The dispute between Orissa and Chhattisgarh over sharing of waters of the Mahanadi, and the worries Oriyas have on that count are reflected in a Ganesh puja pandal in the city. Members of Unit-II Puja Committee here have created a Pandal for Lord Ganesh with the Mahanadi water dispute as its theme. “With both states failing to resolve the dispute and remaining firm on their respective stands, it is better to put the issue before the Lord, as it seems only He can help us know the truth,” a person quipped.
Act of god?
This year’s Teachers’ Day happened to coincide with Ganesh Chaturthi. But at least one section of teachers does not believe it is but mere coincidence. They like to see it as an “act of god”. According to them, it meant that Lord Ganesha himself had found that the issues teachers in the state were facing were unaddressed and that He has now given teachers top priority. A top official of education department, though, was unable to see the godly touch.
War’s in a name
Senior BJD leader and agriculture minister Pradeep Maharathy appeared to have trouble pronouncing the name of minister of state for finance Santosh Gangwar. Addressing the media during Gangwar’s recent visit to Orissa, the minister referred to him as ‘gang war’. Maharathy did correct the mistake when reporters pointed this folly out. But one reporter made an aside that even the mispronunciation was correct in a way as something akin to a gang war had erupted between BJD and BJP activists the day the minister visited the state. Gangwar’s convoy had been attacked, allegedly by BJD activists, during his last visit to Orissa. And workers of BJD and BJP clashed across the state following the incident.
‘Like wind’
A man approached the Sahid Nagar police Tuesday to lodge a complaint that his mobile phone was stolen. The complainant urged the police to use the mobile tracking device to locate his cell phone. In response, the diary control officer (DCO) said the mobile phone tracking device was “like wind”, “no one can see it”. He went on to explain that the “mobile tracking device was used in sensitive cases or when a top cop decided to use it”. “Write your alternative number in the complaint, and if we ‘find’ your mobile phone we will contact you,” he said. The complainant left the police station a sullen man.
Contributors: Sudarsan Maharana, Jose K Joseph, Biswa Bhusan Mohapatra, Ashish Mehta
