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'We need rehabilitation, not election'

M I Khan in Jagatsinghpur, Kenderapada and Puri

Thousands of cyclone affected people in coastal Orissa propose to boycott the forthcoming state assembly election.

These victims, hailing from over 100 villages, refuse to even allow political parties to campaign in their areas.

Many in the Mahakaalipada block of Kenderapara district, Ersama in Jagatsinghpur and Astarang in Puri say they will not vote. Many more in other affected areas are expected to come out with similar announcements.

The villagers' anger is directed at the government inaction after the super cyclone hit them.

"If we boycott the election to draw the attention of political parties, the new government will be forced to rehabilitate us," believes Karuna Mandal of Astarang's Bajepur village.

The people feel let down. Neither the ruling Congress nor the Biju Janata Dal or Bharatiya Janata Party, they say, put pressure on the Central government to treat the cyclone as a national calamity.

"All politicians were engaged in exploiting the post-cyclone period instead of helping us," alleges Chintu Mishra, a college student in a village near Paradeep, one of the worst-hit areas.

Bitter at the politicians' broken promises to provide them necessities like polythene sheets, blankets and money to rebuild their houses, the villagers of Ambiki in Ersama block say:

"The government has done little for us to date. But they expect us to support them in the election!"

"Both the state and the Centre have failed to come to our rescue. More than the government voluntary organisations helped us," says Banku Mohanty of Badia Sahi in Mahakaalipada.

The schoolteacher's words command considerable respect in the village. When thousands of people are living under the open sky, facing a chilly winter, is there any need for election, he asks.

"We need relief and rehabilitation, not election," he says.

"Politicians and political parties are all the same... There is no difference between the ruling Congress and the opposing BJD-BJP alliance. Both don't care for us," adds Satyender Mahapatra.

Mahapatra's comment to a large extent is spurred by Chief Minister Hemanand Biswal assurance that relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction were his government's top priority. But even going by the official figure, the state has been able to provide necessities to less than 50 per cent of the victims spread over 12 districts.

As for rehabilitation and reconstruction, those have been initiated only in a few pockets.

The latest statistics show that the state has so far distributed just 325,346 blankets -- this, against a requirement of 1.9 million.

A government release say the blankets distributed include 204,046 blankets received from the United Nation Children's Fund and 108,550 purchased by the state govt. Besides 17,750 blankets have been distributed by voluntary organisations.

A recent survey by non-government agencies show that of the total 10 million victims, 2.5 million need urgent attention. But following the announcement of election, the government has done little to improve their lives.

"Distribution of food has been stopped since long. Many a time we have to go without food," says Jagannath Nayak of Kunjakothlui, a small village in Ersama.

"Who has the time to bother about the people?" asks a social worker. "For the past 20 days, the politicians have all been busy manipulating each other to get tickets."

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