Tuesday, November 15, 2005
TOI on the NIS shifting dated 11/15/05
By Rajaram Satapathy
Times News Network
Bhubaneswar: The state is gearing up to launch a movement against the proposal to shift the proposed National Institute of Science (NIS) from here to Kolkata.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik has already shot a third letter to prime minister Manmohan Singh protesting against the decision, but there is no guarantee that peace will reign in the state because public resentment against the UPA government is growing in the state.
Hundreds of educated Oriyas working outside the state and abroad have also thrown their weight behind the issue. Scores of letters by post and e-mails have since been sent to the President, PM and several other functionaries in New Delhi protesting against the Centre’s action, while a social action group, Orissa Politics (http://www.orissapolitics.cjb.net/), has started a global campaign to put pressure on the state government on the matter.
“Orissa has been denied the NIS due to the weak leadership and lack of government intervention in this regard. The state government only writes letters and leaves everything at the Centre’s mercy”, said Bangalore-based Sachi Satpathy, coordinator of the group. Satapathy said over 10,000 Oriyas working in different parts of the world are involved in the campaign.He said in the next few days nearly 30,000 Oriyas residing in other parts of the country and abroad would wear orange badges as a mark of protest against the Centre’s action. He said a delegation of Oriyas would soon meet the PM and submit a memorandum demanding establishment of the NIS.
Prof. Chitta Baral of Arizona University, USA, has created a website –www.petitiononline.com – (Chitta: There was a typo here. The correct site is www.iiser.blogspot.com .) to lead the campaign for NIS in Orissa. “We will continue our protest in a non-violent manner. Let us show India how a proper protest is organised in a poor but educated and peaceful state. Let us all write letters to the PM, the President, and the Congress president about this injustice”, Baral said.
At a meeting here recently scores of intellectuals resolved to continue the agitation on the NIS issue. The Orissa high court has ordered a stay on the NIS in response to a PIL filed on the matter.
Though the Congress and the Left parties have by and large remained silent on the issue, the BJP has decided to take up the matter. BJP state president and Lok Sabha MP Jual Oram has said that his party would meet the governor on Wednesday and submit a memorandum on the NIS issue. (EOM)
Times News Network
Bhubaneswar: The state is gearing up to launch a movement against the proposal to shift the proposed National Institute of Science (NIS) from here to Kolkata.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik has already shot a third letter to prime minister Manmohan Singh protesting against the decision, but there is no guarantee that peace will reign in the state because public resentment against the UPA government is growing in the state.
Hundreds of educated Oriyas working outside the state and abroad have also thrown their weight behind the issue. Scores of letters by post and e-mails have since been sent to the President, PM and several other functionaries in New Delhi protesting against the Centre’s action, while a social action group, Orissa Politics (http://www.orissapolitics.cjb.net/), has started a global campaign to put pressure on the state government on the matter.
“Orissa has been denied the NIS due to the weak leadership and lack of government intervention in this regard. The state government only writes letters and leaves everything at the Centre’s mercy”, said Bangalore-based Sachi Satpathy, coordinator of the group. Satapathy said over 10,000 Oriyas working in different parts of the world are involved in the campaign.He said in the next few days nearly 30,000 Oriyas residing in other parts of the country and abroad would wear orange badges as a mark of protest against the Centre’s action. He said a delegation of Oriyas would soon meet the PM and submit a memorandum demanding establishment of the NIS.
Prof. Chitta Baral of Arizona University, USA, has created a website –www.petitiononline.com – (Chitta: There was a typo here. The correct site is www.iiser.blogspot.com .) to lead the campaign for NIS in Orissa. “We will continue our protest in a non-violent manner. Let us show India how a proper protest is organised in a poor but educated and peaceful state. Let us all write letters to the PM, the President, and the Congress president about this injustice”, Baral said.
At a meeting here recently scores of intellectuals resolved to continue the agitation on the NIS issue. The Orissa high court has ordered a stay on the NIS in response to a PIL filed on the matter.
Though the Congress and the Left parties have by and large remained silent on the issue, the BJP has decided to take up the matter. BJP state president and Lok Sabha MP Jual Oram has said that his party would meet the governor on Wednesday and submit a memorandum on the NIS issue. (EOM)
# posted by chitta @ 6:39 AM 
