One of the most enigmatic personalities in Indian polity, Naveen Patnaik, is on his way to complete his third term in office as the Chief Minister of Odisha. He is not included in the ‘indigenous flock’ of the state. He is still not adept with the state language (odia). He lacks the iconic stature and credibility of his father (Biju Patnaik). He definitely lacks the charisma of being the ‘leader of the masses’. So what makes him indispensable in the state?
Naveen was shielded from the quagmire of politics by his father. He went to Welham Boys and Doon School in Delhi in his nascent stage. His adolescent days were spent in London. He counted Mick Jagger and Jackie Onassis as his friends, drank tea at Fortnum and Mason’s and shopped at Saks Fifth Avenue. Such has been the upbringing of this man. So in what way can he understand the sentiments of the people of Odisha? In what way is he an Odia?
When he became the CM, he had hardly any idea about the language. Tackling his indifferent dialect was for him, an Everest to climb. One notable incident would be when he slurred the term ‘baripada’ as ‘badipada’(a slang). The unintentional ‘pun’ used here showed his helplessness.
He, a political novice, doesn’t have the credentials or experience to lead a state thrice. Just because he is the son of the late Biju Patnaik, a colossal figure in the state’s political history, he oughtn’t inherit his father’s legacy and take advantage of the nuances of his father’s deeds. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and lead a luxurious an opulent life. Its very difficult for him to discover the solutions of the poverty-stricken state. He rarely visits the drought affected districts, which form the core of the state’s landscape. Also highlighting the villages affected by the natural calamities (the super cyclone, the floods, the drought, etc.). The meticulously identifiable white kurta of Naveen is accompanied by contempt an grimace on his face, when he visits such areas.
With aspirations of being a dictator in the state, he has acted shrewdly. He has been able to keep himself away from the clout of other ministers, who are nothing but a bunch of power hungry bourgeoisie politicians. He empowers his civil servants more than his ministerial colleagues.
Orissa has always been a land rich in raw materials. There are numerous mines in the state. Credit goes to Naveen for promoting urbanization and industrialization in the state, but at a very high cost. The burgeonising of foreign companies in the state has been a nefarious conspiracy of Naveen. The clandestine activities that go hand in hand with the setting of these industries, fills the pockets of these leaders. The multi-million projects such as VEDANTA ( Jharsuguda) and POSCO (Jagatsinghpur) have been set up in the state, the surplus nuances act as ammunition for Naveen during the elections. The illegal land acquisition from the poor farmers is callous. The poor farmers who are uneducated and ignorant, fail to realize the actual worth of the land, are satiated by Naveen for a meager sum of money. Apparently, they succumb to their ‘external forces’. The erring acumen of the common men for appraising the mettle of their leaders is quite bewildering. In the name of uplifting and articulating the plight of the poor and downtrodden, Naveen has been sucking blood from the body of his own men.
The lack of progeny and political lineage has worked in Naveen’s favor. Due to this common perception from the people, enables him to maintain a ‘non-corrupt image’. A number of vigilance raids by the government sleuths has beguiled the mob and strengthened his ‘delusive image’. These are nothing but mere acts to sabotage his opposition or pariah any power rising against him. But what about the squalor involved in VEDANTA and POSCO? What about the plethora of illegal money that he has earned through these assignments?
Now coming to the general elections, there is no ambiguity that Naveen lacks potential, able and dynamic opposition. This is one of the two reasons for his success in the general elections. The other is the relentless usage of money during the elections. From where does the flush of cash occurs? (VEDANTA and POSCO). “Fair is foul and foul is fair”. Here elections are won by underhand and despicable methods. The first time he got the sympathy votes from the people, the second, may be for his beguiling ‘non- corrupt’ image. But for the third time? What were the people thinking? Are the people of ORISSA so fickle and unmagnanimous that they fail to see the true colors of this ‘gentleman’? This time his ignominy was at a high-a plethora of corruption charges, his incompetence in handling the Maoist issue, inadequate supply of funds to the flood hit areas and many more.
The state is going through tempestuous times. It has so many pressing problems to surmount. Poverty is staring us in the face and we have yet to provide food, shelter, education and employment to millions of our people. And still the people don’t want to be counted. Are the people so ‘ignorant’ and ‘blind’ to overlook his liabilities? Is he such a great leader to come to power thrice in succession? The enigma of Naveen lingers on!!
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