Renowned Odia poet Ramakanta Rath dies at 90
Bhubaneswar: Renowned Odia poet and former bureaucrat Ramakanta Rath died at his residence in Kharvel Nagar area here on Sunday, family sources said. He was 90.
Rath, a Padma Bhushan awardee, was survived by three daughters and a son.
Several leaders and eminent personalities from Odisha mourned the demise of Rath and gathered at his house to pay their last respects.
Expressing deep grief over the demise of Rath, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said Ramakanta Rath will always be remembered for his contribution to the Indian administrative service and to the world of literature.
Majhi prayed before Lord Jagannath for heavenly abode of the departed soul and expressed his condolences to the bereaved family.
He also announced that Rath's last rites will be performed with full state honour.
After the arrival of his son from abroad, Rath's last rites will be performed on Monday in Puri Swargadwar, informed the poet's younger daughter.
Rath was born on December 13, 1934 in Cuttack. After completing an MA in English literature from Ravenshaw College (now university), Rath joined the IAS in 1957. He retired as chief secretary of Odisha in 1992 after holding several important posts in both state and central governments.
Some of the major poetry collections of Rath include Kete Dinara (1962), Aneka Kothari (1967), Sandigdha Mrugaya (1971), Saptama Rutu (1977), Sachitra Andhara (1982), Sri Radha (1985), and Sreshtha Kavita (1992). Some of his poetry has been translated to English and other languages.
Rath was honoured with the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1977, the Sarala Award in 1984, the Bishuva Samman in 1990, and the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship in 2009.
In recognition of his outstanding contribution to literature, he was conferred with the Padma Bhushan in 2006.
He also served as the vice president of the Kendra Sahitya Akademi from 1993 to 1998 and the president from 1998 to 2003.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
