Blog Archives - Achyuta Samanta

Life comes full circle for Meera Rani Hembram

Posted on: 1 Jul 2019

The sun sets early in the village of Ghasipura of Gopalpur in Odisha, away from the humdrums of a fast life in Bhubaneswar, capital of Odisha. Poverty, alienation, illiteracy and ignorance plague the simple existence of life. Most people of the village do not even get the minimum nutritional requirements, forget education. But it was exceptional for Meera Rani Hembram, a student of Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS). Her journey from Gopalpur to Singapore is awe inspiring and spine chilling. She made a great stride from being an orphanage to becoming an ace Rugby player, representing the India’s Women Rugby team. She lost her mother very early in her life, when she didn’t even understand the meaning of mother or the word, loss. The family lived in dire poverty…

Being Human and Humane

Posted on: 10 Dec 2018

Humaneness is a small word and the connotation of the word can never justify the importance and feeling behind it. It is the core value behind the progress of civilization and the human race. It is intrinsic and innate to one and all. In the simple and traditional society, human lives were less complicated and human bonds were stronger. With the transition of innocent living to a modern and ultra-modern era and lifestyles, the respect for humanity is declining. The higher one is placed, the lesser one thinks about other human relations, a paradox of our times. Humaneness as a value should be given impetus. Small acts of benevolence can create huge ripples of change. It can help one wipe tears, spread joy and smiles. It gives immense pleasure to…

Odisha is Stealing the Show

Posted on: 20 Nov 2018

Odisha, God’s best kept secret has been blessed with the richness of culture, heritage, music, dance form. Abundant mineral resources, forest reserves, fertile arable land and water resources contribute to its richness. This natural bounty coupled with the demographic dividend is an ideal ground for all the sectors of economy in Odisha to take off. But its very unfortunate that Odisha has been always regarded as poor state. People outside Odisha know it as a black pot and for all wrong reasons more than the right. Even with these resources, the state carries a baggage of ‘being poor’ to the people who stay outside the state. The residents of other state and countries undermine Odisha and Odias, when it comes to economy, skill or technology. During my travel, I have…

The tale of a startup – from Gania to Europe

Posted on: 13 Nov 2018

Start- up is the name of the game in Entrepreneurship as it is a good time to be an entrepreneur in Asia's third-biggest economy. Startups are hitting new highs in terms of their valuations. Global investors are ploughing funds into the sector and culturally there is a greater acceptance of entrepreneurship in the country, inspiring Indians to try their hand at setting up the next potential billion-dollar company. Ten years ago, we were only talking about IT startups, but now it cuts across everything, ranging from e-commerce to fitness to art. The home-grown success stories of startup ventures like Flipkart, Swiggy, OYO and many more are adding to the attraction for future entrepreneurs as more and more of them jump on the startup bandwagon. All this is true and thriving…

Festivities, down memory lane

Posted on: 4 Nov 2018

'The stories of how I grew up in village, my school life and my childhood tickle my memory' Come festivities and I am driven down the memory lane by their nostalgic charm. The festive season starts right after the Ganesh puja and continues till the end of Kartik month of the Hindu calendar. The stories of how I grew up in village, my school life and my childhood tickle my memory. About four decades ago, I lived in a remote village in Kalarabanka in Cuttack district of Odisha. The village lacked basic amenities, even electricity. There was a narrow road by the riverside across which most of the modest houses were built. Even without the trappings of a comfortable life my village was unparalleled with its green cover, ever-welcoming Paika…

KISS exemplifies Food Security

Posted on: 1 Nov 2018

Food is an essential requirement for functioning of all essential life processes. It is vital for good health and in prevention of diseases and their cure. Unhealthy food leads to numerous diseases and body malfunctioning of the organs. Food has since time immemorial has been the cause of integration and dissension of human civilizations. When man moved from the nomadic and hunter-gatherer stage to the sustained and settled life style; agriculture became the crucible of evolutionary change. Agriculture became a reliable source of food supply and the backbone of economies around the world and the primary contributor to the socio-economic development of any human society. Rampant poverty prevails in many countries despite their rich natural resources of the 7 billion people inhabiting this world 795 million people in do not…

KISS, Kalinga Fellowship, Kanya Kiran: Towards gender parity

Posted on: 11 Oct 2018

Throughout history, the central role of women in society has ensured the stability, progress and long-term development of nations. A nation is empowered only when women and girl children are equal partners as men. In the words of Swami Vivekananda, "Countries which do not respect women have never become great, nor can they ever become in future.” Women empowerment is a gateway to peace and development for a nation or society at macro level and family or organisation at micro level. There is progress only when there is gender parity and women are respected and treated as equal with men. The Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) and the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), premier educational institutions of global repute, from the beginning have created a space for equal…

Revisiting a train ride to Calcutta

Posted on: 11 Sep 2018

In the foothills of Himalayas, listening to the chirping of the birds my mind was growing restless in the midst of a calm and stunning setting. The serene atmosphere failed to provide rest to fast whizzing thoughts. Sleepless and restless, I was thinking about last night's journey. I was at the Mayfair Himalayan Spa Resort, a spectacular celebration of luxury and heritage located in the hill town of Kalimpong in Bengal. From my otherwise busy schedule, I had to take time out to attend the parliamentary standing committee meeting on coal and steel in Kalimpong. I express my gratitude to Naveen Patnaik ji, the chief minister of Odisha, for reposing faith in me and giving me an opportunity to represent the state as a Rajya Sabha member. Everything was perfect,…

Bliss of Service

Posted on: 24 Aug 2018

When we dare to take the challenge, we call for success. If we don’t dare and stay in the comfort zone, bringing in change is difficult. I would like to share the small example of taking a few students of KISS to New Delhi on a tour. All the success is attributed to the intention to do something good. Kids born into poverty in the interiors of the state never get an opportunity to explore the world and find a cause to live for. Instead, they were tortured by the Naxalites and churned into the system of red-tapism where they finally meet their end. They never thought of coming into the brighter side of the world. I have done my small bit of bringing, nurturing and educating them on this…

Towards a compassionate work culture

Posted on: 1 Aug 2018

Some moments become monumental. Sometimes strangers come across in your life as your own people and give a feeling of belongingness. I feel privileged to share such a remarkable story. It dates back to 2016 when I delivered a talk at the 11th Foundation Day lecture of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital at India International Centre, New Delhi on the theme of Inclusive and Sustainable Development. More than 600 elite people attended the talk. It was for the first time that they had invited a social worker for their Foundation Day lecture. After the talk, the audience gave a standing ovation. Overwhelmed and moved by my story of struggle, an old gentleman came to talk to me after the lecture while I was being thronged by the crowd for pictures and…