KOSALA  HAS  NOT  BECOME  EXTINCT

Er. Karunakar Supkar

Orissa is an amalgam of three Old-time Kingdoms, Utkala, Kalinga and Kosala. Utkala and Kalinga came together first; Kosala was the latest comer to the union constituting the modern state of Orissa. On the 1st. April 1936 official imprimatur was given to the separate modern state of Orissa. After India became independent, twenty-six feudatory states were merged with the state of Orissa.

The State Govt. celebrates Utkala Day (Not Orissa Day!) each year on the 1st of April. At other times Odissa gets addressed as Kalinga. There are also occasions and instances when Odissa gets named as Utkala or Kalinga, there seems however a strange inhibition is naming as Kosala, the third sister Constituent of the historical State of Orissa. This parochial mindset is betrayed in many other usages and social mores. A culture university was established at Bhubaneswar, and named Utkal Culture University, the publicity department of the State Government names its mouthpiece 'Utkala Prasanga' and the stadium built by the Orissa Government is named Kalinga Stadium. There are many such instances, Orissa is lovingly addressed as Utkala and Kalinga but a mare mention of the name 'Kosala' sends the jitters down the spine of many Odissa leaders, so much so that the moment an honourable member of the Assembly from Western Orissa commenced his speech with a mention of the name Kosala, a socalled influential minister had no qualms in labelling him, a traitor and a secessionist. This indicates the authorities' mindset, that the entity called Kosala is extinct but the entities called Utkala and Kalinga are living species. Can there be a more outrageous instance of sub-regional Chauvinism ?

After a long and arduous struggle the separate province of Orissa was created but the rich treasure house of highly expressive Sambalpuri words yet remains untapped and is not found acceptable to mainstream Odiya language. The dominance of the language spoken in the coastal belt has virtually segregated the language spoken by a large chunk of Odissa in a sort of linguistic apartheid.

The great potential of enriching the Odia culture and language by the colourful culture mores and the treasure house of expressive mint-words of the Sambalpuri language of western region remain unexploited. Western Odissa stays segregated from the cultural ambience of the socalled mainstream Odissa. Rulers of Odissa instead of attempting to integrate the two distinct but complementary strands of Odiya culture of Eastern and Western regions of the state have wittingly allowed a hiatus perpetuate itself.

A President of Odissa Sahitya Akademy (Circa 1988) is known to have made demeaning remarks about the language spoken in Sambalpur region. He had then been suitably reproached in the Western Region. No one could progress by belittling the language and culture of a section of the community.

Rulers of Odissa were not eager to spread education in the Western Region of the state and educationally the western region remained less equipped. The result was that the youth of the area were deprived of employment with the Government, public undertakings and private enterprises. These establishments were largely manned by youth from the eastern region, allegations of bias against the Western region in matters of employment are also frequent, local educated youth sometimes find it difficult to secure jobs as clerks and peons. The Government as well as some leaders of eastern region virtually treat the westerners as second-class citizens.

Rulers of Odissa were not eager to spread education in the Western Region of the state and educationally the western region remained less equipped. The result was that the youth of the area were deprived of employment with the Government, public undertakings and private enterprises. These establishments were largely manned by youth from the eastern region, allegations of bias against the Western region in matters of employment are also frequent, local educated youth sometimes find it difficult to secure jobs as clerks and peons. The Government as well as some leaders of eastern region virtually treat the westerners as second-class citizens.

In the last fifty years this regional imbalance has been allowed to grow. The Prafulla Ghadei Committee constituted by the Government has admitted the existence of the imbalance. The statistics as they obtained in the not too distant past speak for themselves.

Out of a total of 314 blocks in the state 75 have been categorised as fully developed blocks. And out of these developed blocks as many as 66 are in the eastern region: 33 in the undivided Cuttack district, 22 in the Puri District, 6 in the Balasore District and 5 in the Ganjam District. Contrasted with this Sambalpur district has 2 and Sundargarh 3 of these blocks. Bolangir, Kalahandi and Phulbani do not have a single developed block. Regional imbalance within the state of Odissa is on the increase. And the powers that be have turned a blind eye to it.

In spite of reported outlay of crores in the KBK region no progress is discernible as yet. This is the region known for starvation deaths and for sale of children. Govt. have failed to find a. solution. And the image of Kalahandi, known as the land of hunger has not changed.

As a result of agitation by various for a and in the context of 1995 elections, the then Prime Minister committed in an election meeting that a Western Orissa Development Council would be constituted to look after the problems of regional imbalance. In the March 1995 election the Congress came to power and in November 1998 the W.O.D.C. bill became an Act. The body proved ineffective and was criticised as "Signboard Council" by the people. In March 2000 BJD-BJP coalition formed the Government. In accordance with their election manifesto the Government replaced the old 1998 law by a new act. But the new law hurriedly passed on 31st August without sufficient deliberation, has also proved deficient in contributing to the progress of the region.

The office of Western Orissa Development Council is situated at Bhubaneswar. The functionaries are wholly under the control of the Government. The ossess no financial powers. As per Newspaper reports the Council received grant-in-aid of Rs.30 crores during financial year 2001-2002. One can imagine the extent to which regional imbalance can be removed by the paltry amount!!

The pent-up feeling of deprivation, of indifference and of neglect by powers that be has already given rise to demands for a separate state by the people of Western Orissa. Many voices, both individual and organisational have been heard spelling out the demand. Some of them have sufficient anger to provoke them to take to the streets. Some of the municipalities (Sambalpur included), grampanchayats and such other institutions have already passed resolutions in favour of creation of a separate state.

Assam could be reorganised into six states and Punjab into three states. If the context of political oppression and economic exploitation states of Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh could be created, it stands to reason that the state of Kosala comprising the western region of Odissa could also be created.

People's representatives from Western Odissa are urged to participate in the movement. Every municipality, grampanchayat and other public bodies are requested to adopt proposals for creation of a separate state. It is also requested that journalists associated with different newspapers give support and publicity to the demand. Citizens of Western Orissa from Athmallik to Kalahandi are urged to make the movement widespread and resurgent.

A separate state has to be secured, not by any one's charity but by resurgent upsurge from the grass root level.

This page is under construction. Detail information on KOSAL shall be added soon.

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