ORISSA POLITICS

Sentiments and political system are two entirely different things. By expressing our opinion on a few burning issues we can't change the duly elected governments. Rather, we must understand our limitations as hapless citizens. Limited access to the big picure is our bottleneck, and our stake in the debate is dubious. Your portal might appear as a very democratic forum, but the mechanics of politics is much more complex. Tusar N. Mohapatra tusarnmohapatra@mail.com Fri Oct 21 15:14:22 EDT 2005

Whether the debate is academic, journalistic, quasi-political or political activism, is what needs to be defined first. For if we are unsure of our objectives, we shouldn't expect matching results. That is, precisely, what has happened in the past over the results of which we are lamenting today. The situation is best expressed in our saying, Bapa pua duhen rati anidra- mugura *#*# mela. Hence, we need be a little bit MBO savvy, at present. Reliance on the Market mechanism rather than the habitual political weapons of the past is the order of the day that warrants serious engagement of our attention. Further, to understand the dynamics of development, David Harvey's Justice Nature and the Geography of Differences is a great help. An informed environment and dispassionate discourse would save us from much agony and ignominy. Fraternally, Marketime 241005.

Thanks to Ken Wilber, integralism is a popular thesis now. The film, Matrix helped to drive the concept home. Internet, itself, is a live instance of interconnectedness. Therefore, it would be prudent to locate this discussion on Orissa within a holistic framework. For, paradigms of prosperity and development are always shifting, cyclical or evolutionary. Just like personal finance, the economy of a state, too, is relative; and it has a unique function like a particular organ of a body. Orissa has many defficiencies, but far greater excellences. Our social capital is our core competence which is respected everywhere. I am proud of the fact that more than 500 Integral schools are operating in Orissa, which has no parallel in any other state or country. It is time, we must leverage our cultural capital. IT-lag could be amply compensated through, say, hospitality and services. But again it all depends upon Georaphy and Logistics, as Harvey would infer, and not simply on politics. South Delhi, South Kolkata and South Mumbai are more prosperous than their northern counterparts; becase of Geography, not merely politics. 251005