As we know in the last few days a massive cyclone has struck the state of Odisha which happens to be my home-state. It is ironic because just last week I had visited the exact place where the 'eye of the cyclone made landfall'.
Still people indulge in politics. I mean there are some people who are "pro-development" i.e. they want steel plant like Posco should be developed and there are some who want "Odisha to remain backward" and they indulge in politics and "misguiding the public" and become "anti-development".
What do I mean? I will explain. Now steel plant is being developed by Posco. Who are the opposers? Certainly it can't be the people who want to "grow in life". These are people who look for 'short-term benefit' and not long term. These people are paid by "Indian steel plant" owners like Tatas and Jindals among others.
"Indian steel manufacturers" do not want plants of foreign companies to be established in India. And hence they "fund and funnel" opposition to the plants of foreigners like Posco.
At the same time they do not want their own plans to be disrupted and "scuttle all plans" of opposition of their own activities. That is the reason that Tatas could capture more than 5000 acres near Gopalpur in mid-1990's by promising to build a steel plant which never happened. Now two decades is getting over and still Tatas have not established the steel plant in Gopalpur. What have they done to the land? Since Odisha Govt. might have acquired that land, so Tatas built a boundary around it about 3-4 years back and named it as "Gopalpur SEZ" but there is a minimum activity in that and certainly 'no steel plant'. It would never happen even in our wildest dreams.
In the same time, they have built a steel plant in Jajpur Road area which is known as 'Kalinga Nagar'. There was police firing in which tens of tribals perished but still that steel plant saw the light of the day and is about to begin commencement. So the Tatas want their own plant to be established in the 'area they please' but they fund opposition to the plant being established by Posco. All Indian plant owners share the same mentality of Tatas trust me. But the Tatas are huge and that is why I mentioned them.
These Indian plant owners also do not use their own money. Often they take loans and rely on grants given by the Indian or Odisha Govts. They then keep 'their own money' in banks where it lies 'safe'. Thus they use 'public money to fund their private adventures' so-as to speak.
Tell me people what is the harm in establishing an iron and steel plant. It would be of full benefit. Tell me if we export only a raw material like 'iron ore' we get very less 'foreign exchange' and no local people get chance to work in the industrial process. But if our own steel plant is established in India or Odisha then local people will not only get employment in the plant but we will gain more foreign exchange by 'exporting finished steel and iron products' and our brand "Made in India" will become famous though the factory is foreign owned. Now raw iron ore is getting exported to plants in Malaysia or Indonesia or China and it coming out as finished product "Made in Malaysia" or China or Indonesia or something similar.
And God forbid we are buying the same finished iron and steel product made from our own iron ore exported at very low prices and paying huge amount for the finished material.
Due to Cyclone 'Phailin', some reports came out that 'due to tree cutting for Posco plant' the area got affected. Tell me people how lame is this. We know that due to cyclone trees get uprooted and become a health hazard. In-fact there are hundreds of reports of trees getting damaged in 200km/hr speeds. In fact, 'pucca structures' made in scientific manner to withstand 'gale force winds' are more likely to survive.
It may be a fact for mangroves. Mangroves may reduce the intensity of cyclones. Mangroves are only found near the coast or 5-7 kms inland. But in interior areas hundreds of kms inside, trees will have little effect.
These 'so called pro-trees' people are actually 'anti development people who want a backward state like Odisha to remain 'backward forever'. They twist the fact of mangroves to include trees in general.
There is no doubt that this cyclone has pushed Odisha 'backwards in time'. In certain areas I feel that Odisha has been pushed back 'by a decade'.
We have seen cyclone and its effects and this the reason that certain areas remain backward. In fact we have seen a 'microcosm of history' in the making. What has happened over hundreds of years was visible in a week. Now why is some areas 'more developed than others'? We saw a reason. Everytime an area tries to develop itself there is a 'setback' and we saw that on our TV screens and Internet. And thus it is unable to 'come out of the abyss'. People then become more 'God fearing' and turn towards their 'religion' and 'deities' which is Hinduism in Odisha. They feel that they have not followed their religion properly enough and so on.
Development then takes a backseat. Whoever has left Odisha and settled abroad then becomes someone who is 'out of the orbit' so as to speak and is not affected as 'intensely' as locals.
Still people indulge in politics. I mean there are some people who are "pro-development" i.e. they want steel plant like Posco should be developed and there are some who want "Odisha to remain backward" and they indulge in politics and "misguiding the public" and become "anti-development".
What do I mean? I will explain. Now steel plant is being developed by Posco. Who are the opposers? Certainly it can't be the people who want to "grow in life". These are people who look for 'short-term benefit' and not long term. These people are paid by "Indian steel plant" owners like Tatas and Jindals among others.
"Indian steel manufacturers" do not want plants of foreign companies to be established in India. And hence they "fund and funnel" opposition to the plants of foreigners like Posco.
At the same time they do not want their own plans to be disrupted and "scuttle all plans" of opposition of their own activities. That is the reason that Tatas could capture more than 5000 acres near Gopalpur in mid-1990's by promising to build a steel plant which never happened. Now two decades is getting over and still Tatas have not established the steel plant in Gopalpur. What have they done to the land? Since Odisha Govt. might have acquired that land, so Tatas built a boundary around it about 3-4 years back and named it as "Gopalpur SEZ" but there is a minimum activity in that and certainly 'no steel plant'. It would never happen even in our wildest dreams.
In the same time, they have built a steel plant in Jajpur Road area which is known as 'Kalinga Nagar'. There was police firing in which tens of tribals perished but still that steel plant saw the light of the day and is about to begin commencement. So the Tatas want their own plant to be established in the 'area they please' but they fund opposition to the plant being established by Posco. All Indian plant owners share the same mentality of Tatas trust me. But the Tatas are huge and that is why I mentioned them.
These Indian plant owners also do not use their own money. Often they take loans and rely on grants given by the Indian or Odisha Govts. They then keep 'their own money' in banks where it lies 'safe'. Thus they use 'public money to fund their private adventures' so-as to speak.
Tell me people what is the harm in establishing an iron and steel plant. It would be of full benefit. Tell me if we export only a raw material like 'iron ore' we get very less 'foreign exchange' and no local people get chance to work in the industrial process. But if our own steel plant is established in India or Odisha then local people will not only get employment in the plant but we will gain more foreign exchange by 'exporting finished steel and iron products' and our brand "Made in India" will become famous though the factory is foreign owned. Now raw iron ore is getting exported to plants in Malaysia or Indonesia or China and it coming out as finished product "Made in Malaysia" or China or Indonesia or something similar.
And God forbid we are buying the same finished iron and steel product made from our own iron ore exported at very low prices and paying huge amount for the finished material.
Due to Cyclone 'Phailin', some reports came out that 'due to tree cutting for Posco plant' the area got affected. Tell me people how lame is this. We know that due to cyclone trees get uprooted and become a health hazard. In-fact there are hundreds of reports of trees getting damaged in 200km/hr speeds. In fact, 'pucca structures' made in scientific manner to withstand 'gale force winds' are more likely to survive.
It may be a fact for mangroves. Mangroves may reduce the intensity of cyclones. Mangroves are only found near the coast or 5-7 kms inland. But in interior areas hundreds of kms inside, trees will have little effect.
These 'so called pro-trees' people are actually 'anti development people who want a backward state like Odisha to remain 'backward forever'. They twist the fact of mangroves to include trees in general.
There is no doubt that this cyclone has pushed Odisha 'backwards in time'. In certain areas I feel that Odisha has been pushed back 'by a decade'.
We have seen cyclone and its effects and this the reason that certain areas remain backward. In fact we have seen a 'microcosm of history' in the making. What has happened over hundreds of years was visible in a week. Now why is some areas 'more developed than others'? We saw a reason. Everytime an area tries to develop itself there is a 'setback' and we saw that on our TV screens and Internet. And thus it is unable to 'come out of the abyss'. People then become more 'God fearing' and turn towards their 'religion' and 'deities' which is Hinduism in Odisha. They feel that they have not followed their religion properly enough and so on.
Development then takes a backseat. Whoever has left Odisha and settled abroad then becomes someone who is 'out of the orbit' so as to speak and is not affected as 'intensely' as locals.
