Other States - Orissa   

Sahitya akademi embroiled in fresh controversy

Shyamhari Chakra

BHUBANESWAR: Controversies continue to dog the Orissa Sahitya Akademi in its golden jubilee year. Be it over its activities, selection of awards or appointment of office-bearers, it has always been in news for wrong reasons. The latest tag to its long list of controversies has been the publication of the Srimad Bhagabat by Atibadi Jagannath, the Bible for the Oriyas.

It took the akademi for 13 years to go for the second edition of the popular scripture that is a must for each Oriya household for its religious relevance. Way back in 1994, edited by scholar Nilamani Mishra, the Oriya epic was published in nine volumes by the akdemi. The print order of 10,000 sets were sold out like hot cakes in a few months.

Though there was a great demand for republication of the series, the akademi delayed it for more than a decade for reasons best known to it. And finally, as the second edition was released recently, it was a mere 1000 sets much to the disappointment of readers. The poor printing quality and paper used in it have also been criticised by readers.

Supported by the State government, the akademi has fixed the price of the set of nine books at Rs.100 each. It has been printed at the Government Press at Cuttack.Sources in the akademi have told The Hindu that it has been decided t o bring out 10,000 sets of the second edition. But for some strange reasons, the akademi has printed 10,000 copies each of the first three books, while for the remaining six it has been 1,000 each only.

The sources further say that the publication project was the brainchild of former chief secretary Subas Pani who was very particular that the Srimad Bhagabat should be made available to the masses at an affordable price. But, with his transfer last year, the project received a jolt.

When contacted, akademi officials could not explain why it deviated from its decision to bring out 10,000 sets. “The government has to decide everything,” says secretary of the autonomous body.

Moreover, while people are desperately waiting to buy the just-published book, the government has gifted one set each to members of the Orissa Legislative Assembly.

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