Why should we vote, ask Balangir villagers

Merinews, March 27, 2009
Satyajit Nayak

Balangir district in western Orissa is fast heading towards an extreme shortage of both food and water. Balangir needs special attention. At the government level, it needs quick release of funds and execution of programmes on a war-footing.

IF IT was Kalahandi in the mid-1980s that was known for its abject poverty, frequent droughts and stark hunger, it is Balangir’s turn now to cry for help. This district in western Orissa is fast heading towards an extreme shortage of both food and water. The continuous drought has resulted in over 80 per cent loss of paddy crop. And the drinking water sources are fast drying up. There is a surfeit of only despair and desolation.

A vast majority of the people do not have money to buy food. Even government statistics admit that more than 87 per cent of the people in the district are below the poverty line. With the paddy harvest lost to drought and no other work to be found, over two lakh people from Balangir have migrated to other states.

The situation is worse in Balangir because only five per cent of the land is covered by irrigation. Drought and migration may not be new to Balangir -- this season has seen the largest migration since 1960s. At least 40,000 people have left Balangir this year by train alone, according to official figures.

Balangir’s present plight is the result of years of neglect by the State Government and the lack of initiative on the part of those who represent the district in Bhubaneswar and Delhi since Independence. The region has bad roads, poor irrigation, degraded forests and little industry.

Since decades, Balangir has been continuously represented by the royal family members both in State Assembly as well as Parliament. They are millionaires but still their district is the poorest in India. They prefer to work from there bunglows in Bhubaneswar and Delhi rather than opting to stay in their own constituency.

They might be doing some developmental work for the people but it is insufficient as they have ruled for decades, much more was expected from them.

Lakhs of people from Balangir are forced to migrate in search of livelihood. Be it pulling rickshaws in Raipur, slaving at brick kilns in Vizianagaram or working at great risk on high-rise buildings in Mumbai. They are all devoid of their basic rights.

A villager from Bongomunda village in Balangir district told me a year back: “These politicians only remember us during elections. They will send money, desi liquor etc to get our vote; but after winning we again becomes strangers for them...so why should we vote? Nothing has changed since decades.”

Balangir needs special attention. At the government level, it needs release of funds within hours and execution of programmes on a war-footing. Help from voluntary agencies is also required. Two international agencies -- CARE and UNDP -- have already come forward to help on the request of the district administration.