Fuss about Rajya Sabha MPs from Odisha

Too much fuss is made about the latest nomination of the Rajya Sabha MPs from Odisha. There isn't anyting new and surprising in the selection - for a handful of families has been controlling the politics (to some extent business) of the poor state for decades. The choice vindicates the status quo, with addition of nouveau riche to the fraternity.

An ex Odia actor Prashant Nanda, a known champion opportunist and corrupt to core has been nominated. He will join another actor Anubhav from Odisha in the Uppper House, who has hardly contributed anything substantial so far as an MP beyond perfunctory photo ups.

The Rajya Sabha members are rather selected, not elected - many of them being persons, actors, media barons known as fixers seeking favors. Most of them have a forgettable tenure in house at the tax payer's expense. Take the examples of Sachin Tendulkar & Rekha. Though I respect both as cricketer and actor respectively, they have hardly done anything noteworthy as legislators.

After Indira Gandhi came to power in January, 1980 her powerful son Sanjay Gandhi offered the eminent writer Khushwant Singh the post of High Commissioner to Britain or a seat in Rajya Sabha. The writer opted for the later and has shared many interesting anecdotes about his tenure in the Upper House.

One of them involved an elderly member from Odisha who used to seat next to Khushwant Singh and intermittently emit silent, sneaky, mamodorous farts. The writer sniffed at his Odia colleague and asked him if he had any digestive ailments, hoping the later take a hint at his discomfiture. The man from Odisha responded with a "Not I" look on his face.

The SRUSHTI KARTA (creator) could bear it, but not Khushwant Singh who eventually made it a point to seat farthest from the Odia MP. Now a few more old farts and gas bags from the state will be added to the Rajya Sabha. Whether they will contribute anything more than hot air to the house and their state is anybody's guess.