UncategorizedchittaComments Off on Inconsistent Ramesh – approves Chiria mines
Following is from http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report_environment-ministrys-sail-tilt-miffs-orissa_1517973. After the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) cancelled several projects and put roadblocks (read riders) on many other, it seems the companies or organisations at the receiving end are not ready to give up without a fight. The Orissa government’s mining entity Orissa Mining Corporation (OMC) on Tuesday knocked at the doors of Supreme Court challenging the ministry’s August 2010 decision to stop mining bauxite from the Niyamgiri Hills. The ministry and its boss Jairam Ramesh had in August 2010 accepted the recommendations of the four-member forest advisory committee headed by NC Saxena and pulled the curtains down on mining in Niyamgiri Hills citing severe flouting of environmental and forest conservation norms. The mining contractor for the Niyamgiri project was a joint venture company with 76% stake of Sterlite Industries, a the listed-subsidiary of Vedanta Resources and the remaining with OMC. The bauxite to be mined was to be fed to Vedanta’s Lanjigarh refinery. Sources say the Orissa government, after an endless wait and a fruitless representation to the MoEF, has finally decided to go the legal way and has prepared a complete war chest of arguments to take on the ministry. “While the Orissa government was planning to challenge MoEF’s decision in the Supreme Court for quite sometime, the what finally prompted it was Ramesh’s nod to a larger and environmentally more damaging project of Chiria mines in Jharkhand,” said a highly reliable source in OMC. On February 22, Ramesh, in a surprising change of stance by over-ruling negative reports from the ministry’s forest advisory committee (FAC), gave a go-ahead to Steel Authority of India (SAIL) to mine iron ore from the prolific Chiria mines in Jharkhand. In a statement on February 22, Ramesh said: “The FAC will continue to focus on bio-diversity-related issues and concerns, while as minister I will have to necessarily take a broader view but placing on record in a complete manner the reasons for taking that view.” However, Orissa is particularly miffed with this decision since it claims that on a comparative scale the Niyamgiri Hills too had a merit for approval and its impact on the environment would have been far less than the Chiria mines. “Much before the FAC was appointed, several other committees had done a study on the project and had given a decision in its favour,” the source said. Ironically, these bodies were appointed by the ministry to clear the mining project in 2007. The Central Mine Planning and Design Institute in its study on hydro-geological aspects had said that there are no water bodies, water table is available at a depth of 78m from top of the hill and mineral is available only up to 30-35m depth from top, therefore, no impact on groundwater. Similarly, Orissa Agriculture University of Technology (OAUT) established that due to khondalite rocks and very minimal soil cover available, soil erosion is negligible at Niyamgiri Hills and there is no possibility of choking any stream running at the bottom of the hill. Only, Wildlife Institute of India (WII) had said that in any case the Wildlife Sanctuary located nearby Niyamgiri should not be affected. The Supreme Court, on August 8, 2008, based on detailed studies conducted by WII, CMPDIL, OAUT and recommendation of MOEF had cleared the Forest Diversion proposal after a prolonged debate spanning three years. “In spite of these, OMC was stopped from mining, while a central PSU like SAIL was given a go ahead,” he said. The source said Chiria iron ore mining project covers an area of around 2,376 hectares, which is 3% of total Saranda Forest area in Jharkhand where it is located. On the other hand, the total Niyamgiri Hill range is around 250 square km out of which nearly 7 sq km is the proposed mining lease area which constitute nearly 1.5 % of the total area. “Hence the forest cover diverted will be much less than that in Chiria,” he said. In the MoEF note, Ramesh said SAIL being a public sector unit, has a good track record of delivering corporate social responsibility. “Going by this track record, our partner Vedanta has already been investing Rs10 crore as profit from notional profit from proposed mining every year and Rs12.20 crore towards tribal development,” the source said. The area in and around Chiria is predominantly inhabited by Ho tribal community, which constitutes nearly 10% population (approx. 70,00,000) of Jharkhand population. While the number of tribals living in and around Niyamgiri are inhabited by Dongria Kondh tribal race having a total population of nearly 8600. “So the number of people affected through the project are far less,” he said. The mining process in Chiria will involve blasting, there by impacting the wildlife near Chiria forests while OMC will be incorporating surface miner and ripper dozer techniques which are blast-free processes, he said.
Chilika Dhaba, Barkul, NH5, Orissa: This is apparently “Rocky’s favorite dhaba in the world.” It’s next to the Chilika lake and serves great seafood, the writers say. They especially recommend the chilli prawns and giant crab.
AMG India is proud to announce having signed on one of the brightest young singers SNITI MISHRA on its Artiste Roster for Exclusive management.
On the Dec 25th, ’10 grand finale on Zee TV, Sniti was chosen as the winner of the ‘Most Remarkable Voice’ award at the recently concluded SaReGaMaPa Singing Superstar. With her strong Indian classical training and her hauntingly unique voice, Sniti had wowed not only a worldwide TV audience but also the mentors and eminent guests on the program, including AR Rehman, Mahesh Bhatt, Vishal Bhardwaj, Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Some even compared her vocal uniqueness to that of legends such as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan & Janis Joplin.
The “SNITI MISHRA – Classically Unplugged” concert is already mesmerizing audiences worldwide, with it’s unique presentation, where Sniti and her young Acoustic band present Classics, both old and new, in a ‘simply-fresh’ style of their own.
Her typical set-list includes her own unique version of :
Iktara (Film: Wake Up Sid), Aap Ki Nazron Ne Samjha (Film: Anpadh), Sapnon Se Bhare Naina (Luck By Chance), Mora Saiyan (Band: Fuzon), Masakkali (Delhi 6), Chandni Raatein (Noorjahan), Mitwaa (Film: Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna), Jiya Jale (Dil Se), In Aankhon Ki Masti Ke (Umrao Jaan), Yeh Haunsla (Dor), Sajnaa Tere Bin Jiya Mora (Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan), Ay Hairathe Aashiqui (Film: Guru)
Sniti has starred in extremely popular live shows for in several Indian cities , where she has continued to use her classical training to popularize traditional music as well as to innovate musically.
With this latest addition to it’s Artiste Roster, Sniti Mishra replaces popstar Neha Bhasin, who was successfully managed by AMG for almost 6 years, helping her become into a ‘brand’ that today she has become. This is continuing with AMG’s commitment to nurturing upcoming talent !
Had it not been for his parents, Gangadhar Pradhan, renowned exponent of Odissi, who died at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar last Monday, would perhaps never have chosen the dance form. Moments after he was born at Parikul, a remote village of Puri district in 1948, Gangadhar did not cry, leading to fears that he may be stillborn. Gangadhar’s peasant father, Muralidhar Pradhan, and mother, Dwitika Devi, had already lost their three sons and two daughters earlier. Muralidhar vowed that if this child survived, he would serve the presiding deity, Lord Balunkeshwar, at Dimirisena village in Puri district, for five years.
Gangadhar survived, and at the age of six years he was sent to the temple at Dimirisena, where he went through a rigorous training in Gotipua (literally meaning one boy) dance, under the direct guidance of Pandit Chandrasekhar Pattnaik.
If the late Kelucharan Mohapatra made Odissi popular to the outside world, Gangadhar, one of his first disciples, was instrumental in carrying the dance form forward and giving it institutional support. A purist to the core like his guru, Gangadhar honed his skill at playing the mardal (a percussion instrument) by learning from Singhari Shyama Sundar Kar and Guru Banamali Maharana. He learnt the text of Odissi dance from well-known scholar Dhirendra Nath Patnaik. His alma mater, Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya, also played a significant role in shaping Gangadhar, who matured into a dancer-choreographer of great sensitivity and skill.
Gangadhar was the proverbial sculptor, hammering away day and night to keep the dance form robust and popular. “As a teacher, he never ran away from Odissi’s pure traditions. He was always grammatically correct and would not do anything that messed up the basic fabric of the dance form,” said noted danseuse Kumkum Mohanty.
While Kelucharan crafted his own style, Gangadhar did not follow any particular style. But it was his vision to establish Odissi as a strong art form that distinguished him from other Odissi legends.
In the late ’70s, the life of a performing artist, particularly that of a dancer, was difficult to say the least. But instead of giving up, Gangadhar came up with the idea of starting an institution. In 1975, he started the Odissi Dance Academy, later re-christened as the Orissa Dance Academy (ODA).
The academy in Bhubaneswar is the single biggest repository of Odissi dance talent, having produced over 1,000 renowned dancers so far. “In the world of Odissi, you pick any known dancer today and chances are that he/she would be a product of the ODA,” says dance critic Shyamahari Chakra. Not surprisingly, there are 35 Odissi dance schools in the world affiliated to the ODA. But his unceremonious exit a few years ago hurt him badly.
Always on the lookout for ways to popularise Odissi, Gangadhar hit upon the idea of expanding its reach through festivals. One thing that always bothered him was that Odissi dancers in Orissa did not have a platform in their own state. So, in 1986, he started the first Konark Dance & Music Festival at the Konark Sun Temple and formed the Konark Natya Mandap. The Konark Natya Mandap is now an international centre where training in Odissi, Gotipua, Chhou, Pala, vocal and instrumental music are imparted to youngsters. Several years ago, Gangadhar started the Dhauli Dance Festival. Besides these, he also started several small dance festivals such as Nimapara Dance Festival, Chilika Dance Festival, Kalinga Kala Utsav, Basanta Utsav, Boita Bandana Utsav, Bhaunri Utsav, etc. The annual Chitralekha Dance Academy Festival in Canada was also held under his stewardship.
Danseuse Aruna Mohanty, one of his first disciples, says Gangadhar was a visionary. “He found teaching Odissi his true calling,” said Mohanty.
“My mother-in-law and social worker Sushilavati Swain asked me to start some cultural activity in Konark, so we acquired a piece of land in 1978. Two years later, we built a mud hut and called it the Konark Nata Mandap. Every Sunday we had a meeting and artistes from the nearby areas would come and spend the entire day singing, dancing and playing various musical instruments,” Gangadhar Pradhan says. This created an ambience of culture. The mandap’s activity started in 1980 as a small get-together but soon there was no looking back as it paved the way for the five-day international Konark Dance and Music Festival, that is held every year in this small town of Orissa.
Besides, the Konark Nata Mandap was re-christened Konark Natya Mandap (KNM). It has undergone several changes over the years. And, it has finally taken the shape of the replica of the world famous Sun Temple.
“The festival started in 1986 on the day of Shivaratri. But the seeds of the festival were sown in my mind when I had gone to the Swedish embassy and saw posters of the Khajuraho Festival there. That’s how the idea of the Konark Dance and Music Festival took shape in my mind,” remarks Pradhan.
In the true sense, it was the harbinger of the contemporary festivals of Odisha. “The main objective of the festival is not merely to provide entertainment but to educate and refine. It aims to harmoniously blend the classical, spiritual, tribal and folk aspects of the glorious cultural traditions.”
Built through the painstaking efforts of Gangadhar Pradhan, KNM now is a performer’s delight. A replica of the natyashala of the scintillating and stupendous Sun Temple of Konark, it provides the right kind of ambience for artistes, connoisseurs and art lovers from India and abroad.
The KNM serves as a temple of learning. Following the glorious traditions of Guru Kula Parampara, it provides teaching and training in dance, music, yoga and theatre. Classes on Odissi dance, Gotipua dance, mardal, tabla and Odissi music are being conducted on its premises. Experienced gurus and teachers share their experience with students who get the privilege of presenting their skill on the three stages erected on the premises.
That apart, KNM is functioning as an institution of cultural consultancy in the state for the growth and propagation of Odissi, tradition and classical art forms both at national and international levels. The mandap has shouldered a big responsibility of popularising Odissi dance and the sculptural epic Konark has metamorphosed into a living Konark.
Talking about his dream, Gangadhar Pradhan says that something should be happening in KNM throughout the year. “Now there is a festival happening 220 days in a year.” He is confident of achieving his goal by the middle of this decade.
Explaining about Living Konark, he said that people had seen Konark in stone, now they would see the living Konark and the dancing Konark. Once, this dream materialised, there would be a computerised film on Konark that would be screened.
“When I had given wings to my imagination, I had dreamt of the future 1000 years’ history which takes into account the cultural, spiritual and ritualistic aspects. The triangle of Konark-Puri-Bhubaneswar-Chilka will develop tourism as well as culture. What the tourist sees in one place will not be repeated in other places, so he or she will get to see something new each time,” he added.
Update: He did a wonderful performance in the finals and got 27 points from the judges (9+8+10), but did not win. The winning team got 28 (=9+9+10) points from the judges.
This year there are two (out of 9) finalists from Odisha in India’s Got Talent Khoj (Season 2). [Last year Prince dance group from Berhampur, Odisha was the champion.] One of this year’s finalist is the fabulous sand animation group. Earlier we wrote about them. While they made it to the finals through the wild card round, Harihar Dash from Berhampur made it to the finals directly from his semifinal round for his world class locking and popping dance and it looked like his was the most vote getter from that round. Here are his youtube videos.
The 1,000 sq.ft restaurant at Buxi Bazar can seat 50-60 people and offers dosas, idlis, dahi vada, vada pav and the usual South and North Indian delicacies.
Dalma, restaurant with Odia cuisine started from Bhubaneswar. It now has spread its wings to Bangalore and this month it is supposed to open a branch in Rourkela. The address of its locations are:
Dalma is an Odissa cuisine restaurant and part of a chain that is quite famous in Bhuvaneshwar. Its been open a relatively short time but has become a phenomenon of sorts. Come a little after 12.45 pm and you will end up waiting for place. The food is homely.
… The meal was brilliant …
Hope Dalma succeeds further and has locations all over India. Also, hope other Odia entrepreneurs come up with other concepts and spread it across India. Any thoughts on what those concepts could be?
Update: They did a fabulous job in the finals on the theme of “Hindu Muslim Sikh Isai, Aapas Me sab bhai-bhai” and got 27 points from the judges; 9 from each of the three judges. But they did not win. (The winners got 28 points from the judges: 9+9+10.)
Wild card round that got them to the final on Taj Mahal (25th September):
Semifinal on Mumbai Terrorist Attack(18th September):
The aims and objectives of the Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs) are to preserve, promote and disseminate the arts, specially folk/tribal arts of the country. The ZCCs endeavour to develop and promote the rich diversity and uniqueness of various arts of the Zone and to upgrade and enrich consciousness of the people about their cultural heritage.
There are only seven ZCCs in the country. Though no ZCC has its headquarters in Karnataka, the state of Karnataka is a member of the South Zone Cultural Centre (SZCC), having its headquarters at Thanjavur and also of South Central Zone Cultural Centre (SCZCC) having its headquarters at Nagpur.
The details of ZCCs, location-wise and the schemes/programmesorganised/executed by each centre, ZCC-wise are annexed.
Annexure
Government has set up seven Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs) having headquarters in various part of the country as per the details given below:-
Sl. No.
Name of the centre
Headquarters
Member States
1
North Zone Cultural Centre
Patiala
Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Union Territory of Chandigarh
2.
West Zone Cultural Centre
Udaipur
Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Union Territories of Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli
3
South Zone Cultural Centre
Thanjavur
Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Union Territories of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Puducherry.
4
South Central Zone Cultural Centre
Nagpur
Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra
5
Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre
Kolkata
Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Manipur, Orissa, Sikkim, Tripura, West Bengal and Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
6
North Central Zone Cultural Centre
Allahabad
Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Rajasthan,Uttarakhand and NCT of Delhi.
7
North East Zone Cultural Centre
Dimapur
Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.
The ZCCs have been carrying out various activities in accordance with their aims and objectives:-
I.National Cultural Exchange Programme: With a view to present art forms of one region to another and expose the diverse cultural heritage of each region to the rest of the country, the folk/tribal artistes are sent on exchange manner to participate in the programmes organized by the seven Zonal Cultural Centres.
II.Guru ShishyaParampara Scheme:The Scheme was introduced in 2003-04 with a view to promote development of new talents in the field of music and dance, folk and tribal art forms, under the able guidance of Gurus.
III.Young Talented Artistes Scheme:The Scheme was introduced during the year 2004-05 to recognize and encourage young talents in the various Folk/Tribal arts forms in different regions in the country.
IV.Documentation of Vanishing Art Forms:Under the Scheme, documentation of various folk and tribal art forms is undertaken, especially of those which are seen to be vanishing.
V.Shilpagram Activities:ZCCs have set up Shilpagrams at Chandigarh, Khajuraho, Udaipur, Guwahati, Allahabad and Shantiniketan to encourage various forms of folk/tribal arts and crafts from rural India. These Shilpagrams are attracting a large number of domestic as well as foreign visitors. Through these Shilpgrams, a number of artistes and artisans are benefited and a large number of people are made aware of our rich cultural heritage.
VI.Loktarang – National Folk Dance Festival and OCTAVE – Festival of the North East: All the ZCCs participate in these National level festivals organized every year in New Delhi and/or other places. A large number of folk/tribal artistes from all corners of the country performs during these festivals to showcase the diverse folk/tribal arts of our country.
The idea for Zonal Cultural Centers germinated in the mind of our late Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi. At his instance, several centers were set up. They represent the effort on the part of the Government and the people to preserve and protect our rich cultural heritage and to bring it closer to the lives of the people. With each State or Union Territory belonging to at least one Zonal Center, the objective is to foster amongst the people within each zone and among zones, much greater cultural exchanges and understanding. This not only results in a better understanding of our heritage but also brings out the underlying unity of our diverse cultural traditions.
A self-transforming civilization that defies any attempt to freeze it in space and time, living India is a mosaic of varied cultures, layer upon layer, tempered in a history of a common vitality.
Since independence, it has been the concern of the Government of India to encourage the evolution and consolidation of Indian culture by bringing its different streams closer and by making people of various regions know and understand each other’s distinctive traits in a spirit of appreciation and acceptance of the unity in diversity within this country.
The establishment of the Zonal Cultural Centers, in collaboration with the State Governments and Union Territories, is one of the measures taken by the Government of India to achieve this objective.
The Eastern Zonal Cultural Center (EZCC) covering the states of Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Manipur, Orissa, Sikkim, Tripura, West Bengal and The Union Territory of The Andaman and Nicobar Islands is one of the seven such Zonal Cultural Centers set up by the Government of India with a view to culturally integrate the states and Union Territories as a part of the program of national integration.
Since its inception in 1985 the EZCC has been functioning as a cultural nerve center, between and among the numerous ethnic cultural centers/groups of excellence of the eastern parts of the country. The Center strives through its various activities to enrich, promote and strengthen these traditions. The Center is totally dedicated to the promotion, projection and dissemination of our traditional culture.
Over the past several years, the EZCC has been able to infuse among people a conscious appreciation of the rich cultural heritage of its own zone as well as other parts of the country through its manifold programs of folk, tribal and classical dance music and dance, documentation and publication, workshops, as well as its exhibitions on arts and crafts.
The numerous fairs and festivals, seminars and symposia organized through out the year are efforts to combat the constant onslaught of the electronic media.
The Center is under the overall supervision of the Department of Culture, Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Government of India and is headed by the Director. His Excellency the Governor of West Bengal is the chairman of the EZCC.
The more we try to unravel the mysteries of our own many splendoured culture, the more we perceive the underlying strength of unity and harmony that rises above all differences and distinctions and enmeshes us in its inherent bonds. This is what we are committed to project and promote.
A. The Bharatiyam Cultural Multiplex is situated at IB-201, Sector III, Salt Lake City, Kolkata 700106.
The facilities available at the Bharatiyam Cultural Multiplex include
Purbashree (Main Auditorium)
Air conditioned auditorium measuring 7850 square feet, having a capacity for over 900 persons.
Rangmanch (Open Air Theatre)
Open Air Theatre measuring 4000 square feet has been built with a seating capacity of about 400 people.
Naat Ghar (Studio Theatre)
Air conditioned studio theatre measuring 1200 square feet has a seating capacity for 100 persons.
Sobha Ghar (Art Gallery)
The air-conditioned art gallery measures 3280 square feet. The exhibition wall is provided with track lighting.
Karmashala-I and II (Workshop Rooms)
The air-conditioned workshop rooms measuring 610 square feet each are used by the EZCC to hold a variety of workshops on instrumental/ vocal music, performing arts, doll making, painting etc.
Kala Mandap
The open air space measuring 4270square feet is ideal for holding crafts fairs and other festivals. Beautiful sculptures made by eminent artists give the place a perfect ambience.
Food Court
The open air Food Court measuring 2000 square feet with its ethnic background is an ideal place for hosting food festivals etc.
B. The Aikatan Cultural Center is situated at IA-190, Sector III, Salt Lake City, Kolkata 700097.
The facilities available at the Aikatan Cultural Complex include
Air conditioned auditorium which has a seating capacity for 110 persons. It is ideal for seminars, workshops, lecture demonstrations and cultural programs.
Dormitory facilities for men/women in two halls with 32 beds in each
Dining hall
C. SRIJANI, the Shilpagram Complex of the EZCC is situated in Santiniketan, Bolpur in Birbhum District of West Bengal.
This unique cultural center provides a conducive and infrastructure to nurture our traditional arts and crafts.
The complex comprises of huts, representative of EZCC’s member states. The huts incorporate traditional architectural features and design.
The question is if the Eastern Zonal Cultural Center is supposed to cater several states in the Eastern part of India, including Odisha, why is all of its infrastructure in West Bengal.
This means the system of zonal cultural center is not working. The GOI must exapnd it to all major states and establish a similar center in Odisha. Odisha CM must lobby for it and make sure it is included in the next five year plan starting from 2012.
As a royal tribute to the illustrious astronomer of Odisha, Samanta Chandrasekhar, popularly known as Pathani Samanta, the State Government has decided to set up an observatory, a science park and an information centre at the place of his birth and work, Khandapada. The Pathani Samanta Planetarium Governing Body has decided to set up a huge complex as memorial to the renowned astronomer.
Pathani Samanta made his astronomical research during the period 1835 to 1904 without any knowledge of telescopes, binoculars and other modern instruments. His magnum opus Siddhanta Darpan in Sanskrit, which was published in 1899, was highly acclaimed by Western scientific journals Nature and Knowledge.
… The observatory proposed at Khandapada would entail Rs 10 crore, he said.
A science park would need 25 acres of land and its project cost would be Rs 6.50 crore, which would be borne by State Government.
… But few in Bangalore know of Orissa’s cuisine. The food at Dalma is very reflective of the state and its tradition of using local ingredients to cook with. The eatery brings to Bangalore a unique culinary experience with simple, tasty home food.
Genesis: The restaurant is a famous chain in Bhubaneswar, and is co-owned by Debasish Patnaik and Sanjay Chowdary. Dalma actually is the name of a lentil dish (synonymous with dal). There’s a large enough Oriya population in Bangalore to cater to as well.
… Lead role: Jubin says the pakhal thali is a must to get a real feel of the cuisine. A huge bowl, nay, cauldron, of rice mixed with curd and water that was allowed to rest for a while, greeted me. In some cases, fermentation is allowed to take place. Served with a tomato khatta (like a chutney), potato bharata, bhendi bhaja (ladies finger or okra), and badi chura (fried and dried mixture of onions and garlic), this is the perfect summer dish to beat the heat and stay cool. A note of caution — one person, in my opinion, would not be able to finish all that rice in the bowl — a challenge for all you foodies out there.
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