India scored 180 for 3 in 20 overs in the first T20 against Sri Lanka in Cuttack, Odisha.&nbsp;

KL Rahul scored 61.&nbsp;

Dhoni and MK Pandey, who were not out, scored 39 and 32.&nbsp;

The other two batsman to fall were Rohit Sharma (17), and SS Iyer (24).&nbsp;

Sri Lankan skipper Thisara Perera had earlier won the toss and elected to bowl.&nbsp;

For India, KL Rahul replaced Shikhar Dhawan while Jaydev Unadkat comes in place of Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the playing XI.

Whereas for Sri Lanka, Left-arm bowler Vishwa Fernando will make his T20I debut.&nbsp;

Having secured the Test and one-day series, India is giving an opportunity to youngsters, who have performed well in the Indian Premier League, in the three-match T20I series starting from today. &nbsp;

The beginning of the T20I series against Sri Lanka signals the end of India&rsquo;s home comfort.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Sri Lanka had earlier won the toss and elected to bowl first

India scored 180 for 3 in 20 overs in the first T20 against Sri Lanka in Cuttack, Odisha. KL Rahul scored 61. Dhoni and MK Pandey, who were not out, scored 39 and 32. The other two batsman to fall were Rohit Sharma (17), and SS Iyer (24). Sri Lankan skipper Thisara Perera had earlier won the toss and elected to bowl. For India, KL Rahul replaced Shikhar Dhawan while Jaydev Unadkat comes in place of Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the playing XI. Whereas for Sri Lanka, Left-arm bowler Vishwa Fernando will make his T20I debut. Having secured the Test and one-day series, India is giving an opportunity to youngsters, who have performed well in the Indian Premier League, in the three-match T20I series starting from today. The beginning of the T20I series against Sri Lanka signals the end of India’s home comfort.

1st T20: India make 180 for 3, Rahul top-scores with 61

In a shocking incident, a woman in Odisha delivered a baby girl in an unused drain after being denied entry in a hospital, reports said on Saturday.&nbsp;

The 30-year-old woman had to resort to giving birth in the hospital&#39;s drain after being denied assistance for not having the right documents.&nbsp;

The women had gone to the hospital to visit her ailing husband and started having labour pains and asked the nurse there for a check-up, she was asked to furnish her Mamata Yojana beneficiary card and other documents, which she was not carrying at the time.&nbsp;

The hospital, Saheed Laxman Nayak Medical College and Hospital, later admitted the mother after she lay unattended for almost an hour, reports said.&nbsp;

When contacted, Koraput chief district medical officer Lalit Mohan Rath denied the allegations, terming them &#39;baseless&#39;. 
&nbsp;

On Friday morning, the women had felt labour pains and visited the gynaecology ward but the staff allegedly refused to admit her

In a shocking incident, a woman in Odisha delivered a baby girl in an unused drain after being denied entry in a hospital, reports said on Saturday. The 30-year-old woman had to resort to giving birth in the hospital's drain after being denied assistance for not having the right documents. The women had gone to the hospital to visit her ailing husband and started having labour pains and asked the nurse there for a check-up, she was asked to furnish her Mamata Yojana beneficiary card and other documents, which she was not carrying at the time. The hospital, Saheed Laxman Nayak Medical College and Hospital, later admitted the mother after she lay unattended for almost an hour, reports said. When contacted, Koraput chief district medical officer Lalit Mohan Rath denied the allegations, terming them 'baseless'.

Denied hospital admission, Odisha woman gives birth in drain

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rains to hit Odisha starting today evening. A depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify further into a deep depression in the next 24 hours and triggering heavy rains in various parts of the state.

As many as 11 districts in Odisha are likely to get affected by the torrential downpour. While the rains will continue till December 11, the associated weather impacts will persist till December 13, noted a release issued by the Regional Met Department.&nbsp;

&quot;Depression is likely to reach South Odisha and North Andhra Pradesh coast by around December 9. Rainfall may start tonight and will continue till December 10. Fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea from December 7 to December 10&quot;, said Sarat Chandra Sahu, an IMD official.

According to a Skymet&nbsp;weather report, &quot;the depression persisting over the southeast Bay of Bengal has moved northwards in the past six hours. Presently the speed of squally winds is 50 to 55 kmph. The cloud formation is showing signs of intensification and hence this system is likely to concentrate into a deep depression in the next 12 hours&quot;. &quot;It will move northwards inching close to the coast. Wind shear and sea surface temperatures will continue to favour its growth. In wake of this weather system, light rainfall is likely to commence over North Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal from the night of December 7,&quot; it further noted.&nbsp;

Moderate rains may also to hit the Gangetic West Bengal and states like Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura by December 9 or 10. Heavy to very heavy rains may not occur. &quot;Tamil Nadu will be spared by the weather system,&quot; noted Skymet.&nbsp;

A depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify further into a deep depression in the next 24 hours

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rains to hit Odisha starting today evening. A depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify further into a deep depression in the next 24 hours and triggering heavy rains in various parts of the state. As many as 11 districts in Odisha are likely to get affected by the torrential downpour. While the rains will continue till December 11, the associated weather impacts will persist till December 13, noted a release issued by the Regional Met Department. "Depression is likely to reach South Odisha and North Andhra Pradesh coast by around December 9. Rainfall may start tonight and will continue till December 10. Fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea from December 7 to December 10", said Sarat Chandra Sahu, an IMD official. According to a Skymet weather report, "the depression persisting over the southeast Bay of Bengal has moved northwards in the past six hours. Presently the speed of squally winds is 50 to 55 kmph. The cloud formation is showing signs of intensification and hence this system is likely to concentrate into a deep depression in the next 12 hours". "It will move northwards inching close to the coast. Wind shear and sea surface temperatures will continue to favour its growth. In wake of this weather system, light rainfall is likely to commence over North Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal from the night of December 7," it further noted. Moderate rains may also to hit the Gangetic West Bengal and states like Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura by December 9 or 10. Heavy to very heavy rains may not occur. "Tamil Nadu will be spared by the weather system," noted Skymet.

Heavy rains to hit Odisha today evening, Indian Meteorological Department warns

A&nbsp;teacher allegedly made her&nbsp;students work in her fields in Odisha&#39;s Mayurbhanj.&nbsp;

The teacher, Sangita Sarita Munda, made three girls work in her fields for three-day and in return, paid each of them Rs. 100 per day.

The girls, who belonged to the tribal community, used to stay in the school.

&nbsp;

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Odisha: Teacher at a school in Mayurbhanj&#39;s Thakurmunda, allegedly made 3 students work in her fields for 3 days and paid each of them Rs.100 per day. Inquiry initiated. <a href="https://t.co/uVfuLinw6x">pic.twitter.com/uVfuLinw6x</a>
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The incident came to light when the parents of the girls came to meet them and found them missing from the school.

Outraged parents locked down the school and protested against the administration.

The higher authority was later informed about the incident and an inquiry has been initiated in the matter.

A teacher in Odisha is allegedly held responsible for making three students work in her field

A teacher allegedly made her students work in her fields in Odisha's Mayurbhanj. The teacher, Sangita Sarita Munda, made three girls work in her fields for three-day and in return, paid each of them Rs. 100 per day. The girls, who belonged to the tribal community, used to stay in the school. Odisha: Teacher at a school in Mayurbhanj's Thakurmunda, allegedly made 3 students work in her fields for 3 days and paid each of them Rs.100 per day. Inquiry initiated. pic.twitter.com/uVfuLinw6x — ANI (@ANI) November 25, 2017 × The incident came to light when the parents of the girls came to meet them and found them missing from the school. Outraged parents locked down the school and protested against the administration. The higher authority was later informed about the incident and an inquiry has been initiated in the matter.

Teacher made students work in her fields for Rs 100, inquiry ordered

The Odisha government has decided to seek a Geographical Indication (GI) tag for &#39;Jagannath Rasagola&#39; and not &#39;Odishara Rasagola&#39; as was decided earlier after it lost a bitter battle with West Bengal over the origins of the popular sweet.

Odisha&#39;s MSME minister Prafulla Samal said the decision to apply for GI tag on &#39;Jagannath Rasagola&#39; - a variety of the syrupy sweetmeat offered to Lord Jagannath at Puri temple - was taken after consulting legal and industry experts.

&quot;If the state files for GI tag on &#39;Odishara Rasagola&#39; against its Bengali counterpart, then it will not be able to get any benefit or advantage,&quot; an official at the Director of Industries said.

In a letter to MSME Additional Chief Secretary L N Gupta, Director of Industries S R Pradhan said chances of successfully registering &#39;Odishara Rasagola&#39; are not very bright.

&quot;Unless it can be established Rasagola from Odisha has certain unique qualities, characteristics and reputation associated with state of Odisha, the chances of successfully registering &#39;Odishara Rasagola&#39; are not very bright,&quot; the letter said.

The letter also pointed out that since different varieties of the syrupy dessert were being prepared across the state, justifying its uniqueness can be difficult, it said.

The GI under the World Trade Organization is a sign that identifies a product as originating from a particular place.

The industries department has suggested the MSME department to apply for a GI tag for &#39;Jagannath Rasagola&#39; going by its unique identity and the age-old custom of offering the sweetmeat to Lord Jagannath at Puri temple.

Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) or the Servitors&#39; Association may apply for the tag on behalf of the state, Pradhan said.

Meanwhile, Odisha&#39;s Law Minister Pratap Jena said the MSME department has been entrusted with the responsibility of getting the GI tag for Lord Jagannath&#39;s rasagola.

Jena said the MSME officials have already visited Puri to collect evidence for the purpose.

Puri collector Aravind Agarwal said the district administration would provide all support to MSME department in its endeavour.

&quot;Rasagola is being offered to Lord Jagannath for centuries. The district administration will provide all support to MSME department to secure GI tag for &#39;Jagannath Rasagola&#39;,&quot; he added.

West Bengal obtained the GI tag for ?Banglar Rosogolla&#39; on November 12.

Odisha's MSME minister Prafulla Samal said the decision to apply for GI tag on 'Jagannath Rasagola' - a variety of the syrupy sweetmeat offered to Lord Jagannath at Puri temple - was taken after consulting legal and industry experts.

The Odisha government has decided to seek a Geographical Indication (GI) tag for 'Jagannath Rasagola' and not 'Odishara Rasagola' as was decided earlier after it lost a bitter battle with West Bengal over the origins of the popular sweet. Odisha's MSME minister Prafulla Samal said the decision to apply for GI tag on 'Jagannath Rasagola' - a variety of the syrupy sweetmeat offered to Lord Jagannath at Puri temple - was taken after consulting legal and industry experts. "If the state files for GI tag on 'Odishara Rasagola' against its Bengali counterpart, then it will not be able to get any benefit or advantage," an official at the Director of Industries said. In a letter to MSME Additional Chief Secretary L N Gupta, Director of Industries S R Pradhan said chances of successfully registering 'Odishara Rasagola' are not very bright. "Unless it can be established Rasagola from Odisha has certain unique qualities, characteristics and reputation associated with state of Odisha, the chances of successfully registering 'Odishara Rasagola' are not very bright," the letter said. The letter also pointed out that since different varieties of the syrupy dessert were being prepared across the state, justifying its uniqueness can be difficult, it said. The GI under the World Trade Organization is a sign that identifies a product as originating from a particular place. The industries department has suggested the MSME department to apply for a GI tag for 'Jagannath Rasagola' going by its unique identity and the age-old custom of offering the sweetmeat to Lord Jagannath at Puri temple. Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) or the Servitors' Association may apply for the tag on behalf of the state, Pradhan said. Meanwhile, Odisha's Law Minister Pratap Jena said the MSME department has been entrusted with the responsibility of getting the GI tag for Lord Jagannath's rasagola. Jena said the MSME officials have already visited Puri to collect evidence for the purpose. Puri collector Aravind Agarwal said the district administration would provide all support to MSME department in its endeavour. "Rasagola is being offered to Lord Jagannath for centuries. The district administration will provide all support to MSME department to secure GI tag for 'Jagannath Rasagola'," he added. West Bengal obtained the GI tag for ?Banglar Rosogolla' on November 12.

Odisha to seek GI tag for 'Jagannath Rasagola': Minister

Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Sunday that the government was in the process of appointing the highest number of high court judges in a single year, breaking the 30-year-old record of 126.

&quot;In 2016, about 126 High Court judges were appointed which is a 30-year-old history. But this year, we will cross the 126 mark,&quot; said the union minister, who was attending an event at the Odisha Law academy here.

The minister&#39;s reply came after a media person queried him on the one-day strike declared by the Orissa High Court Bar Association.

The association has announced a one-day strike, to be held on Friday, after an HC judge was transferred despite the court being short of nine judges from the sanctioned strength of 27.

According to reports, the Supreme Court collegium would soon take a call on appointing 40 new judges to nine courts.

Earlier on November 4, the Supreme Court appointed three new judges for the Jharkhand High Court and one judge for the Tripura High Court.

The collegium, comprising of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, and Justices J&nbsp;Chelameswar and Ranjan Gogoi, had discussed the reports of the intelligence bureau and the state government for the appointments.

The Supreme Court collegium would soon take a call on appointing 40 new judges to nine courts: Reports

Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Sunday that the government was in the process of appointing the highest number of high court judges in a single year, breaking the 30-year-old record of 126. "In 2016, about 126 High Court judges were appointed which is a 30-year-old history. But this year, we will cross the 126 mark," said the union minister, who was attending an event at the Odisha Law academy here. The minister's reply came after a media person queried him on the one-day strike declared by the Orissa High Court Bar Association. The association has announced a one-day strike, to be held on Friday, after an HC judge was transferred despite the court being short of nine judges from the sanctioned strength of 27. According to reports, the Supreme Court collegium would soon take a call on appointing 40 new judges to nine courts. Earlier on November 4, the Supreme Court appointed three new judges for the Jharkhand High Court and one judge for the Tripura High Court. The collegium, comprising of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, and Justices J Chelameswar and Ranjan Gogoi, had discussed the reports of the intelligence bureau and the state government for the appointments.

Govt will appoint highest number of high court judges this year: Ravi Shankar Prasad

Coastal areas of Odisha and West Bengal will encounter heavy rainfall over the next 24 hours due to depression over the Bay of Bengal, said the India Meteorological Department on Thursday.&nbsp;

Officials have said&nbsp;that there is no need to panic as this will only last for about 24 to 48 hours and eventually move towards the north-east, Cyclone Warning Centre told media.&nbsp;

According to reports, there will also be heavy winds, blowing at the speed of 50 kilometers up to 60 kilometers per hour. Thus, advising fishermen to put their journey to the sea to a halt.&nbsp;

The chief minister also canceled the weekly holiday of field staff of the two departments as the farmers were struggling to save their crop affected due to the unseasonal rains, PTI reported.

A depression has been found over west central Bay of Bengal out of the Andhra Pradesh coast, situated 210 km from Machhlipatnam, 240 km from Vizag and 460 km from Gopalpur in Odisha, as per reports.&nbsp;

The district collectors are asked to report on the crop loss as soon as the rain stops, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) B P Sethi said on Thursday.&nbsp;

Officials have said that that there is no need for panic as this will only last for about 24 to 48 hours and eventually move towards the north-east, Cyclone Warning Centre told media.?

Coastal areas of Odisha and West Bengal will encounter heavy rainfall over the next 24 hours due to depression over the Bay of Bengal, said the India Meteorological Department on Thursday. Officials have said that there is no need to panic as this will only last for about 24 to 48 hours and eventually move towards the north-east, Cyclone Warning Centre told media. According to reports, there will also be heavy winds, blowing at the speed of 50 kilometers up to 60 kilometers per hour. Thus, advising fishermen to put their journey to the sea to a halt. The chief minister also canceled the weekly holiday of field staff of the two departments as the farmers were struggling to save their crop affected due to the unseasonal rains, PTI reported. A depression has been found over west central Bay of Bengal out of the Andhra Pradesh coast, situated 210 km from Machhlipatnam, 240 km from Vizag and 460 km from Gopalpur in Odisha, as per reports. The district collectors are asked to report on the crop loss as soon as the rain stops, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) B P Sethi said on Thursday.

Heavy rainfall predicted in eastern coast due to depression over Bay of Bengal

After Hilsa, a hard battle was fought over Rosogolla-the famed sweet of Bengal. This time the contestants were Bengal and Odisha and not India and Bangladesh as was the case with the bony fish of Padma and Ganga. The two states of India fought over who will get the GI claim over the sweetmeat. The battle started with Odisha staking a claim over&nbsp;Rosogolla in 2016. A committee was formed by the state government, stating that the sweet has its roots in the Land of Jagannath.

To bolster its claim, Odisha has primarily taken recourse to religious ritual as evidence. It drew from mythology to argue that Rosogolla is the sweet that Lord Jagannath offered to his consort Goddess Lakshmi when she was upset at his long absence during Rathayatra. Goddess Lakshmi relented upon taking a bite of the sweet, proving for eternity the heavenly taste of Rosogolla.

Till date, Rosogolla is an important part of &#39;Niladri Bije&#39; celebration in Puri, Odisha.&nbsp;

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But unlike Odisha, Bengal in claiming a GI status over Rosogolla, hasn&#39;t walked the religious line. Instead, the Bengal government took a very technical line. In the letter to the Geographical Indications Registry office in Chennai, the state department of food processing industries and horticulture said the way the dessert is made in Bengal is different from that of other states.

The officials of the Ministry goes on to elaborate, &quot;The preparation of light sugar syrup is unique and it contributes towards the taste of Rasogolla. Light syrup adds to the unique mouth-fill characteristic which is traditional in nature and well documented in different books unlike other similar products.&quot;&nbsp;

The &#39;unique&#39; feature of &#39;Banglar Rasogolla&#39;, therefore, lay in the use of light syrup. The Rosogolla&#39;s from Odisha, on the other hand, use dense thick syrup, it is brownish in colour and it is, as the petitioners from West Bengal, pointed out is &#39;chewy&#39; and &#39;sticky&#39; as opposed to the &#39;light&#39; and &#39;fluffy&#39; test of Bengali Rosogolla.

So far I have witnessed two types of reactions to this Rosogolla debate: there are many among us who completely find the battle trivial; they are nodding in disbelieve as to how can possibly there be a fight over a type of sweetmeat. There are equally as many people, perhaps more vociferous, who are treating the episode in all seriousness.

However, what we are missing to note is, the fight over Rosogolla is not entirely a fight over the origin. The fight is actually a cultural battle; a tussle over an urban and a more rural version of Rosogolla. The one that got the GI tag will not only bring more business but also emerge as the most coveted type. All Rosogollas, losing their distinctive character, will aspire to become the Kolkata type.&nbsp;

It is in this close braiding of economic and cultural aspects wherein lies the significance of the Rosogolla battle.&nbsp;

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Made of cheeseballs that are dipped in syrup, Rosogolla has been the iconic sweet of Bengal. Wherever Bengalis went, they have ensured Rosogolla is made available at least on special occasions. I have seen Rosogolla selling in the restaurants of New York City in a very similar way to &#39;mishthanna bhandars&#39; (sweetmeat shops) of Hatibagan, a 19-century old neighbourhood of north Kolkata. If the Bengal historians are to be trusted that Nobin Chandra Das was the inventor of Bengali Rosogolla, then it is area around Hatibagan and Shyambazar that must have seen the first emergence of these sweet cottage balls.&nbsp;

The small pyramid of spongy white balls tugged my heart more than any other symbol of my homeland.&nbsp;

The popularity of Rosogollas ensured that it became the first canned sweetmeat of Bengal. KC Nag, a very old sweet seller from Kolkata, showed the foresight to can, pack, and fly out Rosogollas to distant lands. KC Nag&#39;s marketing made the soft, fluffy, spongy Rosogollas the representative sample of the sweetmeat. This particular type emerged as the hegemonic Rosogolla of Bengal.&nbsp;

For good or bad, Kolkata-type of Rosogollas very successfully erased the business potential of all other kinds of Rosogollas worldwide. The educated, urban middle-class Bengali made this spongy type their own. That is what began to be served during all festivities, celebrations, and all kinds of occasions.

The type of Rosogollas found outside India or in the major metropolis of India is basically this Kolkata type.&nbsp;

But does that mean that rest of Bengal swoon over the same type? Not at all. Go to the mufassils and you will see them selling Rosogollas which are brown, chewy, heavy and large. To put it simply, most of Bengal have Rosogolla&#39;s that are very similar (if not exact) to Odhisa ones. Kolkata, in this case, is a distant cousin.

Winning the GI tag for &#39;Banglar Rasogolla&#39; (Bengal&#39;s Rasgulla) serves as a fantastic instance of a cultural imposition when Kolkata thrust its own type of Rosogolla as the Rosogolla of Bengal.&nbsp;

But this is the official discourse. As far as what we consume, there is an old saying in Bengal: aap ruchi khana i.e eat what you want.

The fight over Rosogolla is actually a cultural battle; a tussle over an urban and a more rural version of Rosogolla.

After Hilsa, a hard battle was fought over Rosogolla-the famed sweet of Bengal. This time the contestants were Bengal and Odisha and not India and Bangladesh as was the case with the bony fish of Padma and Ganga. The two states of India fought over who will get the GI claim over the sweetmeat. The battle started with Odisha staking a claim over Rosogolla in 2016. A committee was formed by the state government, stating that the sweet has its roots in the Land of Jagannath. To bolster its claim, Odisha has primarily taken recourse to religious ritual as evidence. It drew from mythology to argue that Rosogolla is the sweet that Lord Jagannath offered to his consort Goddess Lakshmi when she was upset at his long absence during Rathayatra. Goddess Lakshmi relented upon taking a bite of the sweet, proving for eternity the heavenly taste of Rosogolla. Till date, Rosogolla is an important part of 'Niladri Bije' celebration in Puri, Odisha. But unlike Odisha, Bengal in claiming a GI status over Rosogolla, hasn't walked the religious line. Instead, the Bengal government took a very technical line. × But unlike Odisha, Bengal in claiming a GI status over Rosogolla, hasn't walked the religious line. Instead, the Bengal government took a very technical line. In the letter to the Geographical Indications Registry office in Chennai, the state department of food processing industries and horticulture said the way the dessert is made in Bengal is different from that of other states. The officials of the Ministry goes on to elaborate, "The preparation of light sugar syrup is unique and it contributes towards the taste of Rasogolla. Light syrup adds to the unique mouth-fill characteristic which is traditional in nature and well documented in different books unlike other similar products." The 'unique' feature of 'Banglar Rasogolla', therefore, lay in the use of light syrup. The Rosogolla's from Odisha, on the other hand, use dense thick syrup, it is brownish in colour and it is, as the petitioners from West Bengal, pointed out is 'chewy' and 'sticky' as opposed to the 'light' and 'fluffy' test of Bengali Rosogolla. So far I have witnessed two types of reactions to this Rosogolla debate: there are many among us who completely find the battle trivial; they are nodding in disbelieve as to how can possibly there be a fight over a type of sweetmeat. There are equally as many people, perhaps more vociferous, who are treating the episode in all seriousness. However, what we are missing to note is, the fight over Rosogolla is not entirely a fight over the origin. The fight is actually a cultural battle; a tussle over an urban and a more rural version of Rosogolla. The one that got the GI tag will not only bring more business but also emerge as the most coveted type. All Rosogollas, losing their distinctive character, will aspire to become the Kolkata type. It is in this close braiding of economic and cultural aspects wherein lies the significance of the Rosogolla battle. The fights over Rosogolla is not entirely a fight over the origin. The fight is actually a cultural battle; a tussle over an urban and a more rural version of Rosogolla. × Made of cheeseballs that are dipped in syrup, Rosogolla has been the iconic sweet of Bengal. Wherever Bengalis went, they have ensured Rosogolla is made available at least on special occasions. I have seen Rosogolla selling in the restaurants of New York City in a very similar way to 'mishthanna bhandars' (sweetmeat shops) of Hatibagan, a 19-century old neighbourhood of north Kolkata. If the Bengal historians are to be trusted that Nobin Chandra Das was the inventor of Bengali Rosogolla, then it is area around Hatibagan and Shyambazar that must have seen the first emergence of these sweet cottage balls. The small pyramid of spongy white balls tugged my heart more than any other symbol of my homeland. The popularity of Rosogollas ensured that it became the first canned sweetmeat of Bengal. KC Nag, a very old sweet seller from Kolkata, showed the foresight to can, pack, and fly out Rosogollas to distant lands. KC Nag's marketing made the soft, fluffy, spongy Rosogollas the representative sample of the sweetmeat. This particular type emerged as the hegemonic Rosogolla of Bengal. For good or bad, Kolkata-type of Rosogollas very successfully erased the business potential of all other kinds of Rosogollas worldwide. The educated, urban middle-class Bengali made this spongy type their own. That is what began to be served during all festivities, celebrations, and all kinds of occasions. The type of Rosogollas found outside India or in the major metropolis of India is basically this Kolkata type. But does that mean that rest of Bengal swoon over the same type? Not at all. Go to the mufassils and you will see them selling Rosogollas which are brown, chewy, heavy and large. To put it simply, most of Bengal have Rosogolla's that are very similar (if not exact) to Odhisa ones. Kolkata, in this case, is a distant cousin. Winning the GI tag for 'Banglar Rasogolla' (Bengal's Rasgulla) serves as a fantastic instance of a cultural imposition when Kolkata thrust its own type of Rosogolla as the Rosogolla of Bengal. But this is the official discourse. As far as what we consume, there is an old saying in Bengal: aap ruchi khana i.e eat what you want.

How Bengal won the 'Rosogolla war' over Orissa

Nobin Chandra Das&#39;s name entered the record books on Tuesday, although there was little need for that.

He has been famous since 1868 -- when he invented the rasgulla.

He had been trying for some years before that to create a new sweetmeat.

He finally hit gold (silver?) when he concocted his mixture of cottage cheese and sugar syrup.

The magic though it is said is in how long the silver ball is boiled.&nbsp;

Nobin was born in 1845. Just the right time, for this was the period of the Bengal Renaissance.&nbsp;

And the music, literature, poetry coming out of the state needed something sweet to wash it all down.&nbsp;

Nobin&#39;s first attempt at setting up a shop in Jorashinko in 1866 bombed but he hit pay dirt with his second attempt -- he had invented the rasgulla by then -- on Chitpur Road (today called Rabindra Sarani).&nbsp;

Nobin&#39;s father had been a sugar merchant -- which might explains the sweet tooth -- who died a few months before Nobin was born.&nbsp;

The family fell on hard times thereafter and Nobin&#39;s childhood was spent in poverty.&nbsp;

But all of that changed after the rasgulla.&nbsp;

Nobin by the way was dubbed the &quot;Columbus of the Rossogolla&quot;, a pun both on his discovery and his incessant need to create. The invention of other sweets were also attributed to him.&nbsp;&nbsp;

But perhaps his greatest contribution to his ilk was that he changed the way sweetmakers were thought of.&nbsp;

Looked down upon till then, they began to be seen, after him, as artisans.&nbsp;

The creative gene was passed on to his son Krishna Chandra, who is credited with the invention of the rasmalai.&nbsp;

The rasgulla -- and the rasmalai -- are now of course a part and parcel of Bengal.

And just as visiting dignitaries in other parts of the country are given replicas of the Taj, in Bengal they are fed on the rasgulla.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The state therefore got a bit of a shock in 2015 when Odisha said the rasgulla had actually been invented in Puri some 600 years ago.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bengal-finally-wins-the-rosogolla-war-24177" target="_blank">Also read:&nbsp;Finally, Bengal wins &#39;Rosogolla war&#39; over Odisha</a>

Expectedly, a tiff ensued with the two states battling it out, armed with history and legend.&nbsp;

The Geographical Indications Registry put a stop to all of that Tuesday, saying the sweetmeat originated in Bengal.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/a-short-and-sweet-history-of-the-rasgulla-551" target="_blank">Also read:&nbsp;A short and sweet history of the </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/a-short-and-sweet-history-of-the-rasgulla-551" target="_blank">rasgulla</a>

If you&#39;re Bengali then, celebrate; if you&#39;re Odiya, hang in there, there have been some noises that the Odisha government might continue the battle.&nbsp;

As for the rest of us, we should just give thanks to Nobin Chandra and his legacy.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Nobin, also called the 'Columbus of the Rossogolla', invented the sweetmeat in 1868

Nobin Chandra Das's name entered the record books on Tuesday, although there was little need for that. He has been famous since 1868 -- when he invented the rasgulla. He had been trying for some years before that to create a new sweetmeat. He finally hit gold (silver?) when he concocted his mixture of cottage cheese and sugar syrup. The magic though it is said is in how long the silver ball is boiled. Nobin was born in 1845. Just the right time, for this was the period of the Bengal Renaissance. And the music, literature, poetry coming out of the state needed something sweet to wash it all down. Nobin's first attempt at setting up a shop in Jorashinko in 1866 bombed but he hit pay dirt with his second attempt -- he had invented the rasgulla by then -- on Chitpur Road (today called Rabindra Sarani). Nobin's father had been a sugar merchant -- which might explains the sweet tooth -- who died a few months before Nobin was born. The family fell on hard times thereafter and Nobin's childhood was spent in poverty. But all of that changed after the rasgulla. Nobin by the way was dubbed the "Columbus of the Rossogolla", a pun both on his discovery and his incessant need to create. The invention of other sweets were also attributed to him. But perhaps his greatest contribution to his ilk was that he changed the way sweetmakers were thought of. Looked down upon till then, they began to be seen, after him, as artisans. The creative gene was passed on to his son Krishna Chandra, who is credited with the invention of the rasmalai. The rasgulla -- and the rasmalai -- are now of course a part and parcel of Bengal. And just as visiting dignitaries in other parts of the country are given replicas of the Taj, in Bengal they are fed on the rasgulla. The state therefore got a bit of a shock in 2015 when Odisha said the rasgulla had actually been invented in Puri some 600 years ago. Also read: Finally, Bengal wins 'Rosogolla war' over Odisha Expectedly, a tiff ensued with the two states battling it out, armed with history and legend. The Geographical Indications Registry put a stop to all of that Tuesday, saying the sweetmeat originated in Bengal. Also read: A short and sweet history of the rasgulla If you're Bengali then, celebrate; if you're Odiya, hang in there, there have been some noises that the Odisha government might continue the battle. As for the rest of us, we should just give thanks to Nobin Chandra and his legacy.

Nobin Chandra Das: The man who made the rasgulla

The legal battle between Bengal and Odisha over Rosogolla finally came to an end after Geographical Identification registration was given to West Bengal.

The two states,&nbsp;Bengal and Odisha, had entered the fray to stake their claim on the dessert for far too long.

According to reports, they provided all documents claiming that Rosogolla was their discovery, however after months of legal battle and referring to&nbsp;history, the GI tag was given to Bengal.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/opinion-how-bengal-won-the-rosogolla-war-over-orissa-24206" target="_blank">Also read:&nbsp;How Bengal won the &#39;Rosogolla war&#39; over Orissa</a>

Dhiman Das, Executive director of K C Das Ltd and great-grandson of Nabin Ch Das who is said to have invented Rosogolla told media that, &ldquo;We are all so happy. It was a bitter fight. We provided documents to prove our claim that Rosogolla originated from Bengal. We also thank our chief minister, who after seeing media reports asked the government to apply for GI registration.&rdquo;

&ldquo;We presented a lot of historic documents to prove that Rosogolla originated in Bengal. Odisha too tried their best,&quot; Das added.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sudip Mullick, Proprietor of Balaram Mullick and Radharaman Mullick expressed his happiness saying &quot;This is a great news. all of us who deal with sweets have been fighting for this along with the state government. We were surprised when Odisha laid claim to our Rosogolla. Rosogolla is synonymous to Bengalis and now it is proved.&rdquo;&nbsp;

GI authentication is a name or sign used on certain products which correspond to a specific geographical location or origin which may act as a certification that the product possesses certain qualities, is made according to traditional methods, or enjoys a certain reputation, due to its geographical origin.&nbsp;

Ever since both the governments asked for a Geographical Indication in 2015, the sweet had found itself at the centre of an interesting tug of war with West Bengal claiming&nbsp;it was invented by a Calcutta&nbsp;confectioner Nabin Chandra Das also known as the &ldquo;Columbus of Rossogolla&rdquo;.

Odisha said the sweet item was invented in the holy city of Puri way back in the 13th century, however, Bengal won the &quot;battle for&nbsp;Rosogolla&quot;.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

The two states,?Bengal and Odisha, had entered the fray to stake their claim on the dessert for far too long.

The legal battle between Bengal and Odisha over Rosogolla finally came to an end after Geographical Identification registration was given to West Bengal. The two states, Bengal and Odisha, had entered the fray to stake their claim on the dessert for far too long. According to reports, they provided all documents claiming that Rosogolla was their discovery, however after months of legal battle and referring to history, the GI tag was given to Bengal. Also read: How Bengal won the 'Rosogolla war' over Orissa Dhiman Das, Executive director of K C Das Ltd and great-grandson of Nabin Ch Das who is said to have invented Rosogolla told media that, “We are all so happy. It was a bitter fight. We provided documents to prove our claim that Rosogolla originated from Bengal. We also thank our chief minister, who after seeing media reports asked the government to apply for GI registration.” “We presented a lot of historic documents to prove that Rosogolla originated in Bengal. Odisha too tried their best," Das added. Sudip Mullick, Proprietor of Balaram Mullick and Radharaman Mullick expressed his happiness saying "This is a great news. all of us who deal with sweets have been fighting for this along with the state government. We were surprised when Odisha laid claim to our Rosogolla. Rosogolla is synonymous to Bengalis and now it is proved.” GI authentication is a name or sign used on certain products which correspond to a specific geographical location or origin which may act as a certification that the product possesses certain qualities, is made according to traditional methods, or enjoys a certain reputation, due to its geographical origin. Ever since both the governments asked for a Geographical Indication in 2015, the sweet had found itself at the centre of an interesting tug of war with West Bengal claiming it was invented by a Calcutta confectioner Nabin Chandra Das also known as the “Columbus of Rossogolla”. Odisha said the sweet item was invented in the holy city of Puri way back in the 13th century, however, Bengal won the "battle for Rosogolla".

Finally, Bengal wins 'Rosogolla war' over Odisha

In a rarest of rare case, a pair of conjoined twins from Odisha was successfully separated by doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) after a marathon surgery on Thursday.

However, the condition of the kids are critical&nbsp;and will need monitoring, said a senior doctor. Dr. Randeep Guleria, director AIIMS told ANI, &quot;Surgery has been successful but they are still very critical and in ICU.

They will need monitoring over the next 2-3 weeks.&quot;The 28-month-old twins, Jaga and Baliya, who were joined from their heads, were separated after an 18-hour long surgery, which started at 9:00 AM Wednesday and ended at 3:00 AM Thursday.

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This is one of the rarest operations that has been done, a complex surgery done in stages:Director AIIMS on Odisha conjoined twins separated <a href="https://t.co/3rqrmMaOYe">pic.twitter.com/3rqrmMaOYe</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/923583909903745024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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A team of 20 surgeons and 10 anaesthetists&nbsp;performed the&nbsp;18&nbsp;hours surgery which they had prepared for&nbsp;over the course of several weeks using&nbsp;3D print model multiple times.&nbsp;

&quot;This is one of the rarest operations that has been done, a complex surgery done in stages&quot;, added Dr. Guleria.

Chief Minister of Odisha Shri Naveen Patnaik also expressed his delight on social media and congratulated Dr. AK Mahapatra and his team who carried out the extensive surgey.&nbsp;

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Extraordinary work by Dr AK Mahapatra &amp; team. There will be no constraint in assistance for the twins for whom <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Odisha?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Odisha</a> is praying <a href="https://t.co/EQH6EazX5b">https://t.co/EQH6EazX5b</a>
&mdash; CMO Odisha (@CMO_Odisha) <a href="https://twitter.com/CMO_Odisha/status/923523385472061441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Glad to learn of successful separation of Jaga Kalia at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AIIMS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AIIMS</a> . Congrats to the doctors&#39; team. Pray to Lord Jagannath for speedy recovery
&mdash; Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) <a href="https://twitter.com/Naveen_Odisha/status/923372565065646080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The twins hail from Milipada village in Kandhamal district, Odisha.&nbsp;

Dr. AK Mahapatra, the chief of the neurosciences centre, earlier during a press conference on Thursday, said this type of surgery is highly challenging as mortality in such cases are very high.

A team of 20 surgeons and 10 anesthetists?performed the?16 hours surgery which they had prepared for?over the course of several weeks through 3D print model multiple times??

In a rarest of rare case, a pair of conjoined twins from Odisha was successfully separated by doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) after a marathon surgery on Thursday. However, the condition of the kids are critical and will need monitoring, said a senior doctor. Dr. Randeep Guleria, director AIIMS told ANI, "Surgery has been successful but they are still very critical and in ICU. They will need monitoring over the next 2-3 weeks."The 28-month-old twins, Jaga and Baliya, who were joined from their heads, were separated after an 18-hour long surgery, which started at 9:00 AM Wednesday and ended at 3:00 AM Thursday. This is one of the rarest operations that has been done, a complex surgery done in stages:Director AIIMS on Odisha conjoined twins separated pic.twitter.com/3rqrmMaOYe — ANI (@ANI) October 26, 2017 × A team of 20 surgeons and 10 anaesthetists performed the 18 hours surgery which they had prepared for over the course of several weeks using 3D print model multiple times. "This is one of the rarest operations that has been done, a complex surgery done in stages", added Dr. Guleria. Chief Minister of Odisha Shri Naveen Patnaik also expressed his delight on social media and congratulated Dr. AK Mahapatra and his team who carried out the extensive surgey. Extraordinary work by Dr AK Mahapatra & team. There will be no constraint in assistance for the twins for whom #Odisha is praying https://t.co/EQH6EazX5b — CMO Odisha (@CMO_Odisha) October 26, 2017 × Glad to learn of successful separation of Jaga Kalia at #AIIMS . Congrats to the doctors' team. Pray to Lord Jagannath for speedy recovery — Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) October 26, 2017 × The twins hail from Milipada village in Kandhamal district, Odisha. Dr. AK Mahapatra, the chief of the neurosciences centre, earlier during a press conference on Thursday, said this type of surgery is highly challenging as mortality in such cases are very high.

Conjoined twins from Odisha successfully separated

Is Gundhar Naik home, I asked a woman scrubbing pots and pans outside the house next door.

&quot;Where have you come from, and what do you want here?&quot; she demanded.

I am a journalist from Khariar who has written stories about Gundhar in the past, I explained. I have come to find out how he is doing.

The woman looked closely at me and asked, &quot;Are you Thakurji?&quot; Yes, I said, pleased that she had recognised me after all this time.

I had visited Barlabaheli village in Bangomunda block of Bolangir district, Odisha, several times in 1996-97. Now I was back after a gap of nearly two decades.

In 1996, a severe drought in western Odisha &ndash; across Bolangir, Nuapada and other districts &ndash; had caused hunger and starvation. It led to an exodus &ndash; many migrated for work to the brick kilns of Andhra Pradesh. Sadly, it was not unusual for this area &ndash; every 2-3 years a drought caused such conditions at that time.

Balmati Naik, alias Ghamela, a 32-year-old Adivasi widow of an agricultural labourer, was one of around 300 residents of Barlabaheli village. Her husband had died two years earlier. Ghamela had been forced to give up the little piece of land they owned to repay a loan. She worked as a daily-wage labourer, but following the drought, there was no work to be found in the village. Her six-year-old son Gundhar and she were starving. The locals claimed they had informed block development officials of Ghamela&rsquo;s situation before her death, but they did nothing.

On September 6, 1996, after roughly 15 days of starvation, Ghamela died. Many hours later, the neighbours had found her son screaming and crying beside her body.

My stories on this starvation-driven death and its aftermath were published in Dainik Bhaskar in October 1996. Local social workers and some opposition leaders visited the village and took up the issue. Members of the Human Rights Commission also came and noted that it was a death caused by starvation. Political leaders, the block development officers, the district collector and district magistrate made tracks to the village. Even the then Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda was scheduled to visit, as part of his tour of drought-hit regions, but did not show up.

&nbsp;

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Reports on Ghamela&#39;s starvation-driven death and her orphaned son Gundhar, in &#39;Dainik Bhaskar&#39; in October 1996 (Others)
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The villagers told the visiting officials that employment opportunities were what they needed most. But when they pressed their case, village leaders had alleged, the district magistrate warned them not to play politics or take their protests too far, or the village would be denied the few benefits (such as ration cards) &nbsp;it was getting.

After his mother&#39;s death, Gundhar was very weak. Local panchayat leaders took the child to Khariar Mission Hospital, nine kilometres away, where he was diagnosed with severe malnutrition and cerebral malaria. He was critically ill, but survived.

After he recovered, Gundhar was sent back to the village. The national media arrived to cover the story. The district administration granted him Rs. 5,000 &ndash; a fixed deposit of Rs. 3,000 and Rs. 2,000 in a savings account. And with that, they washed their hands of the orphan.

For 19 years, I had wondered what had happened to Gundhar.

Ghamela&rsquo;s husband had a son, Sushil, from a previous marriage. When she died, he was around 20 years old and working at a road construction site on the Khariar-Bhawanipatna road.

The neighbour told me that Gundhar now works at the Pappu Rice Mill in Tukla village, less than five kilometres from Barlabaheli. His in-laws live in Tukla, she added, and he has a two-month-old baby. His stepbrother works as a haliya (helper) at a nearby farm.

Riding my motorcycle over the ridges of the fields, I found the farm where Sushil was tilling the land owned by his employer. His three daughters and a son were nearby. Sushil, now 40, was unmarried when I had met him following Gundhar&#39;s mother&rsquo;s death. He did not recognise me, but when I reminded him of the stories I had written, he remembered.

Sushil is paid Rs. 4,000 a month, or Rs. 130 per day, on which the family subsists. Some of his kids had clothes on, some did not. Their poverty was evident.

I left for Tukla to meet Gundhar. At the Pappu Rice Mill, I met the owner Pappu, and he informed me that Gundhar had gone to his village that day. I went to his in-laws&#39; house where I met his wife Rashmita, who was holding their baby boy, Subham. Her husband had gone to Barlabaheli to clean the house and had been gone a long time, she said.

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Gundhar&#39;s wife Rashmita (standing, left), his sister-in-law, and parents-in-law outside their house in Tukla village (Others)
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Rashmita and their son Subham (Others)
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I went back to Barlabaheli. Gundhar was indeed at the house. He smiled and greeted me. The six-year-old had become a young man, a husband and a father. &nbsp;But there was still an innocence about him. And he had never fully recovered from the weakness and malnutrition of his childhood.

The house made of mud and tile was much the same. Gundhar&#39;s family lived in one room and Sushil&#39;s family in the other. Gundhar said they had been living with their in-laws for the delivery of the child. They would return to Barlabaheli soon.

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Two of Sushil&#39;s children at the family&#39;s bare home in Barlabaheli village (Others)
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How much do you remember of the past, I asked Gundhar.

&quot;I remember my parents were never well because they were always hungry,&quot; he said. &quot;My mother had a fever. She starved for several days and then she died.&quot;

When he returned to the village from the hospital, prompted by all the publicity that followed my reportage, the administration got him admission at a local ashram (residential) school for Adivasi students.

&quot;I studied till Class 2 or 3,&quot; Gundhar says. &quot;But when I came home for the summer holidays, it was difficult to get any food. So I shepherded goats and sheep for people and ate whatever they gave me. I never went back to school. Then I worked at a hotel near Tukla. They gave me food and Rs. 50 a day. Once I went with 2-3 friends to work at a brick kiln at Mahasamund. We worked for 3-4 months, but the brick kiln owner did not pay us, intimidated us, and drove us away. &nbsp;We came back and started shepherding cows and bulls for the villagers.&quot;

His brother and sister-in-law got him married. &quot;I am a poor man. The day I earn is the day I eat. So I could not afford any celebration and just brought my bride home.&quot;

How much do you earn at the Pappu mill in Tukla, I asked.

&ldquo;I sew jute sacks there, for which I get Rs. 80 per day,&quot; he replied. &quot;Those who lift sacks of rice get Rs. 130 per day. But I cannot lift the weight in this heat, so I tailor the jute sacks.&rdquo;

Gundhar does not have a BPL (below poverty line) card but has an Antyodaya card under which he gets 35 kilos of rice per month.

Will you educate your children, I ask him.

&ldquo;I am a poor man. I will educate them as much as I can. Because we have trouble getting enough food, my wife cannot breastfeed the baby. So we have to buy Amul milk; that takes most of our money.&quot;

When I once again visited his village a month ago, Gundhar had left for Andhra Pradesh to work at the brick kilns. His entire family had gone to the kilns, to work and raise money for his sister-in-law&#39;s wedding. But they had to work so hard against the six-month advance payment of Rs. 18,000 they received per person, that after returning to Barlabaheli recurring illnesses and medical expenses took up a lot of the money they had earned and tried to save for the wedding.

After a while, Gundhar went back to the kilns. He is now working as a loader there, piling bricks onto tractors for their onward journey.

Nineteen years on, this young man and his family are still struggling to stave off the hunger that claimed his mother and left him with a lifelong frailty.

This <a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/articles/the-long-aftermath-of-hunger/" rel="nofollow" target="blank">article</a> was originally&nbsp;published on 21/ 10/2016&nbsp;on the&nbsp;<a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/" rel="nofollow" target="blank">People&#39;s Archive of Rural India.</a>

Photo Credit: Purusottam Thakur

Balmati Naik died of starvation in Barlabaheli village, Odisha, leaving behind her six-year-old son.

Is Gundhar Naik home, I asked a woman scrubbing pots and pans outside the house next door. "Where have you come from, and what do you want here?" she demanded. I am a journalist from Khariar who has written stories about Gundhar in the past, I explained. I have come to find out how he is doing. The woman looked closely at me and asked, "Are you Thakurji?" Yes, I said, pleased that she had recognised me after all this time. I had visited Barlabaheli village in Bangomunda block of Bolangir district, Odisha, several times in 1996-97. Now I was back after a gap of nearly two decades. In 1996, a severe drought in western Odisha – across Bolangir, Nuapada and other districts – had caused hunger and starvation. It led to an exodus – many migrated for work to the brick kilns of Andhra Pradesh. Sadly, it was not unusual for this area – every 2-3 years a drought caused such conditions at that time. Balmati Naik, alias Ghamela, a 32-year-old Adivasi widow of an agricultural labourer, was one of around 300 residents of Barlabaheli village. Her husband had died two years earlier. Ghamela had been forced to give up the little piece of land they owned to repay a loan. She worked as a daily-wage labourer, but following the drought, there was no work to be found in the village. Her six-year-old son Gundhar and she were starving. The locals claimed they had informed block development officials of Ghamela’s situation before her death, but they did nothing. On September 6, 1996, after roughly 15 days of starvation, Ghamela died. Many hours later, the neighbours had found her son screaming and crying beside her body. My stories on this starvation-driven death and its aftermath were published in Dainik Bhaskar in October 1996. Local social workers and some opposition leaders visited the village and took up the issue. Members of the Human Rights Commission also came and noted that it was a death caused by starvation. Political leaders, the block development officers, the district collector and district magistrate made tracks to the village. Even the then Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda was scheduled to visit, as part of his tour of drought-hit regions, but did not show up. Reports on Ghamela's starvation-driven death and her orphaned son Gundhar, in 'Dainik Bhaskar' in October 1996 (Others) × The villagers told the visiting officials that employment opportunities were what they needed most. But when they pressed their case, village leaders had alleged, the district magistrate warned them not to play politics or take their protests too far, or the village would be denied the few benefits (such as ration cards) it was getting. After his mother's death, Gundhar was very weak. Local panchayat leaders took the child to Khariar Mission Hospital, nine kilometres away, where he was diagnosed with severe malnutrition and cerebral malaria. He was critically ill, but survived. After he recovered, Gundhar was sent back to the village. The national media arrived to cover the story. The district administration granted him Rs. 5,000 – a fixed deposit of Rs. 3,000 and Rs. 2,000 in a savings account. And with that, they washed their hands of the orphan. For 19 years, I had wondered what had happened to Gundhar. Ghamela’s husband had a son, Sushil, from a previous marriage. When she died, he was around 20 years old and working at a road construction site on the Khariar-Bhawanipatna road. The neighbour told me that Gundhar now works at the Pappu Rice Mill in Tukla village, less than five kilometres from Barlabaheli. His in-laws live in Tukla, she added, and he has a two-month-old baby. His stepbrother works as a haliya (helper) at a nearby farm. Riding my motorcycle over the ridges of the fields, I found the farm where Sushil was tilling the land owned by his employer. His three daughters and a son were nearby. Sushil, now 40, was unmarried when I had met him following Gundhar's mother’s death. He did not recognise me, but when I reminded him of the stories I had written, he remembered. Sushil is paid Rs. 4,000 a month, or Rs. 130 per day, on which the family subsists. Some of his kids had clothes on, some did not. Their poverty was evident. I left for Tukla to meet Gundhar. At the Pappu Rice Mill, I met the owner Pappu, and he informed me that Gundhar had gone to his village that day. I went to his in-laws' house where I met his wife Rashmita, who was holding their baby boy, Subham. Her husband had gone to Barlabaheli to clean the house and had been gone a long time, she said. Gundhar's wife Rashmita (standing, left), his sister-in-law, and parents-in-law outside their house in Tukla village (Others) × Rashmita and their son Subham (Others) × I went back to Barlabaheli. Gundhar was indeed at the house. He smiled and greeted me. The six-year-old had become a young man, a husband and a father. But there was still an innocence about him. And he had never fully recovered from the weakness and malnutrition of his childhood. The house made of mud and tile was much the same. Gundhar's family lived in one room and Sushil's family in the other. Gundhar said they had been living with their in-laws for the delivery of the child. They would return to Barlabaheli soon. Two of Sushil's children at the family's bare home in Barlabaheli village (Others) × How much do you remember of the past, I asked Gundhar. "I remember my parents were never well because they were always hungry," he said. "My mother had a fever. She starved for several days and then she died." When he returned to the village from the hospital, prompted by all the publicity that followed my reportage, the administration got him admission at a local ashram (residential) school for Adivasi students. "I studied till Class 2 or 3," Gundhar says. "But when I came home for the summer holidays, it was difficult to get any food. So I shepherded goats and sheep for people and ate whatever they gave me. I never went back to school. Then I worked at a hotel near Tukla. They gave me food and Rs. 50 a day. Once I went with 2-3 friends to work at a brick kiln at Mahasamund. We worked for 3-4 months, but the brick kiln owner did not pay us, intimidated us, and drove us away. We came back and started shepherding cows and bulls for the villagers." His brother and sister-in-law got him married. "I am a poor man. The day I earn is the day I eat. So I could not afford any celebration and just brought my bride home." How much do you earn at the Pappu mill in Tukla, I asked. “I sew jute sacks there, for which I get Rs. 80 per day," he replied. "Those who lift sacks of rice get Rs. 130 per day. But I cannot lift the weight in this heat, so I tailor the jute sacks.” Gundhar does not have a BPL (below poverty line) card but has an Antyodaya card under which he gets 35 kilos of rice per month. Will you educate your children, I ask him. “I am a poor man. I will educate them as much as I can. Because we have trouble getting enough food, my wife cannot breastfeed the baby. So we have to buy Amul milk; that takes most of our money." When I once again visited his village a month ago, Gundhar had left for Andhra Pradesh to work at the brick kilns. His entire family had gone to the kilns, to work and raise money for his sister-in-law's wedding. But they had to work so hard against the six-month advance payment of Rs. 18,000 they received per person, that after returning to Barlabaheli recurring illnesses and medical expenses took up a lot of the money they had earned and tried to save for the wedding. After a while, Gundhar went back to the kilns. He is now working as a loader there, piling bricks onto tractors for their onward journey. Nineteen years on, this young man and his family are still struggling to stave off the hunger that claimed his mother and left him with a lifelong frailty. This article was originally published on 21/ 10/2016 on the People's Archive of Rural India. Photo Credit: Purusottam Thakur

The long aftermath of hunger

&ldquo;We were sitting in the tent, they tore it down. We kept sitting,&rdquo; the old freedom fighter told us. &ldquo;They threw water on the ground and at us. They tried making the ground wet and difficult to sit on. We remained seated. Then when I went to drink some water and bent down near the tap, they smashed me on the head, fracturing my skull. I had to be rushed to the hospital.&rdquo;

Baji Mohammed is one of India&rsquo;s last living freedom fighters &ndash; just one of four or five nationally recognised ones still alive in Odisha&rsquo;s Koraput region. He is not talking about British brutality in 1942. (Though he has much to say on that, too.) He&rsquo;s describing the vicious attack on him during the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992, half a century later: &ldquo;I was there as part of a 100-member peace team.&rdquo; But the team was given no peace. The old Gandhian fighter, already in his mid-seventies, spent 10 days in the hospital and a month in a Varanasi ashram recovering from the injury to his head.

There is not an iota of anger as he describes the event. No hatred towards the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or Bajrang Dal that led the attack. Just a gentle old man with a charming smile. And a firm Gandhi bhakt. He&rsquo;s a Muslim who heads the anti-cow slaughter league of Nabrangpur. &ldquo;After the attack, Biju Patnaik came to my home and scolded me. He was worried about my being active even in the peaceful protest at my age. Earlier, too, when I did not accept this freedom fighter&rsquo;s pension for 12 years, he chided me.&rdquo;

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Baji Mohammed: a gentle old man whose sacrifice sits lightly on his aging shoulders (Others)
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Baji Mohammed is a colourful remnant of a vanishing tribe. Countless rural Indians sacrificed much for India&rsquo;s freedom. But the generation that led the nation to it is dying out swiftly, most of its members in their late 80s or 90s. Baji is closing in on 90.

&ldquo;I was studying in the 1930s but did not make it past matric. My guru was Sadashiv Tripathi who later became Odisha chief minister. I joined the Congress party and became president of its Nabrangpur unit [then still a part of Koraput district]. I made 20,000 members for the Congress. This was a region of great ferment. And it came fully alive with satyagraha.&rdquo;

However, while hundreds marched towards Koraput, Baji Mohammed headed elsewhere. &ldquo;I went to Gandhiji. I had to see him.&rdquo; And so he &ldquo;took a cycle, my friend Lakshman Sahu, no money, and went from here to Raipur.&rdquo; A distance of 350 kilometres of very tough, mountainous terrain. &ldquo;From there we took a train to Wardha and went on to Sewagram. Many great people were at his ashram. We were awed and worried. When could we meet him, if ever? Ask his secretary Mahadev Desai, people told us.

&ldquo;Desai told us to talk to him during his 5 p.m. evening walk. That&rsquo;s nice, I thought. A leisurely meeting. But the man walked so fast! My run was his walk. Finally, I could no longer keep up and appealed to him: Please stop: I have come all the way from Odisha just to see you.

&ldquo;He said testily: &lsquo;what will you see? I too am a human being, two hands, two legs, a pair of eyes. Are you a satyagrahi back in Odisha?&rsquo; I replied that I had pledged to be one.

&ldquo; &#39;Go&#39;, said Gandhi. &lsquo;Jao, lathi khao [Go and taste the British lathis]. Sacrifice for the nation.&rsquo; Seven days later, we returned here to do exactly as he ordered us.&rdquo; Baji Mohammed offered satyagraha in an anti-war protest outside the Nabrangpur Masjid. It led to &ldquo;six months in jail and a Rs. 50 fine. Not a small amount those days.&rdquo;

More episodes followed. &ldquo;On one occasion, at the jail, people gathered to attack the police. I stepped in and stopped it. &lsquo;Marenge lekin maarenge nahin&#39;, I said [We shall die, but we shall not attack].&rdquo;

&ldquo;Coming out of jail, I wrote to Gandhi: &#39;what now?&#39; And his reply came: &lsquo;Go to jail again&#39;. So I did. This time for four months. But the third time, they did not arrest us. So I asked Gandhi yet again: &#39;now what?&#39; And he said: &lsquo;Take the same slogans and move amongst the people&#39;. So we went 60 kilometres on foot each time with 20-30 people to clusters of villages. Then came the Quit India movement, and things changed.

&ldquo;On August 25, 1942, we were all arrested and held. Nineteen people died on the spot in police firing at Paparandi in Nabrangpur. Many died thereafter from their wounds. Over 300 were injured. More than 1,000 were jailed in Koraput district. Several were shot or executed. There were over 100 shaheeds (martyrs) in Koraput. Veer Lakhan Nayak [legendary tribal leader who defied the British] was hanged.&rdquo;

Baji&rsquo;s shoulder was shattered by the violence unleashed against the protesters. &ldquo;I then spent five years in Koraput jail. There I saw Lakhan Nayak before he was shifted to Berhampore jail. He was in the cell in front of me and I was with him when the hanging order came. What should I tell your family, I asked him. &lsquo;Tell them I am not worried,&rsquo; he replied. &lsquo;Only sad that I will not live to see the swaraj we fought for.&rsquo;&rdquo;

Baji himself did. He was released just before Independence Day &ndash; &ldquo;to walk into a newly-free nation.&rdquo; Many of his colleagues, amongst them future Chief Minister Sadashiv Tripathi, &ldquo;all became MLAs in the 1952 elections, the first in free India.&rdquo; Baji himself never contested the polls. Never married.

&ldquo;I did not seek power or position,&rdquo; he explains. &ldquo;I knew I could serve in other ways. The way Gandhi wanted us to.&rdquo; He was a staunch Congressman for decades. &ldquo;But now I belong to no party,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;I am non-party.&rdquo;

It did not stop him from being active in every cause which he thought mattered to the masses. Right from the time &ldquo;I took part in the bhoodan movement of Vinoba Bhave in 1956.&rdquo; He was also supportive of some of Jayaprakash Narayan&rsquo;s campaigns. &ldquo;He stayed here twice in the 1950s.&rdquo; The Congress asked him to contest elections more than once. &ldquo;But me, I was more seva dal than satta dal [More service oriented than power seeking].&quot;

For freedom fighter Baji Mohammed, meeting Gandhi was &ldquo;the greatest reward of my struggle. What more could one ask for?&rdquo; His eyes mist over as he shows us pictures of himself in one of the Mahatma&rsquo;s famous protest marches. These are his treasures, having gifted away his 14 acres of land during the bhoodan movement. His favourite moments during the freedom struggle? &ldquo;Every one of them. But of course, meeting the Mahatma, hearing his voice. That was the greatest moment of my life. The only regret is that his vision of what we should be as a nation, that is still not realised.&rdquo;

Just a gentle old man with a charming smile. And a sacrifice that sits lightly on aging shoulders.

This <a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/articles/nine-decades-of-non-violence/" rel="nofollow" target="blank">article</a> was originally published on 14/ 08/2015 on the <a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/" rel="nofollow" target="blank">People&#39;s Archive of Rural India</a>.

Photo Credit: P. Sainath

Baji Mohammed, the man whose non-violent struggles continued 60 years after Independence

“We were sitting in the tent, they tore it down. We kept sitting,” the old freedom fighter told us. “They threw water on the ground and at us. They tried making the ground wet and difficult to sit on. We remained seated. Then when I went to drink some water and bent down near the tap, they smashed me on the head, fracturing my skull. I had to be rushed to the hospital.” Baji Mohammed is one of India’s last living freedom fighters – just one of four or five nationally recognised ones still alive in Odisha’s Koraput region. He is not talking about British brutality in 1942. (Though he has much to say on that, too.) He’s describing the vicious attack on him during the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992, half a century later: “I was there as part of a 100-member peace team.” But the team was given no peace. The old Gandhian fighter, already in his mid-seventies, spent 10 days in the hospital and a month in a Varanasi ashram recovering from the injury to his head. There is not an iota of anger as he describes the event. No hatred towards the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or Bajrang Dal that led the attack. Just a gentle old man with a charming smile. And a firm Gandhi bhakt. He’s a Muslim who heads the anti-cow slaughter league of Nabrangpur. “After the attack, Biju Patnaik came to my home and scolded me. He was worried about my being active even in the peaceful protest at my age. Earlier, too, when I did not accept this freedom fighter’s pension for 12 years, he chided me.” Baji Mohammed: a gentle old man whose sacrifice sits lightly on his aging shoulders (Others) × Baji Mohammed is a colourful remnant of a vanishing tribe. Countless rural Indians sacrificed much for India’s freedom. But the generation that led the nation to it is dying out swiftly, most of its members in their late 80s or 90s. Baji is closing in on 90. “I was studying in the 1930s but did not make it past matric. My guru was Sadashiv Tripathi who later became Odisha chief minister. I joined the Congress party and became president of its Nabrangpur unit [then still a part of Koraput district]. I made 20,000 members for the Congress. This was a region of great ferment. And it came fully alive with satyagraha.” However, while hundreds marched towards Koraput, Baji Mohammed headed elsewhere. “I went to Gandhiji. I had to see him.” And so he “took a cycle, my friend Lakshman Sahu, no money, and went from here to Raipur.” A distance of 350 kilometres of very tough, mountainous terrain. “From there we took a train to Wardha and went on to Sewagram. Many great people were at his ashram. We were awed and worried. When could we meet him, if ever? Ask his secretary Mahadev Desai, people told us. “Desai told us to talk to him during his 5 p.m. evening walk. That’s nice, I thought. A leisurely meeting. But the man walked so fast! My run was his walk. Finally, I could no longer keep up and appealed to him: Please stop: I have come all the way from Odisha just to see you. “He said testily: ‘what will you see? I too am a human being, two hands, two legs, a pair of eyes. Are you a satyagrahi back in Odisha?’ I replied that I had pledged to be one. “ 'Go', said Gandhi. ‘Jao, lathi khao [Go and taste the British lathis]. Sacrifice for the nation.’ Seven days later, we returned here to do exactly as he ordered us.” Baji Mohammed offered satyagraha in an anti-war protest outside the Nabrangpur Masjid. It led to “six months in jail and a Rs. 50 fine. Not a small amount those days.” More episodes followed. “On one occasion, at the jail, people gathered to attack the police. I stepped in and stopped it. ‘Marenge lekin maarenge nahin', I said [We shall die, but we shall not attack].” “Coming out of jail, I wrote to Gandhi: 'what now?' And his reply came: ‘Go to jail again'. So I did. This time for four months. But the third time, they did not arrest us. So I asked Gandhi yet again: 'now what?' And he said: ‘Take the same slogans and move amongst the people'. So we went 60 kilometres on foot each time with 20-30 people to clusters of villages. Then came the Quit India movement, and things changed. “On August 25, 1942, we were all arrested and held. Nineteen people died on the spot in police firing at Paparandi in Nabrangpur. Many died thereafter from their wounds. Over 300 were injured. More than 1,000 were jailed in Koraput district. Several were shot or executed. There were over 100 shaheeds (martyrs) in Koraput. Veer Lakhan Nayak [legendary tribal leader who defied the British] was hanged.” Baji’s shoulder was shattered by the violence unleashed against the protesters. “I then spent five years in Koraput jail. There I saw Lakhan Nayak before he was shifted to Berhampore jail. He was in the cell in front of me and I was with him when the hanging order came. What should I tell your family, I asked him. ‘Tell them I am not worried,’ he replied. ‘Only sad that I will not live to see the swaraj we fought for.’” Baji himself did. He was released just before Independence Day – “to walk into a newly-free nation.” Many of his colleagues, amongst them future Chief Minister Sadashiv Tripathi, “all became MLAs in the 1952 elections, the first in free India.” Baji himself never contested the polls. Never married. “I did not seek power or position,” he explains. “I knew I could serve in other ways. The way Gandhi wanted us to.” He was a staunch Congressman for decades. “But now I belong to no party,” he says. “I am non-party.” It did not stop him from being active in every cause which he thought mattered to the masses. Right from the time “I took part in the bhoodan movement of Vinoba Bhave in 1956.” He was also supportive of some of Jayaprakash Narayan’s campaigns. “He stayed here twice in the 1950s.” The Congress asked him to contest elections more than once. “But me, I was more seva dal than satta dal [More service oriented than power seeking]." For freedom fighter Baji Mohammed, meeting Gandhi was “the greatest reward of my struggle. What more could one ask for?” His eyes mist over as he shows us pictures of himself in one of the Mahatma’s famous protest marches. These are his treasures, having gifted away his 14 acres of land during the bhoodan movement. His favourite moments during the freedom struggle? “Every one of them. But of course, meeting the Mahatma, hearing his voice. That was the greatest moment of my life. The only regret is that his vision of what we should be as a nation, that is still not realised.” Just a gentle old man with a charming smile. And a sacrifice that sits lightly on aging shoulders. This article was originally published on 14/ 08/2015 on the People's Archive of Rural India. Photo Credit: P. Sainath

Nine decades of non-violence

The government of Odisha announced the implementation of the much-anticipated 7th Pay commission. The scheme will be beneficial for more than 4.5 lakh government employees and 3.5 pensioners.&nbsp;

As the employees will get a pay hike in September&#39;s salary, the implementation will put a burden of Rs. 4,500 crore on the State exchequer.

&quot;My government has decided to implement the recommendations of the committee constituted for examination of 7th Central Pay Commission report and its adoption for the state government employees,&quot; said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

According to the chief minister, the work on arrear payments is under process.

Arrears will be given out for 20 months--the period between January 2016 and August 2017. The amount would total to roughly Rs. 9000 crore.

The details of the revised pay matrix are likely to be announced soon. 
 
The state is contemplating that it would be similar to that of the centre&#39;s implementation. Therefore, a 14.5 per cent hike in basic salary and 23 per cent increase in the overall salary is expected.&nbsp;

Government employees and pensioners have been demanding implementation of the pay commission recommendations from January 1, 2016, as done by the central government. 
 
This announcement has come at a time when the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has clarified that tax payers will have to link PAN with Aadhaar card by August 31--a three day deadline.

Arrears will be given out for 20 months--the period between January 2016 and August 2017. The amount would total to roughly Rs. 9000 crore.

The government of Odisha announced the implementation of the much-anticipated 7th Pay commission. The scheme will be beneficial for more than 4.5 lakh government employees and 3.5 pensioners. As the employees will get a pay hike in September's salary, the implementation will put a burden of Rs. 4,500 crore on the State exchequer. "My government has decided to implement the recommendations of the committee constituted for examination of 7th Central Pay Commission report and its adoption for the state government employees," said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. According to the chief minister, the work on arrear payments is under process. Arrears will be given out for 20 months--the period between January 2016 and August 2017. The amount would total to roughly Rs. 9000 crore. The details of the revised pay matrix are likely to be announced soon. The state is contemplating that it would be similar to that of the centre's implementation. Therefore, a 14.5 per cent hike in basic salary and 23 per cent increase in the overall salary is expected. Government employees and pensioners have been demanding implementation of the pay commission recommendations from January 1, 2016, as done by the central government. This announcement has come at a time when the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has clarified that tax payers will have to link PAN with Aadhaar card by August 31--a three day deadline.

Odisha will implement 7th Pay Commission report: CM Naveen Patnaik

The first phase of surgery to separate two-year-old twins from Odisha, who are joined at the head, was completed successfully at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi.

In the almost 20-hour-long surgery, the doctors performed a venous bypass to separate the veins shared by the babies that return blood to the heart from the brain.

&quot;The surgery began yesterday at around 9 am and went on till 5 am&nbsp;today. The children are under observation,&quot; a senior doctor at AIIMS said.

According to the doctor, the surgery to separate them will be taken up by the end of October.

The twins - Jagannath and Balram - from Kandhamal district in Odisha, are craniopagus conjoined twins who are joined at the head. This is a very rare condition.

A team of around 20 specialists from the institute&#39;s neurosurgery, neuro-anaesthesia and plastic surgery department besides a Japanese expert were involved in the procedure.

A series of investigations, including multiple MRIs, CT scans, and angiograms, were carried out on the twins to see to what extent the veins in their brains are fused and whether surgery was feasible.

The 27-month-old twins were shifted to AIIMS on July 13.

Meanwhile, the Odisha government today said it would seek the assistance of a specialist doctor from the US for the second phase of surgery on the conjoined twins.

&quot;The health condition of the twins is stable. The government is now planning to engage a specialist doctor from the USA for the second phase of operation,&quot; state health and family welfare minister P K Jena told reporters here.

AIIMS, New Delhi neurosurgery department professor Ashok Mohapatra told the news agency&#39;s reporter in Bhubaneswar over phone that the twins have been kept on ventilation as the doctors are careful against any kind of infection.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had yesterday tweeted &quot;I join the people of Odisha in prayer for success&nbsp;of surgery and new life for the conjoined twins fondly called Jaga-Balaia. Jai Jagannath.&quot;

Earlier, Patnaik had sanctioned Rs one crore from the Chief Minister&#39;s Relief Fund for the surgery on the conjoined twins.

&quot;We pray the God for the successful separation of their heads. The children are in ventilator. We wish for their speedy recovery,&quot; said Pushpanjali Kanhara and Bhuiya Kanhara, the parents of Jaga-Balia.

Deepak Gupta, professor of neurosurgery, had said the twins suffer from the condition which afflicts one in 30 lakh children, of which 50 per cent die either at birth or within 24 hours.

Surgery is feasible only on 25 per cent of the survivors while the rest continue to live with the condition.

&quot;Also, there is less than a 20 per cent chance of survival among those who undergo this surgery. Such operations are extremely challenging,&quot; he had said.

In the almost 20-hour-long surgery, the doctors performed venous bypass to separate the veins shared by the babies that return blood to the heart from the brain

The first phase of surgery to separate two-year-old twins from Odisha, who are joined at the head, was completed successfully at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi. In the almost 20-hour-long surgery, the doctors performed a venous bypass to separate the veins shared by the babies that return blood to the heart from the brain. "The surgery began yesterday at around 9 am and went on till 5 am today. The children are under observation," a senior doctor at AIIMS said. According to the doctor, the surgery to separate them will be taken up by the end of October. The twins - Jagannath and Balram - from Kandhamal district in Odisha, are craniopagus conjoined twins who are joined at the head. This is a very rare condition. A team of around 20 specialists from the institute's neurosurgery, neuro-anaesthesia and plastic surgery department besides a Japanese expert were involved in the procedure. A series of investigations, including multiple MRIs, CT scans, and angiograms, were carried out on the twins to see to what extent the veins in their brains are fused and whether surgery was feasible. The 27-month-old twins were shifted to AIIMS on July 13. Meanwhile, the Odisha government today said it would seek the assistance of a specialist doctor from the US for the second phase of surgery on the conjoined twins. "The health condition of the twins is stable. The government is now planning to engage a specialist doctor from the USA for the second phase of operation," state health and family welfare minister P K Jena told reporters here. AIIMS, New Delhi neurosurgery department professor Ashok Mohapatra told the news agency's reporter in Bhubaneswar over phone that the twins have been kept on ventilation as the doctors are careful against any kind of infection. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had yesterday tweeted "I join the people of Odisha in prayer for success of surgery and new life for the conjoined twins fondly called Jaga-Balaia. Jai Jagannath." Earlier, Patnaik had sanctioned Rs one crore from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund for the surgery on the conjoined twins. "We pray the God for the successful separation of their heads. The children are in ventilator. We wish for their speedy recovery," said Pushpanjali Kanhara and Bhuiya Kanhara, the parents of Jaga-Balia. Deepak Gupta, professor of neurosurgery, had said the twins suffer from the condition which afflicts one in 30 lakh children, of which 50 per cent die either at birth or within 24 hours. Surgery is feasible only on 25 per cent of the survivors while the rest continue to live with the condition. "Also, there is less than a 20 per cent chance of survival among those who undergo this surgery. Such operations are extremely challenging," he had said.

Conjoined twins from Odisha undergo first phase of separation surgery

The Union government has granted Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences(KISS) status of a deemed university making it the first tribal university in the world. 
&nbsp; 
The University located in Odisha&#39;s capital Bhubaneswar was founded in 1993 with just over hundred students, now has at least 25,000 tribal students in its campus area.

The University&nbsp;set up by Dr. Achyuta Samanta, 52, provides free education and accommodation for&nbsp;tribal students and has reportedly over seven hundred teachers at Bhubaneswar.

The University has an almost zero drop-out rate with special&nbsp;focus&nbsp;towards all-round growth of students in&nbsp;sports and skill development.

Reports say the University is set to introduce seven new departments to further research on tribal subjects.

The Kalinga model has attracted global attention with several foreign countries evincing interest in setting up similar schools for underprivileged children.

Several states in India namely Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh have now decided to replicate the Kalinga model.

The University&#39;s&nbsp;Delhi branch has been operating for the past several years, set up through a joint venture between the Delhi government and KISS&nbsp;at Bhubaneswar.

The University located in Odisha's capital Bhubaneswar was founded in 1993 with just over hundred students.

The Union government has granted Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences(KISS) status of a deemed university making it the first tribal university in the world. The University located in Odisha's capital Bhubaneswar was founded in 1993 with just over hundred students, now has at least 25,000 tribal students in its campus area. The University set up by Dr. Achyuta Samanta, 52, provides free education and accommodation for tribal students and has reportedly over seven hundred teachers at Bhubaneswar. The University has an almost zero drop-out rate with special focus towards all-round growth of students in sports and skill development. Reports say the University is set to introduce seven new departments to further research on tribal subjects. The Kalinga model has attracted global attention with several foreign countries evincing interest in setting up similar schools for underprivileged children. Several states in India namely Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh have now decided to replicate the Kalinga model. The University's Delhi branch has been operating for the past several years, set up through a joint venture between the Delhi government and KISS at Bhubaneswar.

Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences in Odisha becomes first tribal university in the world

Naxals in Odisha attacked the Doikallu railway station in Rayagada district&nbsp;in early morning hours of Friday.

More than 30 naxals attacked the railway station and caused two explosions protesting Prime Minister&#39;s Narendra Modi visit to the state on April 15, ANI reported.

The naxals caused two explosions and fled with two walkie-talkie sets.

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Odisha: More than 30 naxals attacked Doikallu Rly Station in early morning hours and caused two explosions, fled with two walkie-talkie sets <a href="https://t.co/2hJKx6DySA">pic.twitter.com/2hJKx6DySA</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/847652880148381697">March 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
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They also put up posters protesting Prime Minister Modi&#39;s upcoming visit to the state.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UPDATE?src=hash">#UPDATE</a> More than 30 naxals attacked Doikallu Rly Station causing 2 explosions &amp; left posters protesting PM Modi&#39;s upcoming visit to Odisha. <a href="https://t.co/1qWCrrYJSU">pic.twitter.com/1qWCrrYJSU</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/847654693840998401">March 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Bhartiya Janata Party will hold a two-day national executive meet in Odisha&#39;s capital from April 15. The meeting will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party president Amit Shah, senior leaders LK Advani among others.

(WION with inputs from ANI)

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More than 30 Naxals attacked the railway station and fled with walkie-talkie sets

Naxals in Odisha attacked the Doikallu railway station in Rayagada district in early morning hours of Friday. More than 30 naxals attacked the railway station and caused two explosions protesting Prime Minister's Narendra Modi visit to the state on April 15, ANI reported. The naxals caused two explosions and fled with two walkie-talkie sets. Odisha: More than 30 naxals attacked Doikallu Rly Station in early morning hours and caused two explosions, fled with two walkie-talkie sets pic.twitter.com/2hJKx6DySA — ANI (@ANI_news) March 31, 2017 × They also put up posters protesting Prime Minister Modi's upcoming visit to the state. #UPDATE More than 30 naxals attacked Doikallu Rly Station causing 2 explosions & left posters protesting PM Modi's upcoming visit to Odisha. pic.twitter.com/1qWCrrYJSU — ANI (@ANI_news) March 31, 2017 × Bhartiya Janata Party will hold a two-day national executive meet in Odisha's capital from April 15. The meeting will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party president Amit Shah, senior leaders LK Advani among others. (WION with inputs from ANI)

Naxals attack Odisha railway station, set off two explosions

Demonetisation of high denomination currency notes has badly hit agricultural and construction activities across Odisha, as cash-starved farmers are finding it hard to pay agricultural labourers, who are demanding wages in advance, that too in Rs 100 denomination.

People in Ganjam district said that they do not have enough cash to give to daily wage labourers.

Sudhir Rout, a farmer from Baiganabadi on the outskirts of Berhampur city in Ganjam district, said that he failed to pay the wages to labourers engaged in cutting crops.

Rout is in a fix as labourers are refusing to accept old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes and he does not have enough Rs 100 notes to distribute among them.

Rout is not the only farmer facing such a problem. Several of them across the state are struggling to purchase ration, pay dues to agriculture labourers and manage various other expenses.

Another farmer from the district is facing a tough time in convincing labourers to work in his field. Due to this problem, he could not even complete harvesting. He had gone to a nearby market to withdraw money from the ATM, but it was not functioning.

The farmer tried to exchange money from the bank, but it handed him a Rs 2,000 note.

&quot;What will I do with the new note? I struggled to change even Rs 1,000 note,&quot; he said.

&quot;Now the paddy crop is in harvesting stage but no one is ready to come and work unless I pay the wages in advance and in Rs 100 denomination,&quot; said Rout.

The demonetisation crisis also affected construction activities in different areas. With labourers reluctant to accept Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, people are seen struggling to secure Rs 100 notes to continue the construction work. Several house owners have been forced to stop such activities.

&quot;I have stopped construction work for the last three days as I do not have notes of smaller denominations to pay daily wage labourers,&quot; Manoj Padhy, an advocate from Brajanagara in Berhampur, said.

(PTI)

People in Ganjam district said that they do not have enough cash to give to daily wage labourers

Demonetisation of high denomination currency notes has badly hit agricultural and construction activities across Odisha, as cash-starved farmers are finding it hard to pay agricultural labourers, who are demanding wages in advance, that too in Rs 100 denomination. People in Ganjam district said that they do not have enough cash to give to daily wage labourers. Sudhir Rout, a farmer from Baiganabadi on the outskirts of Berhampur city in Ganjam district, said that he failed to pay the wages to labourers engaged in cutting crops. Rout is in a fix as labourers are refusing to accept old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes and he does not have enough Rs 100 notes to distribute among them. Rout is not the only farmer facing such a problem. Several of them across the state are struggling to purchase ration, pay dues to agriculture labourers and manage various other expenses. Another farmer from the district is facing a tough time in convincing labourers to work in his field. Due to this problem, he could not even complete harvesting. He had gone to a nearby market to withdraw money from the ATM, but it was not functioning. The farmer tried to exchange money from the bank, but it handed him a Rs 2,000 note. "What will I do with the new note? I struggled to change even Rs 1,000 note," he said. "Now the paddy crop is in harvesting stage but no one is ready to come and work unless I pay the wages in advance and in Rs 100 denomination," said Rout. The demonetisation crisis also affected construction activities in different areas. With labourers reluctant to accept Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, people are seen struggling to secure Rs 100 notes to continue the construction work. Several house owners have been forced to stop such activities. "I have stopped construction work for the last three days as I do not have notes of smaller denominations to pay daily wage labourers," Manoj Padhy, an advocate from Brajanagara in Berhampur, said. (PTI)

Demonetisation affects farming, construction activities in India's Odisha

At least 24 Maoist rebels were gunned down in a police encounter in the forested area of India&#39;s eastern state of Odisha yesterday.&nbsp;

Among the deceased, eight were women, media reports said. One police officer was killed, while one injured in the gun battle, Reuters reported the suprintendent of police as saying.&nbsp;

The police had tracked a group of 30 maoist rebels who had gathered at a makeshift camp close to the border of Andhra Pradesh in the Malkangiri district of Odisha.&nbsp;

According to the Hindu, this is the second major encounter and the biggest in Malkangiri after the encounter in the same district in 2013 when around 13 Maoists were killed. &nbsp;

Chitrakonda reservoir, where the encounter happened,&nbsp;in the Malkangiri district is the strong hold of the Maoists due to its inaccessibility.&nbsp;

Maoist launched an insurgency in the 1960s to fight against the government that they allege has plundered the mineral-rich east by snatching land from the poor, thus rendering them homeless.&nbsp;

According to the South Asia Terrorism Portal, around 337 people have been kiled in left-wing violence, More than half of them, according to the agency, are alleged insurgents.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters) 
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The police had tracked a group of 30 maoist rebels who had gathered at a makeshift camp close to the border of Andhra Pradesh on 24th Oct

At least 24 Maoist rebels were gunned down in a police encounter in the forested area of India's eastern state of Odisha yesterday. Among the deceased, eight were women, media reports said. One police officer was killed, while one injured in the gun battle, Reuters reported the suprintendent of police as saying. The police had tracked a group of 30 maoist rebels who had gathered at a makeshift camp close to the border of Andhra Pradesh in the Malkangiri district of Odisha. According to the Hindu, this is the second major encounter and the biggest in Malkangiri after the encounter in the same district in 2013 when around 13 Maoists were killed. Chitrakonda reservoir, where the encounter happened, in the Malkangiri district is the strong hold of the Maoists due to its inaccessibility. Maoist launched an insurgency in the 1960s to fight against the government that they allege has plundered the mineral-rich east by snatching land from the poor, thus rendering them homeless. According to the South Asia Terrorism Portal, around 337 people have been kiled in left-wing violence, More than half of them, according to the agency, are alleged insurgents. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

India: 24 Maoists insurgents killed in police encounter in Odisha

Defeating all odds, an 11-year-old football player from Odisha&#39;s Sabar Sahi slum has made the country proud by making his way to Germany&#39;s Bayern Munich Club. 
 
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PVceV-lv_o4?list=PLmWa9ZZLlCjt0Jlg7kN3JBNX4LH1sRsGh" width="970"></iframe> &nbsp; 
 
The young football genius, Chandan Nayak, has been chosen to travel to Munich to get a two-month training at the reputed club. Nayak, who hails from an extremely underprivileged family, will stay there as an academy player in an all-expenses-paid junior football camp. 
 
Bayern Munich is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria, best known for its professional football team, which plays in the Bundesliga. It is the most successful club in German football history, having won a record 26 national titles and 18 national cups.

Nayak will stay there as an academy player in an all-expenses-paid junior football camp

Defeating all odds, an 11-year-old football player from Odisha's Sabar Sahi slum has made the country proud by making his way to Germany's Bayern Munich Club. The young football genius, Chandan Nayak, has been chosen to travel to Munich to get a two-month training at the reputed club. Nayak, who hails from an extremely underprivileged family, will stay there as an academy player in an all-expenses-paid junior football camp. Bayern Munich is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria, best known for its professional football team, which plays in the Bundesliga. It is the most successful club in German football history, having won a record 26 national titles and 18 national cups.

Video: An Indian village boy makes it to Germany's top football club

A tribal man from the eastern Indian state of Odisha walked 10 kilometres carrying his dead wife&#39;s body after he failed to get transport from the government hospital in the district of Kalahandi where she had died of tuberculosis the previous night.&nbsp; 
 
Dana Majhi wrapped his 42-year-old wife&#39;s body in sheets taken from the hospital bed, put her body over his shoulder, and started walking with his 12-year-old daughter to their village, about 60 km from the district headquarters hospital at Bhawanipatha.&nbsp; 
 
A few local reporters spotted the duo on their way and called up the district collector to arrange an ambulance for the rest of the journey. 
 
The &lsquo;Mahaparayana&rsquo; scheme launched by the Odisha government in February offers free transportation of corpses from government hospitals to the residences of the deceased. The scheme also deploys helpers at 37 government hospitals and allots 40 vehicles for the purpose.&nbsp; 
 
Manjhi, however, despite trying, was unable to get any transportation from the hospital.&nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;I told the hospital authorities that I am a poor man and cannot afford a vehicle. Despite repeated requests, they said they cannot offer any help,&rdquo; Manjhi told a local television channel. 
 
Kalahandi district collector Brunda D told PTI, &ldquo;When we got to know of the incident, we spoke to the chief district medical officer (CDMO) and arranged for an ambulance.&rdquo; 
 
&ldquo;I have issued instructions to the tehsildar (tax collector) to provide assistance under the Harishchandra Yojana (assistance to the poor and destitute to perform last rites). I have also asked the block development officer to provide assistance from Red Cross,&rdquo; he added. 
 
The state government on Thursday ordered a probe into the incident.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
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Dana Manjhi's wife had died of tuberculosis the night before at the district headquarters hospital

A tribal man from the eastern Indian state of Odisha walked 10 kilometres carrying his dead wife's body after he failed to get transport from the government hospital in the district of Kalahandi where she had died of tuberculosis the previous night. Dana Majhi wrapped his 42-year-old wife's body in sheets taken from the hospital bed, put her body over his shoulder, and started walking with his 12-year-old daughter to their village, about 60 km from the district headquarters hospital at Bhawanipatha. A few local reporters spotted the duo on their way and called up the district collector to arrange an ambulance for the rest of the journey. The ‘Mahaparayana’ scheme launched by the Odisha government in February offers free transportation of corpses from government hospitals to the residences of the deceased. The scheme also deploys helpers at 37 government hospitals and allots 40 vehicles for the purpose. Manjhi, however, despite trying, was unable to get any transportation from the hospital. “I told the hospital authorities that I am a poor man and cannot afford a vehicle. Despite repeated requests, they said they cannot offer any help,” Manjhi told a local television channel. Kalahandi district collector Brunda D told PTI, “When we got to know of the incident, we spoke to the chief district medical officer (CDMO) and arranged for an ambulance.” “I have issued instructions to the tehsildar (tax collector) to provide assistance under the Harishchandra Yojana (assistance to the poor and destitute to perform last rites). I have also asked the block development officer to provide assistance from Red Cross,” he added. The state government on Thursday ordered a probe into the incident. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Refused transport, Indian man carries dead wife's body from hospital for 10 km

As India&rsquo;s national capital struggles with dengue outbreak, a spike in dengue cases has also been reported from eastern parts of India.&nbsp; 
 
Besides the national capital, the vector-borner disease is spreading rapidly across several states in the eastern region of India including Odisha and West Bengal.&nbsp; 
 
As many as 3,000 cases of dengue have been reported in the last few weeks alone in Odisha, health officials inform. Dengue has spread across 25 districts in the state; while 2,400 cases have been reported from silver city Cuttack and Barbil area of Keonjhar district.&nbsp; 
 
About 1,216 dengue patients have been identified from Keonjhar district alone, the state health department observed.&nbsp; 
 
Meanwhile, in West Bengal, over 1,000 cases have been reported in the last few weeks, according to health officials, and as many as seven people have died in the last five days.&nbsp; 
 
The deceased dengue victims included eight and nine year old students of a renowned school in West Bengal. Also, many children have been admitted to hospitals across the state with high fever and other symptoms of dengue.&nbsp; 
 
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee chaired a high-level meeting with state officials yesterday in a bid to combat the rising cases of dengue being reported across the state. Banerjee said besides dengue, measures have been taken to combat all the other vector-borne diseases.&nbsp; 
 
In north-eastern state of Assam too, more than 180 cases of dengue have been reported from different parts of the state in the last few weeks, health officials say.&nbsp;Officials further observe a recent spurt in cases of dengue being reported from across the north-eastern states of India.&nbsp; 
 
(WION)&nbsp; 
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Thousands of cases have been reported from eastern states, West Bengal and Odisha, in recent weeks

As India’s national capital struggles with dengue outbreak, a spike in dengue cases has also been reported from eastern parts of India. Besides the national capital, the vector-borner disease is spreading rapidly across several states in the eastern region of India including Odisha and West Bengal. As many as 3,000 cases of dengue have been reported in the last few weeks alone in Odisha, health officials inform. Dengue has spread across 25 districts in the state; while 2,400 cases have been reported from silver city Cuttack and Barbil area of Keonjhar district. About 1,216 dengue patients have been identified from Keonjhar district alone, the state health department observed. Meanwhile, in West Bengal, over 1,000 cases have been reported in the last few weeks, according to health officials, and as many as seven people have died in the last five days. The deceased dengue victims included eight and nine year old students of a renowned school in West Bengal. Also, many children have been admitted to hospitals across the state with high fever and other symptoms of dengue. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee chaired a high-level meeting with state officials yesterday in a bid to combat the rising cases of dengue being reported across the state. Banerjee said besides dengue, measures have been taken to combat all the other vector-borne diseases. In north-eastern state of Assam too, more than 180 cases of dengue have been reported from different parts of the state in the last few weeks, health officials say. Officials further observe a recent spurt in cases of dengue being reported from across the north-eastern states of India. (WION)

Spike in dengue cases observed in eastern parts of India

Twenty-two tribal children in India&#39;s eastern Odisha state have died of malnutrition in the last two months.&nbsp;The children, all members of Juang tribe in Nagada village of Odisha&#39;s Jajpur district, died of acute malnutrition. 
 
With no access to immediate healthcare and social welfare benefits, situation remains grim in the village.&nbsp;Meanwhile, the Opposition lashed out at the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) for not taking adequate steps to address the issue. 
 
&quot;Twenty two children have died due to malnutrition. This has happened because Odisha&#39;s chief minister is saying that he is doing development work, he is providing special schemes for villagers and tribal people, but no such scheme from federal or state government has reached the villagers and tribals yet,&quot; said a legislator of Bharatiya Janata Party, Rabinarayan Nayak. 
 
Despite India&#39;s economic boom over the last two decades, 46 per cent of its children under five years of age are underweight, and 48 per cent are stunted, according to the 2015 government figures. 
 
Child malnutrition is an underlying cause of death for three million children annually across the world - nearly half of all child deaths - with most dying from preventable illnesses like diarrhoea due to weak immune systems, according to the United Nations Children&#39;s Fund. 
 
Those lucky enough to survive, grow up without enough energy, protein, vitamins and minerals, causing their brains and bodies to be stunted, which means they cannot fulfill their physical, academic or economic potential. 
 
(Reuters)

Juang tribe in Nagada village of Odisha has no access to immediate healthcare and social welfare benefits

Twenty-two tribal children in India's eastern Odisha state have died of malnutrition in the last two months. The children, all members of Juang tribe in Nagada village of Odisha's Jajpur district, died of acute malnutrition. With no access to immediate healthcare and social welfare benefits, situation remains grim in the village. Meanwhile, the Opposition lashed out at the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) for not taking adequate steps to address the issue. "Twenty two children have died due to malnutrition. This has happened because Odisha's chief minister is saying that he is doing development work, he is providing special schemes for villagers and tribal people, but no such scheme from federal or state government has reached the villagers and tribals yet," said a legislator of Bharatiya Janata Party, Rabinarayan Nayak. Despite India's economic boom over the last two decades, 46 per cent of its children under five years of age are underweight, and 48 per cent are stunted, according to the 2015 government figures. Child malnutrition is an underlying cause of death for three million children annually across the world - nearly half of all child deaths - with most dying from preventable illnesses like diarrhoea due to weak immune systems, according to the United Nations Children's Fund. Those lucky enough to survive, grow up without enough energy, protein, vitamins and minerals, causing their brains and bodies to be stunted, which means they cannot fulfill their physical, academic or economic potential. (Reuters)

22 tribal children die of malnutrition in eastern India village

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