Seeking justice for Kalahandi people in the line of Bihar

July 19, 2012

To
The Honorable Prime Minister, Dr Singh

CC
The Honorable President, Mrs. Patil
The Honorable HRD Minister, Mr Sibal
The Honorable Chief Minister of Odisha, Sri Patnaik
MPs from Odisha

Dear Honorable Prime Minister Dr Singh,
I am pleased to learn that HRD ministry has decided to establish two central universities in Bihar, one of the backward states inIndia. Earlier the same ministry had approved to establish two suchuniversities in Jammu & Kashmir. Rajasthan also received an IIM beside IIT.However, similar demand for Kalahandi and its people has been ignored and neglected by the HRDministry in past years.

Kalahandi has been demanding for a Central Universityin late 1980s and early 1990s. Public demand for a University is growing day byday in the region. Many letters, petitions, postcard etc have been submitted toboth the state as well as central Governments in past decades to establish aCentral University in Kalahandi. Since the political decision made by stateGovt. to establish the Central University of Orissa at Koraput publicdissatisfaction in the region is nurturing. In many occasions the issue wasalready raised in the state assembly and Lok Sabha (Parliament) of India sincepast five years. Leader of opposition of Odisha assembly and MPs have alsoraised this issue with you as well as Mrs. Sonia Gandhi personally to establisha Central University in Kalahandi. Beside that MLAs and local intellectualshave met and given their grievances to Chief Minister of Odisha, who haddisfavored Kalahandi due to political reasons, to establish such a Universityin Kalahandi. The issue has been widely covered in national and state media buthas gone in the deaf ear of HRD ministry.

The rational of Kalahandi being located in the centralplace of KBK as well as KBK, Kandhamal, Boudh, Gajapati and Bargarh districtsand being an ideal location in terms of infrastructure, ~ 200 km from Raipur InternationalAirport and direct train communication to most of the major cities in India hasbrought lots criticism against the decision made by state Govt. in the locallevel, despite this fact unlike the case of Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir the HRDminister rather has not listened to the grievances of Kalahandi people andcollaborated with the state Govt. to marginalize local sentiment of Kalahandi.

Keeping public and political sentiments, two centraluniversities are established in Bihar and Jammu & Kashmir, and additional IIMis established in Rajasthan, but unfortunately similar public and politicaldemand of Kalahandi is undermined by HRD ministry. This is a gross violation ofequality and civil right by the HRD ministry against Kalahandi and its people.  

I anticipate you will take this matter to HRD ministry seriously and establish a second central University for Odisha in Kalahandi in the line of Bihar.

Thank you and best regards

Digambara Patra