CREATIVE INVESTMENT OPTION

Bikash Choudhury

The chit fund scams have recently taken a heavy toll of Politicians, Real Estate Magnets, Media Barons, Stock Brokers and Models from Bollywood most of whom are cooling their heels behind the bars; while scores of unscrupulous small investors have lost their hard earned savings of life time in pursuit of very high returns on their investments. A large mass of people explored investment options in Yellow metal, Commodity futures, Land Banks and Mutual Funds. However, investments in ‘Modern Art’ has been largely ignored by our investor community due to lack of awareness and absence of Institutional

arrangement in the city of Bhubaneswar. In last decade the bench strength of highly earning young people and double income families have grown in leaps and bounds courtesy mushrooming growth of ICT Industry in the city. These tech nerds generally invest their surplus in real estate, stocks & mutual fund and also blow up a little fortune in food, fashion and rave parties. These potential investors can be attracted to invest in ‘Modern Art’ for a decent return and also to sprinkle some aesthetic value in their mundane lives. Institutional arrangements are critical to develop a vibrant market for modern art in the city. There is a need for an ‘Art Fund’ that would invest in modern art works and promising artist who could throw up exceptional art work for a Global audience, an auction house that could monetize the investments in modern art of potential investors and a reputed art gallery that displays diverse art works of reputed artist for the primary purchase of art work for homes, office and also as short & long term investment. Bhubaneswar City boast of a few good art galleries and Orissa Modern Art Gallery being the oldest having an archive of over two thousand high quality art works that seeks discernible investors and art lovers. Since, Govt. of Odisha has largely ignored the rich heritage of art & architecture of our State; there is a need for the private sector to chip in to develop a lucrative market for modern art in the city.              

ROADS OF BAPUJI NAGR

One Sunday morning setout on a hunt for our favorite Sambar Idli in an authentic South Indian Restaurant located in Bapuji Nagar. After traveling through the lanes and by lanes of Bapuji Nagar locality for half an hour we reached a newly opened outlet Iyer Café. While tasting its delicacies and little later its filter coffee; the roads of the area flashed in our mind. The inside roads of one of the oldest area of Capital City are comparable to toxic cocktails of a group of natural speed breakers. Negotiating such roads on a two wheeler is as painful as or little more than the labor pain of a woman. When the rural country side sport well laid out concrete roads; why, the roads of Bapuji Nagar locality that is in 1 km radius from BMC office and CM’s residence in such a bad shape? Bad road condition could be an under statement. Bapuji Nagar is one of the oldest business and residential area that houses prominent business houses and powerful residents; in spite of that authorities have neglected such an area for such a long time. Little hard to believe! This could be a classic case of ‘vote bank politics’; as residents of Bhubaneswar mostly don’t turn up to vote. Be that as it may, Bauji Nagar deserves better roads.   

Bikash Choudhury

Bhubaneswar

KASHMIR DISASTER

Bikash Choudhury

Omar Abdulla, the young highly educated and intelligent Chief Minister of J & K in one of his television interaction said “we have informed the residents of Srinagar and other places to move to higher grounds and the same was done through Mosques  in all residential areas; however, people did not act on such advise”. This is simply stupidity of a chief minister to give an excuse like a failed sales man. Now, after watching a week of pain and agony of the residents of capital city of J&K; it can be said with authority that the young chief minister of J&K is not only incompetent but also very insensitive. At the least, he could have emulated the example of Odisha where a million people were shifted in just three days just before the super cyclone Phaline struck the Odisha coast in October last year. It requires simple arithmetic to understand and realize that Srinagar City could be swamped by flood if it rains with the intensity that it had recently (280mm of rains in three days) knowing the topography of the city. While writing this piece it brings sadness knowing that still 3-5 lakhs of people are yet to be evacuated from their flooded homes as they mostly live without food, water, electricity and communication facility for over an week. In a disaster like this we could have deployed our navy in greater numbers and could have sourced 10,000-20,000 mechanized boats from all across the World to evacuate people from their homes, deployed Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to restore the communication networks, Prefab Buildings for Shelters and used sophisticated Project Management Techniques backed by IT services to provide World class relief & rehabilitation services for marooned people of Srinagar City and other affected parts of J&K State. This could have been done provided the State Govt. would have a competent leader as its chief minister. God gave a great opportunity to Omar Abdulla to display his administrative and leadership skill; however, sadly he failed miserably in both counts. He should hang his head in shame for failing his own people and heaping miseries in their lives. It is feared that Omar could actually be lynched by mob if he ventures out to campaign for his party in the upcoming State election.

The frequency and ferocity with which natural disasters are happening in our country; it is about time to invite our private sector to offer Disaster Mitigation Services with art & science of technology & management at a price as the civil administration failed to rise to the occasion again and again. Today a prayer should be in our lips to keep our brothers and sisters of J&K safe & sound and hale and hearty as our turn could be the next.         

#Flat No: 105, Kalpatru Nivas Apartment, Swarnapuri Road, Patia, Bhubaneswar-751024

Mob: 9853426657 E-Mail: streben.marke@gmail.com Twitter: @ ideasofhope           

WHAT NaMo COULD HAVE MISSED?

Bikash Choudhury

The new Govt. led by Narendra Modi has managed to do just one thing in 100 days and that is transforming a few millions of Indians from despair & desperation to hope and self belief and from negative mindset to a very positive environment of expectation of success for an entire Nation--- things will move and work will happen as per schedule. However, in the bargain Mr. Modi, who is a fountainhead of Ideas, may have missed out a few things inadvertently. First of all, Modi heads a cabinet which looks little uncomfortable and a little incomplete from outside. Modi has taken on an onerous responsibility of a huge backlog of last decade on Governance and mismanagement of last six plus decades Therefore, it would be urgent and important for the prime minister to make his cabinet much more cohesive and as much inspired as he himself remains and fill up the gaps in the cabinet as soon as possible; if for nothing else, at least to save the poor finance minister who was compelled to read out his maiden budget speech from a chair due to health reasons. It would be a good Idea to pick up Indian origin global talent to help the premier in execution. PM has articulated his vision about 100 smart cities; however, completely for got about the condition and opportunities trapped in our metro cities. Our metro cities have grown much beyond the scope of civic administration and urgently need a structural operation to transform them into City State to tap the benefits of Global Cities; attract Global resources for much faster growth in society & economy. NDA Govt. has unveiled gigantic plans which would require huge resources beyond the scope of revenue; therefore, Govt. should take bold steps to unlock value from the public sector by bringing them under one umbrella—Holding Company. Further, Govt. should have taken urgent measures to wards self reliance in fossil fuel by encouraging large scale Jatropa farming in each village in the country.

Prime Minister talked at length on taking the State Govt. along with the Central Govt.; but, failed to organize a Chief Minister’s conference to share his vision about Govt., Governance & Development. He did not include any Chief Minister in the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs; which he could have expanded to include four chief ministers from each geographical regions as invitee. Further, PM could have initiated structural changes in the district administration to make governance more responsive and responsible. Modi Ji started the movement of ‘Sadvabana’ that is Sarba Dharma and Sarba Pranta Prayers from the shores of Gujarat; which his Govt. should continue in different parts of the country in regular intervals which would improve the social contacts between its diverse constituents and over a period of time build understanding and trust for a shared economic prosperity against a toxic and inflammable environment of political expediency. That would also give India a moral right to intervene against sectarian violence & war in the World for Peace and Prosperity. Modi Ji would be in Delhi for a long haul and therefore let him drop his guard a little and assimilate & acknowledge the power elite of Delhi. PM could appoint a hostess for 7 Race Course from the ranks of Indian Foreign Service and open the doors of PM residence to the practitioner of Art, Literature and Culture to propagate the soft power of PMO.      

#Flat No: 105, Kalpatru Nivas Apartment, Swarnapuri Road, Patia, Bhubaneswar-751024

Mob: 9853426657 E-Mail: streben.marke@gmail.com Twitter: @ ideasofhope