Bhubaneswar: The inaugural edition of ‘Town Hall: The Public Discourse’ in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday platformed two burning issues amid the evolving political and economic landscape of Odisha.
An initiative of Odisha Bytes, the event explored two topics, “Can Alternative Politics Be the Political Alternative?” and “Does the Odisha Model Need a Course Correction?” It also featured an engaging one-on-one conversation with Md Moquim, former MLA and senior political leader, who is set to launch a new political party in Odisha.
In the opening session, which was moderated by Group Editor of Odisha Bytes and Odisha Sambad, Sandeep Mishra, former minister and senior politician Amar Prasad Satpathy said the mishandling of the Super Cyclone (1999) saw newly-formed regional party Biju Janata Dal emerge as an alternative to the Congress and ruled the state for decades. Senior journalist Rajaram Satapathy reminded everyone of the youth protests in neighbouring countries in recent times. “Gen Z movements in Nepal and Bangladesh prove that alternative politics is possible. The comparison though is unfair because India is a strong democracy,” he noted.
Professor of Political Science at Ravenshaw University Dr Netaji Abhinandan observed, “Though there are political parties in a democracy, there is no democracy in the parties. Only when parties move beyond leader-centric structures can meaningful change emerge.” Former Chief Secretary of Odisha Bijay Patnaik questioned the powers that be for announcing freebies in the run-up to elections. “In a way, it is like giving money from the state exchequer to voters to elect you?” he lamented.
The second session, moderated by economist Pravas Mishra, turned to economic priorities. Former Finance Minister of Odisha Shashi Bhusan Behera (BJD) said that budgets should take into account the varied needs of the different sections of people and cited the ‘Agriculture Budget’ presented during BJD rule in Odisha as an example.
Senior BJP leader Satyabrata Panda questioned the over-dependence of Odisha’s GDP on the revenues coming from the mining sector. “There is significant potential and opportunity in the shipbuilding sector in Odisha, as China now dominates the global market. Leveraging this vast coastal resource for expanded fish and seaweed production represents a smart, forward-looking strategy to drive revenue,” he noted.
Chartered Accountant Rajib Sekhar Sahoo suggested that the state should look beyond mineral reserves. “Odisha has ancient temples, heritage and a large coastline. If our tourism potential is fully explored, it will generate massive revenues for the state,” he said.
Former bureaucrat Aurobindo Behera summarised the discussion by suggesting the three steps Odisha must take immediately. “There should be diversification in agriculture, emphasis on medium and small scale industries (MSMEs) and decentralisation of governance,” he concluded.
The event concluded with a candid one-on-one with Md Moquim, who dwelt on possibilities of alternative politics in Odisha, drawing from events in India and the recent power dynamics across borders. The former MLA elaborated on floating a new political outfit, ‘Odisha Janata Congress’, explaining the timing, the vision, and the urgent need to cultivate fresh leadership to push for real progress of Odisha.
The event was sponsored by SOA University and Vedanta, and co-sponsored by NALCO with Prameya as the newspaper partner, News7 as television partner, Odisha Sambad as web media associate and Enter Ten Events and Promotions as event partner.
