When I came across the book, I was apprehensive about reviewing the writing of a man who taught himself English and Sanskrit at the college level, but who can take on an English Literature student over Shakespeare's sonnets although his own specialisation was Economics. A man who admired John Kenneth Galbraith so much that he was the subject of merciless ragging for naming his son Kenneth Mohanty.Orissa The Lost Footsteps, by K K Mohanty, is an engrossing reader on Orissa. A must-read for any bureaucrat posted to the state, students of modern India and of course journalists. The book is a beautiful collection of poignant articles written by a person who has an enormous depth of knowledge about the state, apart from economics, history, Indian scriptures and mythology. Orissa, as Mr Mohanty points out, is all about a handful of cities and urban areas in a state that resembles a primitive society. It is a state that has some of the largest natural resources in the country, but is better known for starvation deaths. It is a state that has produced some great men, but is a shadow of the historical greatness associated with the kingdom of Kalinga. It is a state about promises lost, but with potential still to become great once again. Orissa The Lost Footsteps is a book to be read by every Oriya - from water carrier to bank chairman.
Orissa The Lost Footsteps by KK Mohanty; Vision PublicationsPp 384; Rs 200
Copyright © 2001 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
