Tag: Columnist Ashutosh Mishra

By Ashutosh Mishra London: Political analysts here appear worried that Brexit fixation of major party leaders is going to make the Christmas elections terribly skewed. One commentator calls it the hijacking of the elections by Brexit which, by all indications, has turned into an obsession. Everything else has become secondary. Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, who […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Sundari, the Royal Bengal tigress who was brought to the Satkosia tiger reserve from the Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh under the first-ever inter-state tiger translocation project in the country last year, remains confined to her enclosure after a brief period of independence when she was allowed to roam free […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: For all Nature lovers safety of the endangered Olive Ridley turtles, who nest on the beaches of Odisha between November and March every year, remains an overriding concern. This is because hundreds of them are killed every year by fishing trawlers which routinely violate the fishing restrictions imposed by the authorities […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: The worst part of the migrant labour trade is that a sizeable chunk of the labourers going out of the state in search of livelihood are children. According to one estimate, around 30,000 children from the drought belt of Bolangir and Nuapada leave their homes behind to work on farms and […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: If not special category state status, Odisha at least deserves special treatment from the Centre. Battered periodically by natural calamities like cyclones and floods the state has a strong case for being put in the special category in terms of financial assistance. The damage caused by a series of disastrous cyclones […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Chilika, the largest brackish water lake of Asia, has turned into a plumed wonder with hundreds of migratory birds presently lazing in its cerulean waters. This is the best time of the year to visit the lagoon when it is bathed in exotic colours with winged guests making all kinds of noises. […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: The figures keep changing. The latest claims put the number of people who received money under the KALIA (Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation) scheme without fulfilling the eligibility criteria at 45,965 which is nearly 14,000 more than what the earlier statistics provided by the government had shown. These bogus […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik deserves kudos for demanding ‘National Maritime Heritage Festival’ status for the Cuttack Balijatra which has come to symbolise the great maritime tradition of Odisha. The coast of Kalinga, as the state was known in ancient times, was dotted with important ports which were fulcrums of trade and […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Last week Sundergarh police arrested a quack who had been working as a doctor at a government-run health centre. While the mystery of how his fake MBBS degree managed to pass the scrutiny of those who recruited him still remains unresolved there are reports of another charltan masquerading as a doctor […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: The signs are ominous. The seizure of brown sugar and other narcotics by the police in the last one year or so is believed to be just the tip of the iceberg. Drug mafia appears to be well entrenched in the state with its tentacles spreading everywhere. What is worrisome is […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: The issue of formation of a legislative council in Odisha, which will make the state legislature bicameral, is back in focus with ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) likely to push for it during the winter session of the Parliament that commenced on Monday. Odisha Assembly had passed a resolution for the […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s mangrove forests are facing a threat like most of its other natural resources. There are disturbing reports about mangroves in Bhitarkanika, one of their best known habitats, being cleared to facilitate illegal prawn culture and construction activities. Nurtured by brackish water, mangroves are a unique plant species found in the […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Forest officials recently arrested 22 fishermen and seized three trawlers at Gahirmatha marine sanctuary for violating the ban on fishing. The 1360 sq km sanctuary, the only one of its kind in the state, is out of bounds for fishermen round the year. They cannot fish within 20 kms of the […]

By Ashutosh Mishra London: As mercury plunges and icy winds blow across this capital city scores of homeless people are sleeping rough on pavements and shop fronts with pretty little protection against the cold. Deaths are not uncommon. Homelessness is a growing problem here with roughly 9000 people forced to spend their nights in this […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Two hardcore Maoists, who gave up arms in the hope of leading normal lives, took the wedding vows in a temple in Angul district the other day. The ceremony marked their return to the social mainstream, something that many rebels secretly crave for but find hard to achieve because of their […]