People's Democracy

ORISSA

Agenda Of Desaffronisation A Casualty

Santosh Das

THE brutal killing of Graham Stains, an Australian missionary, who was burnt alive along with his infant sons, was justified by the Sangh Parivar on the grounds, that he was committing the ‘sin’ of organising conversion. One member of parliament belonging to BJP with audacity conveyed his salute to the killer Dara Singh, conferring him the title of “Crusader Against Conversion”.

Surprisingly, another person called Dr V N Mishra, who converted his citizenship from Indian to Australian, was rewarded with the Directorship of Bhubaneswar based Regional Research Laboratory, a unit of CSIR, that operates under the ministry of Science & Technology, government of India during the NDA rule in January 2001 when the then HRD minister Murali Manhoar Joshi was pioneering the agenda of saffronisation. This was a clear violation of the law of the land and government of India rule. Under the law a foreign citizen could not be appointed to such post. Thanks to the patriotism of Sangh Parivar that encourages such unlawful appointment. This is the true colour of their cultural nationalism.

This appointment of Australian convert Dr V N Mishra was followed by the saffronisation of the premier research institute of Orissa where Sadhus/Babas/Mahantas were invited at the institute’s cost to deliver religious prabachans and scientists were asked to suspend research and laboratory activities to listen to the Babas in order to promote their Hindutva consciousness!

Corruption has been observed as an important ingredient campaign of saffronisation. Out of the purchase and recruitment, black money has been minted. Favours have been done to relatives in appointment, and property of the institute was used to provide luxury and comfort to the Director.

Never did the CSIR attempt to check such malpractices. The Director, R A Mashelkar was busy attending the RSS shakhas - and defending his in action. The HRD minister, who happened to be the vice-president of CSIR was busy implementing the agenda of saffronisation. The prime minister, the ex-office president of CSIR was proclaiming himself to be a Swayamsevak!

The research standard of this premier institution deteriorated to its lowest ebb because of the poor academic background of the Director and his preoccupation with Hindutva rather than scientific & research activities.

Following the end of the NDA regime, the announcement of the UPA in its Common Minimum Programme (CMP) to desaffronise the educational scientific and research institutes generated hope among the scientists and the secular people. Petitions addressed to the minister of state for science and technology by the CPI(M), Orissa state committee were recommended by Basudev Acharia and A Vijayaraghavan; Nilotpal Basu and Sarala Maheswari too talked to the minister in this respect. Kapil Sibbal, the minister ordered a departmental inquiry to be conducted by the CVO who, in turn, submitted the interim report by the end of September 2004.

It is now learnt that the CVO’s interim report has established direct involvement of the director, V N Mishra, in several gross irregularities including (1) spending huge amount of RRL funds for saffronisation activities by inviting Sadhus/ Babas/ Mahantas for religious propaganda, (2) purchasing equipments from M/s Humboldi Wedag worth a crore of rupees by directly violating the purchase rules. Being a consultant to the said firm the director could not make purchases from this firm. (3) recruiting his blood relation without declaration, (4) appointing inferior candidates as scientists through manipulation of selection procedure, (5) falsely declaring his nephew as his adopted son and availing benefits for him from RRL, (6) fixing 9 air conditioners, which were purchased for guest house, in his official residence for the last three and half years and tampering with energy meters fitted in his residence to avoid huge electricity bill, (7) protecting the corrupt civil engineer of RRL despite CBI’s instruction to initiate disciplinary proceedings against him, (8) misuse of funds, (9) false claims in his curriculum bio-data, (10) violation of government of India rules for self benefits, (11) unethical R&D practices etc. Besides the above, CVO’s report confirms gross violation of rules in purchase of equipments worth more than Rs 200 crore in last 4 years with involvement of the director V N Mishra as the king pin.

Unfortunately, no action so far has been taken against the tainted director. This inaction on the part of UPA government brings frustration among the secular people and the scientific community. On the other hand, it encourages the director to continue his corrupt practices unhindered tarnishing the reputation of the Scientific and Research Institute.