Posts filed under ‘Demand by Students Union’
Koshal state demand is valid. Nevertheless, many Koshal activists are ignoring the limitations of Koshal movement. Here are few limitations that are hindering the separate state movement:
Location of future capital city: When Telangana state was created there was no confusion about the location of its capital. People of Telangana unanimously supported Hyderabad as the capital of Telangana. Chandra Babu learned from his past mistakes. He is now building a new capital city that will benefit whole AP. In case of Koshal demand, so far, there is no clarity about its future capital city. People of Sambalpur want their district HQ as the capital city; whereas, Balangir/Kalahandi people want their own district HQs as the capital city. In future, such demands will come up from other districts as well.
Decentralization of resources in western Odisha: So far, we are debating about centralization of resources in BBSR. Many people in western Odisha (especially in KBK region) are asking what about centralization of resources in Sambalpur and Rourkela. Western Odisha (WO) is following a similar developmental approach like coastal Odisha and Bengal; where only big cities like Bhubaneswar and Kolkata are developing. Is centralization of resources in WO benefiting the tribals of Kalahandi, Balangir, Nuapada, Sonepur, Boudh etc,?
Politics vs economics: The activists and politicians who are heading the Koshal state movement lack of clear understanding about politics, politicking and economics. Koshal state demand should be based on economics and distribution of resources. Both the activists and politicians are unable to explain how a separate Koshal state will benefit livelihood of poor and the village economy. Thus, most of them are losing political supports and support from common man.
A separate Koshal state must not follow the example of Odisha and Bengal. These two states are worse when it comes to decentralization of resources. Still, the elite of western Odisha are following similar approaches. I hope the activists and politicians will address the limitations of Koshal state movement.
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Dr. Sanjib Kumar Karmee
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Update 1: Response to my post from Saket Sahu
Dear Sanjib,
The points you have noted are right. But these points are futuristic point. I mean it may not be the cause of slow down of the movement. The reasons in the ground are very different.
Sometime i fear of commenting on Kosal Movement, as you know, i’m here in the ground and knows all of them. I know all the Kosal movement leaders, also i was involved actively for a time and still personally keep sympathy for Kosal. LOT OF CONFUSIONS ARE THERE WHICH NEEDS TO BE ADDRESS BY THE LEADERS.
It is for sure that it is a political issue. Forget about the economy for the time being. Recently a seminar was organised by Mahamallik babu and his friends at Anchal College Padampur and i attended as a speaker to present on the language. Also listened some of the speakers including Mahamallik babu and it was really great that scholars of our region come out with all graphics and data to explain the backward/poverty of western Odisha/Kosal region.
It is true that the coastal Odisha is developed than western odisha. And the BJD govt was showing all the data from western Odisha and demanding SWATANTRA PAHYAA (SPECIAL PACKAGE) FOR THE STATE. But it was crushed down in parliament.
Now, come to Kosal. Though i support the Kosal movement still i also agree with the view of AC Naik on Kosal leadership. The youth and people are divided by party. BJP, BJD, Cogress. KKD has failed to impress the youth or mass. I’m repeating the leader need to address why we need Kosal to the mass. There we have failed.
Again, the complex composition of western Odisha with adivasi and backward class the politics become dyanamic here. Democracy is a word only, earlier it was kingship now democracy. Nothing has changed. When a ST/SC, OBC, BACKWARD CLASS, FARMER, LABOUR etc leader started demanding rights for his things slow he started searching a place in the mainstream politics. And then things started to develop….activist slowly become middle man, and loose their credibility….. This was explained by Saroj Mohanty of Sambalpur very well in his paper.
Apart from this, there are many complex reasons which stagnate Kosal movement.
If i will write here openly then people may hate me. Thats why i remain silent on this. Now the movement is in cold storage. It can be revive. Not a big issue but interest of leaders are important. The Kosal movement leaders are now looking to join other political parties for their future.
Regards,
Saket
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March 9, 2016 at 7:33 am sanjibkarmee
Following is a report by PTI/Outlook:
Demanding a separate Koshal state comprising western Odisha districts, activists under the banner of Koshal Kranti Dal (KKD) today staged a rail roko agitation here.
As a result, express, passenger and goods trains remained stranded at various railway stations, official sources said.
“We have already requested the state and Union government to take immediate steps for formation of Koshal state,” KKD president Upendra Mohapatra said.
Bhubaneswar-Bolangir Intercity Express and a goods train were detained at Sambalpur Road station for some time by activists along with students here.
Howrah-Jagadalpur Express was stranded for some time at Bargarh as slogan shouting agitationists squatted on the railway tracks.
Similar demonstrations were staged at Bolangir and Jharsuguda railway station affecting the traffic.
“The rail roko agitation was successful and people from all walks of life spontaneously participated in it,” said KKD president.
Earlier on Saturday, rasta roko agitation was held in 10 districts on national highways and state highways linking Western Odisha, said Mohapatra.
Following is a report from the Sambad (BBSR EDITION):
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August 10, 2013 at 2:29 am sanjibkarmee
Following report is from The Pioneer:
Protesting against the “continuous neglect and exploitation” of this region by successive Governments at Bhubneswar and demanding formation of a separate Kosal State, members of the Kosal Kranti Dal (KKD), led by its Balangir district president Bharat Prusti and general secretary of the All Kosal Students’ Union Dolamani Pradhan, on Friday staged a sit-in demonstration before the district Collectorate here.
The demonstrators tore the map of Odisha State and burned a CD containing the Bande Utkal Janani song and effigy of symbolic Government of Odisha as a mark of their protest.
Pradhan said, “The State of Odisha was formed comprising three former States, namely Utkal, Kalinga and Kosal. We are not Odia and we have a separate Kosali language and culture and have our own identity. The continuous backwardness of the region and concentration of important institutions starting form medical, engineering and law to all other institutions in Bhubneshwar and in its periphery amply reflect the Government’s penchant for that region and neglect of this region. In such a situation, why should we observe the Utkal Divas here?”
Even after more than 60 years since Independence, this region is groaning under backwardness and poverty, he said further.
At Sonepur, the headquarters town of Subarnapur district, KKD activists, led by Priyabata Sahu, and at Manmunda of Boudh district KKD members, led by Lalit Sahu, erased the name of the Utkal Gramya Bank from the signboard and, instead, wrote the name as Kosal Gramya Bank.
At Sambalpur too, KKD activists staged a similar protest while in Kalahandi the activists moved to villages and adopted a resolution in favour of a separate Kosal State. KKD members also staged such protests in Nuapada, Pradhan informed.
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April 1, 2011 at 6:45 pm sanjibkarmee
Following report is from The Pioneer:
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 Kosali, 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.
The KKD leaders submitted a memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister through the District Collector demanding a separate Kosal State.
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February 27, 2011 at 7:54 am sanjibkarmee
Following is a report from expressbuzz.com:
SAMBALPUR: Members of the Koshal Kranti Dal (KKD) have resolved to hold Koshal Chad Maha Samabesh (Quit Koshal mega convention) on the lines of Quit India Movement on April 1 at Sambalpur town demanding separate Koshal state.
Speaking to mediapersons yesterday, KKD president Pramod Mishra said similar conventions will be held across the region to intensify the stir. Mishra also threatened to oppose exhibition of Oriya films, operas, CDs, literature and imposition of Oriya culture in the region. Castigating the industries in the region for initiating development activities in other parts of Orissa rather than in the area, he warned the industrial houses to quit the region by 2014 if they don’t rally behind separate state demand.
He also advised the peoples’ representatives to change their attitude for the sake of motherland and asked them to raise the separate state issue in both Assembly and Parliament. Disclosing that many politicians cutting across party lines have evinced interest in joining KKD, Mishra said that inhabitants of Koraput, Phulbani, Nabrangpur and Rayagada have also expressed their desire to join the proposed Koshal state. He even asked the people to enrol their mother tongue as ‘Koshali language’ during the census process and urged them to join the movement.
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March 27, 2010 at 9:52 pm sanjibkarmee
Following is a report from http://www.expressbuzz.com:
BALANGIR: Koshal Kranti Dal (KKD) has intensified its campaign for a separate Koshal state. The KKD has even roped in students as a rallying point for the cause.
As many as 500 activists were arrested today across western Orissa while staging rail rokos. In Balangir alone around 160 activists were arrested while three trains were stopped. The members of KKD and All Koshal Student Union (AKSU) participated in the rail roko.
On Friday, the AKSU activists had burnt Planning and Co-ordination Minister A U Singhdeo and WODC chairman Niranjan Panda in effigies for reportedly speaking against Koshal state demand. Pramod Mishra, president of KKD, said, ‘’We are trying to bring the movement to its logical conclusion. All our activists are now ready to intensify the struggle and we are going to gain mass support soon.” Justifying the stance, Mishra said the Ghadei Commission admitted that western Orissa was neglected for which WODC was formed. If the commission admitted neglect of western Orissa, then what is wrong in demanding a separate state? he argued.
“This is not a political stunt nor is the movement personality-centric. For the development of this region, a separate state is the need of the hour,” asserted Mishra.
SAMBALPUR: The KKD activists led by Sambalpur district KKD president Upendra Mohapatra staged a rail roko at Sambalpur Road Railway Station today. The impasse ended after police personnel detained the activists.
Similarly, a rail roko was also staged in Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Kesinga and Boinda railway stations disrupting movement of trains.
Earlier, KKD had threatened to launch a series of agitations across western Orissa seeking Koshal state.
The KKD has called western Orissa bandh in the last week of January and a series of NH blockades across the region in February.
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January 11, 2010 at 5:35 pm sanjibkarmee
Following is a report by IANS and taken from http://www.thaindian.com:
Bhubaneswar, Jan 10 (IANS) Rail services in western Orissa were affected Sunday after activists of a political party blocked the tracks to press their demand for a separate Kosala state, police said.
Hundreds of activists of Kosala Kranti Dal blocked tracks at several places, including at Bolangir, Bargarh, Boinda, Rourkela and Kesinga, as part of their day-long agitation.
“Rail services were hit for a while at several places but have now become normal,” IG (railways) Pradeep Kapur told IANS.
More than hundred protestors courted arrest at Bolangir town, around 327 kms from here, party leader Pramod Mishra said, adding they will hold more such agitations in the coming days.
The Kosala Kranti Dal is demanding separate statehood for 11 western districts — Bargarh, Bolangir, Boudh, Deogarh, Jharsuguda, Kalahandi, Koraput, Nuapada, Sambalpur, Subarnapur and Sundergarh.
The region, known as Kosala, has been hit by poverty and backwardness and has a high infant mortality rate besides, witnessing a large number of deaths due to malnutrition.
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January 10, 2010 at 1:01 pm sanjibkarmee
Following is a report from http://www.india-server.com:
Orissa’s regional party Kosala Kranti Dal carried out a peaceful demonstration in the state asking for separate Kosal state that would contain 11 districts of Orissa. The rally included more than 1,000 activists.
They assembled near the state assembly building carrying banners and posters. They carried on their march on the main street of state capital Bhubaneswar. Police officer Utkal Keshari Das said, “Over 1,000 people staged a peaceful demonstration.”
The party demanded for a new state that shall have the districts of Bargarh, Bolangir, Boudh, Deogarh, Nuapada, Sambalpur, Subarnapur, Jharsuguda, Kalahandi, Koraput, and Sundergarh. In the later part, the party conducted a public meeting wherein a number of speakers stressed the problems encountered by these regions on account of negligence from both the state and central government.
Party head Pramod Mishra said in his address, “We have separate Kosali language. Our culture and traditions are different. Our regions are the poorest in India despite having huge mineral and forest wealth.” He added, “Only a separate Kosal state can improve the condition of our people.”
Kosal state’s demand came into force since the central government approved to carve out Telangana from Andhra Pradesh.
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December 23, 2009 at 11:19 am sanjibkarmee
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