Vidhan Parishad to lead to flattery: FPI

The Freethought Party of India (FPI) said that move of the Odisha Government to start the Vidhan Parishad (Legislative Council) would lead to flattery by intellectuals, who would get nominated to it.

The party along with AMFOI celebrated on Thursday the historic judgement of the Orissa High Court of August 2, 1971, when the court had upheld the Fundamental Right to Speech and Expression of the Government servants as Free Speech Day, here. Party president Dr Bijayananda Kar chaired.

FPI general secretary CST Voltaire said that the atmosphere of free speech in Odisha has been practically narrowed down because of the sway of feudalistic values still rampant due to State Government sponsored or State patronized religious festivals like Rath Yatra and conferment of awards, prizes to writers and other personalities in the field of art and culture besides membership of Rajya Sabha. He particularly pointed out that with an indirectly elected “Vidhan Parishad” in Odisha, more and more intellectuals of the State will tend to be sheer flatterers of the Chief Minister.

President of ORS Prof Dhaneswar Sahoo and tribal activist Bijay Kumar Upadhay also stressed on the freedom of speech and expression as a key to the success of democracy.

Among others, MS Yadav , former MLA Sarat Chandra Mishra, social worker Mahamad Sukur, FPI vice president Harish Chandra Kar, AMOFOI cofounder Swapna Bijayini, FPI joint secretary Gandharb Nayak, spoke. Dr Bijayananda Kar in his presidential address lamented that the Government of Odisha has not yet implemented the judgment of the Orissa High Court of August 02, 1971 and the “two obnoxious rules” that were struck down 47 years back are still continuing in the Statute Book.