sambalpuri geet, lives in penury in a slum, says noted journalist P. SAINATH.

Rangabati, O Rangabati (Colourful Lady) You are like a golden creeper...

IT was a hit song like almost no other. Though from Orissa, "Rangabati" captured huge areas beyond that State. The Golden Creeper spread through Chattisgarh, then entwined much of the Hindi belt. There was a time in the 1980s when no self-respecting truck driver hit the road without the cassette. Tea shops reminded clients of their existence with the song blaring. No one knows how many vinyl records were sold, but it made gold disc status within its first three or four years of play. As for the cassette version, its sales were in countless lakhs. It generated a fortune in revenues for both music companies and pirates.

The voice that powered that track has lost none of its charm and magnetism, but sounds dejected and weary today. For its owner lives on the breadline in a Sambalpur slum. Jitendria Haripal, a top exponent of Sambalpuri geet, made next to nothing out of the song's financial success. Haripal has shared the stage with other leading artists of this State. That includes former Chief Minister Giridhar Gamang, himself a fine musician. Haripal is a dalit from the Dom community. One who dropped out of school. And was never let into the music sabhas as a youth. The voice that launched "Rangabati" is entirely self-trained.

"Like people whose names you forget, but whose faces you remember, I know the raagas but not their titles.

"It is only when people tell me that the song you have sung is in this or that raag that I get to know the names."

When and how did Haripal decide to go professional?

"But I never did. Even today, I never think of myself as a professional. I am an artist, not a performer. This is a pride not a profession. It is art, not employment. It is a Dom tradition, too. What the people on radio and television call Sambalpuri geet is gaana. The music of the Gaana people. Of the Dom people.

"My father Mandath Haripal did not perform in public the way I did. He tried to make a living picking tendu leaves. But he was a talented musician. I used to go into the fields with him and sing. We were bhumihin (landless). No property, no assets. But we could sing. We had music.

"No. I was never formally trained. Nor did I ever do a course in fine arts. We are dalits, you see. How could we enter a music sabha? That too, in those days? And I could never afford a teacher. So I used to stand outside these sabhas or wherever classes or performances were held, and listen. I can recall times I stood in the rain listening to music shows where I would not be welcome inside. By these means, and simply by singing, I taught myself."

Haripal began as an artiste in All India Radio in 1971. "Those days the recording fee was Rs. 15. Some years later it became Rs. 75." It is Rs. 900 today in his grade which is "Senior B High" artist. But he feels he gets fewer recordings than are due to him each year. He has done road laying work, construction labour and other odd jobs at different times. "Music is not a safe source of earning."

"'Rangabati?' Ah, yes. I knew you would ask me about it. See you have come this distance to talk to me about that song. How many others have heard it in how many places? It is a love story, a duet. A simple love song in pure Sambalpuri style."

"It was an AIR recording around 1975-76. The writer of the song was Mitrabhanu Gaunthiya. As you know, that song exploded on the scene. All know how popular it was, and still is. Soon a music company - INDRECO - got interested. They wanted to cut a record. So around 1976, I went to Calcutta. And the recording took place." But the disc was not released.

The first of a series of tragic events had begun. A dispute over authorship of the tune. Haripal says, "How can anyone doubt it was my tune?" Someone did though and the row dragged on. Interestingly, no one ever denied that the song's phenomenal success was due to Haripal's rendition. Also the lively voice of his female co-singer Krishna Patel. The record was stuck. What happened next is not quite clear, but Haripal says he won in the courts. "The disc was released around 1978-79."

It was a smash hit. "'Rangabati' is an all-time great," says Syantan K. Rath. An Assistant Station Director of AIR at Sambalpur, Rath says, "Cassette sales in lakhs? We should be counting that one in millions. He certainly did a brilliant job with that song." The music company thought so too. It got Haripal to sign a contract. This, he says, was for three years, with the option of a two-year extension. And then the company went into a lockout.

"I was stuck. Even though there was a lockout, I was under contract. I could not perform for anyone else." Two years later, the company in that avatar, he says, closed down. Just when he was to have got a gold disc to honour his record sales. "All I had got was around Rs. 10,000."

Rangabati, Rangabati... You are like a full moon in a damaged  house... 

"I don't know when the cassette came out. All I know is I was told the company had closed down and all my royalties stopped." Meanwhile, companies changed hands. Owners came and went.

Since Haripal was not aware that a newly released edition of his cassette existed, we went to the bazaar. There we found one of the many versions of the cassette that have made the rounds for two decades. The cover does say INDRECO. And "Manufactured and Marketed by the Gramophone Company of India." Packed in July 1999. All of which could still mean nothing. Many pirated versions use the names of big companies. Unless, of course, a revived company was putting out the cassette again.

"Who knows? I certainly do not. Maybe somebody there does not know the history. And what can I do anyway?"

However, the recording quality is quite good. And there is one strange feature to the tape. The voices on it are unmistakable. So is the music, advertised as "Sambalpuree Folk Songs". But nowhere do the names of Jitendria Haripal and Krishna Patel appear on it. That hurts the musician more than anything else. "I cannot get into these fights, you know, I would just be grateful if whoever did this made a just settlement with me. We too, are entitled to a fair deal, no?"

The discovery leaves him dejected but not bitter. "All I want is a fair amount. That which is due to us should come to us.

"We are not cut out to do business, I think. I tried the Cuttack companies, but they finished us. Western Orissa artistes can never get a good deal in coastal Orissa. I once tried financing my other music on my own cassette. The company I went to in Cuttack used sub-standard tape. So that venture collapsed. I lost all my money."

As "Rangabati" rankles, he shifts ground. "I consider myself a student to this day, when I am 50. Maybe because I never got to learn formally. The intolerance we faced as Doms was humiliating. We shrank from the contempt of others. This was, and is, our culture. What you call Sambalpuri culture. But being dalits, that is how we were treated."

The school drop out is a music scholar. "Sambalpuri geet is as old as society. One thing, always remember. Everywhere in the world, folk songs are older than classical tradition. Not just older, but much, much older. I believe all folk music in the world is related. There is some common content, some kinship. In India, those links are deep.

"Sambalpuri has three kinds of geet (song). Of these, prem (love) and mausam (season) geet are deeply related. Mausam geet is 'seasonal' in a wide sense. It includes natural seasons, weddings, harvest, sowing, and the like. After all, when we go to the fields and out into nature, we sing of our lovers. Prem and mausam geet are far more prolific in Sambalpuri than the third type, bhajan.

"I am not just a Sambalpuri singer. My hobby is to listen to folk music from everywhere. Listen..." And he demonstrates the tradition he is talking about. The slum comes alive with Haripal's vibrant voice. With snatches from the songs of the Bauls of Bengal. Of Chattisgarhi love songs. Effortlessly, he makes us see what he is talking about. The common elements of Sambalpuri, Bhojpuri and Oriya. Then of Baul, Chattisgarhi and Dhakia Bengali music. He explores the links of some elements of these to Nepali folk as well. It is impossible to see "Rangabati" as an accident now. This is a versatile musician with a deep understanding of his art.

But it was that song which made him famous. His greatest memory is of the day a crowd that recognised him at Batapur railway station. It refused to let the train move. Not unless Haripal sang "Rangabati". "Finally, the train driver told me that I had better sing a few lines if we wanted the train to move!"

But that day is past. Haripal's family troupe still tours but makes little money. And disaster still strikes. "The rains here two years ago destroyed us," says Chandrika, Haripal's daughter. "We lost all our instruments. Ever since, we have had to hire instruments or borrow them." The troupe gets engagements, but does not make much. "There are all the accompanying artistes to be paid," she says. By the time that is done, Haripal might not be left with Rs. 3,000 from a performance.

Haripal also feels he has been sidelined by the culture establishment. "I was to represent the country at the Festival of India in Moscow. At the last minute I was dropped. This has happened to me many times. Even at the Independence Day Golden Jubilee celebrations in Delhi. They take my song, they do not take me."

Some, though, are sympathetic. "He's a very good artiste, with mass appeal," says AIR's Syantanu Rath. He plays down - as does Haripal himself - the singer's alcohol problems. Those were brought on after the series of reverses and losses he faced. "Haripal is moody and temperamental. Hardly a new thing in a recording artiste."

Rangabati, Rangabati... My heart is full with jasmine fragrance...  
 Of my heart is throbbing for you... 

Later, all the way down the road to Malkangiri, we found the tea shops still had the song. "Rangabati" is not forgotten. Haripal is, though.

"Do you think if we find out who is in charge, they might show some respect?" he asks about the tape. Life has seldom shown him much of that commodity. So he is not sure. "I do not want to fight anybody. There should be some justice. This is my art. This is my life and love..."

Rangabati, Rangabati... dear, please don't harass me... 

No More Dams Says Balangir, Bargarh and Subarnapur !

Courtesy:-Dailypioneer written by :- Sudarshan Chhotray

Caught between the dual targets of massive industrialisation and agricultural expansion through extending irrigation coverage to the farmlands, the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD Government has become the real target of people.

Despite its tall claim of covering 35 per cent of cultivable land under assured irrigation facilities, the ground realities are something different. Policy analysts have found only 25 per cent of the land in the State to be under irrigation. With 11 major rivers, 12 river basins, seven big dams, 10 agro-climatic zones, four geo- climatic regions, 480-km long coastline and average rainfall of 1, 500mm, the State is still a less developed agricultural region. Climate change has affected monsoon and uncertainty of rainfall has made lives of the farmers miserable.

Many attributed drought, food insecurity, starvation deaths, migration, and suicide of farmers and above all marginalisation to inadequate irrigation facility. The diversion of water for industrial houses meant for irrigation has raised many eyebrows. Similarly, the Government’s failure in flood management also has been criticized by political parties and experts. An affidavit filed by the Water Resources Department in the Odisha High Court on August 30 last has confirmed 18 industrial houses are lifting water from four such dams, including Hirakud. This and other related allegations have indeed fuelled many controversies over distribution of water. That’s the reason people feel all the projects have been designed and directed towards facilitating industrial needs than the needs of the common people.

Just a month back, drought had engulfed almost fifty per cent of the State and the news of farmers’ suicide was much in the news headlines. People of Western Odisha were up in arms against a hydro-power project proposed near Sindhol village in Subarnapur district. Though this plant was planned ostensibly to augment the energy needs of the State, in reality people in Western Odisha put up a brave front against the project, which forced it to put off the project for the time being. For them it was a conspiracy to facilitate another Hirakud like big dam for which they are suffering since 1950.

Aung Irrigation project: People of Paikmal area under Padampur Sub Division in Bargarh district are up against a dam project which has posed a grave threat to their life and livelihood. They are claiming their ancestral home, cultivable land and locally available natural resources would be lost if the project is undertaken. Not only these, it would also harm their existing social relationship, age- old tradition and practice.

The proposed dam at Pujharipalli at a distance of 15 km from Padampur, would irrigate about 30,000 hectares of cultivable land of both Bargarh and Balangir districts, which are known as drought prone areas. The project, which was started at the initial cost estimate of Rs 304.66 crore as per the 1999 Consumer Price Index, has now been escalated to Rs 500 crore. The project was sanctioned by Central Water Commission on September 20, 2000 and the environmental clearance was issued on December 6, 2007. The project has the components of a 7480 meter length earthen dam near Pujarharipalli with irrigation potential of 50 km in downstream. Total and full storage in the dam will affect 5100 hectares of area including 167 hectares of Chhattisgarh State.

“As our area is rich in natural resources and people are rich in agriculture despite erratic monsoon and scanty rainfall with less irrigation facility, we have gained self sufficiency in agriculture and a common farmer is getting more yield than expected. Similar is the situation for landless farmers those who never feel they are landless. Rather, they adopt shared cultivation system which brings more benefit for them and they have nothing to worry of forced migration,” says Amrit Lal Sahoo, a retired Revenue Inspector of Saeikela village.

For Jaganath Pradhan of Samalpuri village it is a do-or-die struggle, as he is losing at least Rs 4 lakh per annum from his 15 acre of cultivable land . Even Government agencies collect seeds from him. Jagannath manages to run his 14-member family lavishly without any other income source. For him loosing land for a proposed project will cost him dearly. He is all set for self immolation if the project is undertaken forcibly. The Government has planned the project without proper verification of local resources, alleged members of Pujharipalli Dam Pratirodh Committee, the organisation which has been spearheading the movement against the proposed project. Due to stiff resistance from affected villagers, the first public hearing was turned a battle field.

As things stand today, where the people of Paikamal area have been continuing their protest demonstrations against the construction of the proposed Aung Dam, local politicians are leaving no stone unturned to pacify people’s growing dissent. The affected village believes the decision for construction of a dam at Pujharipalli was political one as former Odisha Chief Minister Biju Painaik had already laid foundation stone for Aung Irrigation Project at Chirroli, said Pujharipalli Dam Partirodh committee secretary Netrananda Behera.

Interestingly, foundation stone laying for Pujharipalli Dam site was conducted during the Congress regime by former Chief Minister J B Patnaik during the 90s. Since then, people of the region have been protesting against the construction of the dam starting from the massive rally at Padampur in the year 1989. Then came the boycott of panchayat elections en-masse in the year 2002 in all the four gram panchayats namely Alkmaar, Sareipalli, Lokharkota and Jagadalpur. Not a single vote was cast in all the 32 affected villages spread over the four panchayats, says Bhandari Marei of Chardhapalli village. Of late, the committee has formed village level struggle committees in all the 32 affected villages to give a brave front in resisting Government’s possible attempt to construct the dam. According to the agitating villages of Lakhmara revealed the dam will not only cause harm to four high schools including a tribal residential high school, a junior college and a number of primary schools, it would also cause harm to a number of area and endangered animals, birds, some medicinal plants, profitable tress, fruit and crop varieties.

Significantly, the calculation made by forty years’ old Bharat Bag of Sareikela Village tells a different story. According to him he gets 30 bags of paddy from an acre of agriculture land which will cost around Rs 11, 250.00. Besides these, he earns from oilseeds and cereals. Bharat says it would be painful for any farmer in sacrificing such prosperous areas for the sake of a so called development project which will bring only devastation. The most shocking effect of the proposed dam is the continuing existence of the prolonged traumatic situations undergone by the people of the region who during the last couple of decades couldn’t make any large investments in housing and other social and economical engagements, argues Bhakta Bariahha of Chardhapalli village.

Suktel Irrigation Project: Chabbilal Gadatia is dejected as he found that he had nothing to do, but hand over his two acres of agriculture land to Government for the construction of the proposed Lower Suktel Dam. Chabbilal, with his five-member family has been earning his livelihood depending upon his two acres of fertile land. Chabbilal along with his fellow villagers of Kainthapalli under Loisingha block of Balangir district are up in arms against the Government which is all set to oust them from their land for the proposed dam.

Kainthapalli is among 29 villages which would be affected by the proposed dam. According to the 1996 survey, at least 15,380 people of 4160 families spread over 26 villages of Balangir district will be displaced. Out of them, 1222 families are tribal, 575 are Scheduled Caste and remaining 2363 belong to OBC. The dam has been initiated to irrigate more than 31,830 hectares of agriculture land spread over 189 villages of poverty stricken and drought prone Balangir and Subarnapur districts. Under the Central Government’s Long Team Action Plan for the drought-prone KBK region, the dam has been approved by the Planning Commission in 1999, with an estimated cost of Rs 217.13 crore in 1996, which is now escalated to the tune of Rs 1,041.81 crore. But due to strong resistance and boycott of the displaced persons, land survey and acquisition process at the proposed dam site of Magurabeda, situated 22 km away from Balangir town had been halted. Latest Government report says land acquisition in 23 villages has been almost completed and process is yet to start in remaining six villages. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik while reviewing the progress on August 30 last this year has instructed the authorities to speed up the construction work as soon as possible. After completion, the project will irrigate 29,850 hectares of agriculture land in Balangir and 1,980 hectares in Subarnapur district. Two canals will be constructed in right and left side of the reservoir. “Since the last seven years we have been living under uncertain future and passing through psychological trauma, following the declaration of the dam,” the locals lamented.

KOSAL SAHITYA ACADEMY AWARDS

KOSAL SAHITYA SANSKRUTI ACADEMY announced its felicitations for contribution to Kosli language and literature for the year 2011 for different categories as follows:

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

1) Sri Atal Bihari Panda
2) Sri Kapileswar Prasad Mahapatra
3) Sri Shrikara Mishra

LANGUAGE & LITERATURE

1) Dr. Dolagobind Bishi, Titilagarh ( Essay)
2) Shri Bipin Acharya, Sambalpur (Poetry)
3) Professor Kesharanjan Pradhan, Padampur (Drama)
4) Shri Dhanpati Mohapatra, Bargarh (Novel)
5) Dr. Santosh Kumar Rath, Balangir ( Story )

The presentation ceremony will be held at Sonepur on 30th Oct. 2011.

For More Details Contact :-

Saket Sreebhushan Sahu
Editor, Beni

Email :- sampadakbeni@gmail.com

WODC - Rehabilitation centre for defeated BJD politians ?

Jaikosal.com breaking news :-

Today Padmini Sekhar Deo, W/o - Late. Bharatendra Sekher. Deo, Ex- MLA, At –. New. Palace,Sundergarh has been appointed as the chairperson of Western Orissa Development Council (WODC).

Questions are being raised over the relevance of the Western Orissa Development Council (WODC) which was formed to correct the regional imbalance existing in Orissa.

Rather than functioning to assist in the development of the backward Western Orissa districts, its core constituency, the council has now become a rehabilitation centre for defeated ruling party politicians and others whom the powers-that-be want to keep in good humour.

While funding and utilisation system of the Council have come under criticism, the lack of interest on the part of the State Government for further strengthening the organisation has also been disapproved by many. The Council was formed on July 3, 1999. But in 12 years of its existence, no noteworthy project has been implemented.

Three proposed medical colleges by the WODC at Bhawanipatna, Rourkela and Balangir have not progressed beyond the drawing board stage. “The WODC has failed to live up to its expectations during its 12 years of existence so far,” first chairman of the Council and senior Congress leader Narsingh Mishra said.

Funds are being spent on the recommendations of the ruling party MPs, MLAs and leaders, Mishra said and added there is no development agenda before the Council.

The Congress leader said as the Council was formed to bridge regional imbalance, a survey should be undertaken to identify very backward areas where projects should be taken up. But funds are being spent in relatively developed areas because of recommendations of some ruling party leader, MP or MLA, he lamented.

BJP Legislature Party Leader from� Patnagarh KV Singhdeo alleged that the Council had been turned into a platform for also-rans of the ruling party. Attempts are also being made to create a parallel power centre through the Council, he said.

Strongly disapproving the practice of nominating ruling party leaders as expert members, Singhdeo said this had defeated the very purpose of the body. Technical experts should be from a particular field and not politicians, he said.

Defeated BJD candidate in the 2009 Lok Sabha election Hameed Hussein, who is also a member of the Council, also maintained that the funding pattern needs to be changed. The Council should spend in the fields of agriculture and education without wasting money on small projects, he said and added a decision should be taken in this regard soon.

But the importance given to the WODC, or the lack of it, by the powers-that-be can be gauged from the fact that for the last two months the post of chairperson is lying vacant. Sources said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is yet to decide whether to nominate a politician, a bureaucrat or an expert to the post.

(News Source IBNLIVE.com)