Delhi-based Odia body teaches Odia language to USA delegation

BHUBANESWAR: Delhi-based leading organisation Intellect Odisha foundation along with Odisha Diary, Odi Kart and Odia Radio on Monday felicitated a group of students and academic members from California University, United States. The group has visited Odisha to participate academic research activity on various socio cultural aspects.

Speaking on the occasion the leader of the team and professor at California University, Prof Annapurna Pandey said the students were overwhelmed with the love they got from people of Odisha during their field visit. 

Prof Pandey, a leading Odia voice in the US and the former president of the Odisha Society of America (OSA), while sharing her experience at the library hall of the Sri Jagannath Temple in New Delhi said, “This is a unique opportunity to show Odia culture and heritage to the outside world.”

Team members from the Intellect Odisha foundation had discussed the basics of Odia language among the US students. They also translated some commonly used Odia phrases for the students and taught them Odia alphabets. 

Speaking about their experience in Odisha, one of the students Jordan Mulvihill said, “Odisha is Incredible. We love the culture, the Sun Temple, the Odishi Dance and the people of the State. I will share this experience among my friends back home and will definitely visit again.”

The Intellect chairman Debendra Rout along with members from Odisha Diary, Odi Kart, Odia Radio and Jagannath Temple felicitated the team of students, Justine Dougherty, Vanessa Rocha, Jordan Mulvihili, Olivia Arstein-Kerslake, Navreet Kaur, Emma Lee and Rosemary Applen. A large number of Odia intellectuals from premier institution like IIT, JNU, DU and senior bureaucrats and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

Civil bodies demand justice for K’mal riot victims

--to hold convention on Aug 25 in city

BHUBANESWAR: Civil bodies like National Solidarity Forum (NSF), Odisha Forum for Social Action, Civil Society for Human Rights, IPTA, People Solidarity Concern and political activists would organise a citizens’ convention on August 25 demanding justice for the Kandhamal riot victims. 

The convention would raise the issues including rehabilitation of riot victims in a democratic way and demand stringent action against the culprits involved in the communal violence. The civil bodies would also demand the Government to order a probe by the Special Investigation Probe (SIT) in order to arrest the real culprits. 

NSF’s Pradipta Nayak said the purpose of the convention is to create awareness among people for peace, communal harmony and to generate further pressure on duty bearers to understand their responsibility, to make the people understand the danger of fascism and to strengthen the morale of survivors on democracy. 

Intellectuals and activists like All India Progressive Women’s Association secretary Kavita Krishnan, noted human rights activist Harsh Mander, CPI leader Annie Raja, CPI (M) central leader Suhasini Alli, Janardhan Pati and about 500 people including survivors of the riot would participate in the convention.

Malkangiri tribals to celebrate Aug 15 as Black Day

--releasing of innocent tribals languishing in jail deamnded

JEYPORE: Around 500 people gathered at Marigeta village under the Kalimela police limits in Malkangiri district on Monday hoisting black flags and raised slogans against the Government protesting its tyrannical attitude. The tribals said they would celebrate the Independence Day as Black Day.

The people staged a rally at the village and discussed about six major issues including police atrocity in the name of anti-Maoist operations in their areas. In the protest meeting, the leaders said the police have arrested several innocent tribals implicating them in false cases.

The leaders released the list of innocent tribals who are languishing in different jails. Some of them were Gangi Kummi and Podiyami Debba of Bidigeta village, Budra Madhi, Joga Madkami, Podiya Madhi and Joga Madhi of Tekaguda village, Ganga Kabasi and Ganga Madhi of Kuru village and Irsa Podiyami of Marigeta village.

The tribals participated in the meeting said the revolutionary people should be released and the police should not torture their family members. “If the State does not take any step, they will continue their fight to get their right and basic necessities,” said tribal man.

Students should keep away from vicious cycle of crime: CP

BHUBANESWAR: Students should not succumb to peer pressure to get into bad habits or crime but opt for a healthy lifestyle to chart out a successful career for themselves while the authorities of educational institutions should take steps to ensure discipline while promoting student-centric activities, Dr. R.P.Sharma, Commissioner of Police, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack, said on Monday.

Dr. Sharma was having an interaction with students of the Institute of Technical Education and Research (ITER), run by the SOA University, while launching  a new initiative of the police to reach out to students of different educational  institutions in the twin-cities.

“It is disturbing to see students getting involved in crime and possessing firearms as well. They are in the most important phase of their career which can either make them an asset or a liability for their families and society,” he said during  the 90-minute long interaction.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr. Nitinjeet Singh and other senior police officials were also present. Prof. P.K.Nanda, Dean (Research) of the University presided over the program and also felicitated Dr. Sharma and the accompanying officials.

Stating that the interaction with students was the first of its kind in the recent past, Dr. Sharma said it would be continued in other educational institutions subsequently to create awareness among the students while counseling them to pursue a healthy lifestyle.

Dr. Sharma said he had reports that there were 126 colleges in the city with a student strength of around 1,70,000 of whom 40,000 were from other states. “Unfortunately, peer pressure was driving students into drug and alcohol addiction as they wanted to prove themselves. When students want to have their own lifestyle, it requires money which they don’t get from their parents.”

“They try to meet the expenses themselves and resort to petty crimes,” he said adding “once you get into this cycle, it’s difficult to get out of it.” 

Dr. Sharma advised authorities of educational institutions to ensure discipline while providing avenues of counseling to the students. The campus should have CCTV coverage to observe activities and compile complete database of students to have all information about them. The authorities should take up programs to promote healthy life style, he said.

Mr. Nitinjeet Singh said once the students graduated and joined work somewhere they would find it a completely different world where they would be required to prove themselves on a daily basis.

“You must spend your time wisely in the campus today while developing your skills and try to be in a hostel in the campus,” he advised.

During the interaction, students spoke about issues of eve-teasing, drugs and unruly riding of bikes outside the campus and suggested establishment of a police outpost near the college.

Dr. Sharma said establishment of a police outpost might not solve the problem but promised to enhance security in the area. Senior faculty members of ITER also attended the program.

             

Jumbos trample four persons in Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: Wild elephants killed four persons in two different places of Sundargarh and Mayurbhanj district late on Thursday night. 

According to reports, a herd of three jumbos entered into Chandanpur village in Mayurbhanj district and crushed the house of one Ramachandra Murmu as a result of which Murmu’s son and daughter died on the spot. Other three members of his family were undergoing treatment in Baripada district headquarters hospital. 

Baripada DFO Sanjay Swain assured the family that the Forest department would provide compensation according to the Government guidelines. Free treatment would also be provided to the injured, he added.

In Sundargarh, a herd of marauding elephants trampled an elderly couple of Mulata village under Lathikata block on Thursday night.