CUO Documentary film grabs award at national level

CHALTE CHALTE... NEVER SAY A GOOD BYE...

CUO: Guests and Faculty Members

(Photo - Team Pointblank)

CUO, Koraput: “Chalte... chalte... mere ye geet yaad rakhna... kabhi alvida naa kehna...”, the song brought the Farewell function for the 2nd year J&MC students to an end. The 3 hours function swapped the two years innumerable memories of those students at a glance. Their happy days at the university, sorrows of failure and big fights with friends that once had been their present became past teachings for their future life.

 The function started with the lighting of the lamp by Mr.Sudhakar Pattnaik, the Officer-in-charge of CUO, Koraput accompanied by the faculty members of J&MC department. The presence of Mr. Nilambar Rath, one of the senior journalist of Nakashtra News channel and his inspiring speech uplifted the enthusiasm of the students.  The first year students with their efforts and creativity tried to make the function successful. Seniors with a heavy heart shared their experiences and memorable moments with the gathering and gave the message of working hard for success to the juniors. All the smiling faces busy in licking their finger tips indicated the taste and deliciousness of the lunch arranged for the students, faculty members as well as staff.

CUO: Second Year Students experiencing Farewell

(Photo - Team Pointblank)

To break the monotony the real entertainment started after the lunch, where there were many song and dance performances by the students. It made the function livelier and filled it with an aroma of pleasure and cheerfulness. The song "Papa kehte hai..." dedicated to the seniors by Mikhael gave the function zeal to never ending moments. "He faguna tume, galaa pare pare..."one thought provoking serious parting song of Odia Legend, the evergreen, Akshya Mohanty by Sudarsan forced the gathering to feel the essence of emotional involvement and the unbreakable attachment between hearts. Tanuja’s rocking dance performance made the seniors to forget their grief and dance with her.

The performance of all the juniors on a medley of songs brought a smile on the faces of the gathering and indicated the end of the function. The function was wrapped up with the mass dance by all students and faculty with smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes. As always said never say good bye, for what is present will surely become past and will treasure one’s memories with smiles and tears.

(Team Pointblank)

THE RICHEST GAME AND THE POOREST REGION

Koraput: A grand feast with all those non-veg and veg items was going on in the market place of Dumuriput square. One could imagine that someone might have got a new job or it is the birth anniversary of someone’s children, but the truth is that the local youths were celebrating the cricket World Cup victory of Indian Cricket Team. Dumuriput is not a place in the suburban metros, but a place in one of the most underdeveloped region of India i.e. Koraput district of Orissa.

Nandapur : Rural People of Village Khilua, Nandapur Block

 are enjoying the final match of Cricket World Cup (Ind vs SL)

(Photo - Pradipta Mishra)

Big screens were coming up in all the urban areas of Koraput district. Even a Cinema Hall at the district headquarter was screening the semi-final and final match of the cricket World Cup with much enthusiasm from the local youth. The price per ticket was Rs. 50 /-. Many youths and cricket fans were found with the official jersey of Indian Cricket Team. Children had their faces and hands painted with the colours of Indian Flag. The urge of seeing the final match live on Big Screens was so high that some youths had crossed the water body of the Kolab Dam with boat to reach Sunabeda town. Most of them are illiterate and from the marginalised villages situated in between the Kolab Dam. These villages have no electricity connections. Majority of shops in the urban areas were closed during the semi-final and final matches and streets had a deserted look.

When Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the skipper of Indian Cricket Team, hit six to give India the Cricket World Cup after a 28 years long gap, there was the big celebration. Youths and Cricket lovers rushed in to the street holding the Indian flag. Some housewives and college-going girls were also participated in the celebration.

All these love for cricket and World Cup victory celebration were found in the relatively developed parts of the district. But no one could know how the poor tribal people of the remote part of the district were behaving with the richest game of India.

(Priyaranjan Swain is studying Journalism & Mass Communication at the Central University of Orissa, Koraput. Already armed with a Master’s in Applied Economics he aspires to work for a leading newspaper after the completion of his course. Interest in socio-economic issues and day to day political affairs help him understand the complexities of our ever evolving society. He can be reached at priyaranjanswain35@gmail.com.)

MEGA HEALTH CAMP IN KORAPUT : REACHING THE UNREACHED





Koraput : A Banner in Mega Swathya Mela campus
(For more photos just click on the following link)
Mega Health Camp 2011

 KORAPUT: Nagendra Padal, a destitute man from Podagada, 22 km away from Koraput, holding the hands of his 11 years old son whose health is severely deteriorated, set out of his village to meet the specialists in the Mega Health Camp after he is informed by the Anganawadi Didi to take the advantage.   He was very much satisfied being counselled by the doctors and getting the free medicines. Like him, exactly 9,577 numbers of patients have taken the advantage of the Mega Health Camp at Koraput Stadium, where more than 60 specialists and asst. surgeons from different hospitals of state and outside of state were engaged with more than 200 student volunteers and medical officials of Lepra Society, Koraput, ANM training center, Koraput and Pharmacy College, Jeypore for three days from 17 March to 19 March. The Mega Health Camp had been inaugurated by Mr. Jayram Pangi, honourable MP, Koraput, who told that except arrangements made for the patients to reach from different parts of the district, the referred cases for better treatment would be taken care of through different welfare schemes, Chief Minister Relief fund and Prime Minister Relief fund. Other dignitaries of inauguration ceremony were Rajesh Prabhakar Patil, district collector, Rabi narayan Das, CDMO and  Ashok Kumar Pangi, president, Koraput Zilla Parishad.

The Mega Health Camp had been organized by National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and Zilla Swasthya Seva Samiti (ZSSS). The whole expenditure for the event had been sufficed from MPLAD fund (8 Lakh), Rogi Kalyan Samiti (2 Lakh) and some local donations. At the Information Center of the Mega Event Mr Narayana Das, DIS, DAPCU informed, “12 registration counter, 30 OPD outdoors like Medicines, Cardiology, Neurology, Orthopaedics, Rheumatology, Cancer Detection, Dental, ENT, Leprosy, AYUSH (homeopathy and Ayurveda), HIV Counselling etc, 4 pathology stalls, 6 exhibition stalls, one information center and one emergency treatment stall are present at the Camp Site. Free medicine distribution is being supervised by the CDMO. Documentation of the whole event has been done by student volunteers of Journalism and Mass Communication Department of Central University. District Bureaucrats Association and District Non-Gazetted Employees Association have arranged the fooding facilities for all. Three ambulances, some college buses and some Nalco buses are engaged to bring patients from remote areas.”

Dr. Biswa Ranjan Routray, a specialist from Acharya Harihar Research Center for Cancer (AHRCC), Cuttack told that their motto was the detection of cancer patients in this poverty stricken tribal area, for some more days can be added to their life by medical supplements and 14 cancer patients were detected by his team. In Malaria Lab stall Vector Control Research Centre, Koraput was simultaneously checking blood and creating awareness against Malaria exhibiting live mosquitoes to the common people. 136 HIV test had been done by HIV test center and one positive case was found. Rupadhar Korami, a native to Ambagaon, Koraput said, “I am suffering from Asthma, but I feel relaxed after consulting the doctor as I was unable to access any medical facility in my village.” SOVA cultural group had performed nine short dramas during the three day long camp on RTE, child and mother care, HIV awareness etc. “Radio ‘Dhemsa’, the community radio of SOVA, a Non-Govt. Organisation had recorded the interactions with both doctors and patients which will create interest among its audience to attend the camp”, said Mr. Udaynath Hantal, a field reporter of Dhemsa.

The Closing Ceremony was again chaired by Mr. Jayram Pangi, the honourable MP, Koraput, who was very much satisfied with the successive attempt of the Mega Health Camp. He responded positively to the request of the Collector to arrange the camp every year and declared an aid of 10 lakh. He also informed that an ambulance will be always available on NH 43 within Koraput and Jeypore which is very ill-famous as an accident prone area and in sub-divisional level a Deadbody Carrier Van will be provided. Other guests were Jhina Hikaka, MLA, Laxmipur, Rajesh Prabhakar Patil, District Collector , Poonam Guha Tapas Kumar, District Sub-Collector,Rabi Narayan Das , CDMO. At last all the specialists and medical officials were presented beautiful gifts made of bamboo by the district administration.

(Sudarsan Sahoo is an enthusiastic and dynamic observer of various aspects of life, who has an indomitable desire of surfing through different kinds of articles and sites in internet and has developed an interest towards New Media. Sometimes a poet, a painter and a singer, he, who has a Masters Degree in English from Utkal University, Orissa, exudes a literary bent of mind to hover over articles, books and reviews on Art and Literature. At present he is pursuing his Master’s in Journalism and Mass Communication from Central University of Orissa. He can be reached at s.sudarsansahoo@gmail.com)

NGO-UNIVERSITY INTERFACE

The Centre for Sociological Studies, Central University of Orissa (Koraput) is conducting a one day workshop on NGO-University interface. Leading scholars and eminent practioners working on NGOs would be participating and deliberating during this one day workshop slated to be held on 30th April, 2011. Papers are welcome. For more details please follow the following link NGO-University Interface

THE PLIGHT OF POWER CUT

 Power Cut ; Battering the heart of local people

Semiliguda, KORAPUT : His bangles have few buyers now…he draws lesser profits and takes home even lesser. He is 
P. Nilachal Patra*, in his early 30’s staying at Semiliguda, Koraput with his family of 7 (an old mother, a financially dependent brother and his family and two toddlers). He owns a cosmetics store. Years back when he set-up his cosmetics store, there were fewer people in the same trade and most believed that it was very enterprising of him to venture into this business especially at a time when very few women in this underdeveloped region were beauty conscious. ‘Aren’t we paying taxes,’ he says with a shiver in his voice on being questioned about frequent power cuts, well he does pay his taxes and he pays them on time, he claims. With similar instances, all over this Telugu dominance business region there are others who face the cold blues here. Meet Das Babu, a fifty years old working at a tailoring shop. He manages to finish most of his sewing before thirty minutes past seven, after which he can’t see the needle of his machine and all automatic tailoring machines comes to a halt due to power cut.

Shopping hours for the people in this small location is usually during day-time. Six pm to eight pm has been the prime time for decades over now. But to the dismay of shop owners and petty businessmen, everyone here fails to understand how ‘six to eight’ remains the most desirable time for Southco authorities to do with the frequent power cuts. And under such circumstances, buyers avoid to venture out in the dark. This does not end here, with NH-43 running through the busy and only marketing hub of the town while trucks, dumpers and other heavy vehicles following each other’s trail on the NH, residents fear for their life. This accident prone highway fails to draw attention on its favor and largely meets its end at the pity of the government. Many advocate that this sequential cut is due to the power thefts practiced by many affluent as well as petty businessmen, so it might be stated reasonable enough for the moonlit streets. Though power cut can never be cited for an excuse to curb power thefts there should be proper counter measures to avoid further malfeasance. Reasons like bangles are varied in their sizes but a sufferer’s hues remains constant, for the former may vary all the time but the later only changes its diameter. And diameters bigger or smaller they are circles, ironically ‘zero in’ just a look alike of the traditional bangles…only measuring the circle like a blot on development.

*P. Nilachal Patra is pseudonym of the 32years old subject.




(Shreesthi S. Mishra is  presently pursuing P.G. at Central University on journalism. She is an hons. graduate in Commerce from  R.D. Women s college Bhubaneswar and a confirmed leo. She loves  Rock music,prawns and good books.Impromptu writing on any subject is her forte .Pink Floyd, Philosophy and Business writing attract her.In summary, a personality  who is exploring about her true self ,not caring whether it is puritan or cocktails. She can be reached at shreesthi@hotmail.com/shreesthi@gmail.com)

CMS FILM CLUB SCREENS 'WELL DONE ABBA'

CUO, KORAPUT : The CMS Film Club at the Central University of Orissa screened Shyam Benegal’s award film Well Done Abba on 18^th March, 2011. Packed house during the screening was a proof that when it comes to Shyaam Benegal’s film, no one wants to miss it.

CMS Classroom packed for Well Done Abba 

(Photo - Saurabha Kumar Turuk)

The CMS Film Club (Centre for Media Studies Film Club) had its humble origin on 6^th August, 2010 in the presence of Mr. Sudhakar Patnaik, Officer in Charge of CUO (K) and all the other faculty members from the Centre for Media Studies. An initiative by the first batch of students from the Centre for Media Studies, the film club’s motto is to showcase world cinema to the bright young minds of this University.

Till date movies based on national integration and having some sort of social relevance have been given preference. Films like A Wednesday and Rang De Basanti have already been screened followed by a thorough discussion on the aesthetic aspects of cinema and the contemporary debates attached to that film.

Friday’s screening evoked mixed responses from the audience. Jagannath Patro, a second semester student from the Anthropology department said, “no doubt the content of the movie was good, but the organizers should have taken steps to ensure that certain unfavorable scenes in the film should have been edited”. Talking about the technicalities of the film, Shreesthi S. Mishra, a second semester student from the Journalism & Mass Communication department said, “It was good that there were no unnecessary songs in the film which would have deviated from the main theme of the film. Though the commercial quotient of the movie was a bit sleepy, Boman Iraani’s comic timing overshadowed all other loopholes in that film. There were some good performances by other supporting actors but none was at par with the former’s deliverance”.

Students enjoying Well Done Abba
(Photo - Saurabha Kumar Turuk)

The organizers were quite happy at the end of this screening. Telaram Meher, a second year student in the Journalism and Mass Communication department and one of the founding members of the club said that their motto has always been to screen good and worthy cinemas.  He also supplemented that a movie cannot be screened by editing some portions as those scenes were important for the movie.

The film club is being run under the guidance of Sujit Kumar Mohanty, faculty in the Centre for Journalism and Mass Communication.

(Team Pointblank)