<p>Some 23 years after resigning as chief minister of Odisha following mounting criticism of his handling of rescue and rehabilitation of the 1999 super cyclone, Giridhar Gamang claimed he had been a victim of “super politics”.</p>.<p>Gamang, who was then a member of Congress, said he had resigned as the chief minister due to “internal party politics” and alleged that some people of the grand old party had “planned” his ouster and had “succeeded”.</p>.<p>“I am a victim of super politics and not super cyclone,” the veteran tribal leader said in an interview with <em>PTI</em>.</p>.<p>Gamang, a veteran tribal leader of Odisha, who had held ministerial berths under prime ministers Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, and P V Narasimha Rao since 1982, had to quit as the Odisha chief minister immediately after the 1999 super cyclone that killed around 10,000 people in the eastern state.</p>.<p>On the reason behind quitting as chief minister barely nine months after occupying the post, Gamang said “Since over two decades, I have been accused of failing to handle the super cyclone and therefore resigned from the chief ministership. I have tolerated it all along. But, it is not a fact.”</p>.<p>During his five-decade old political career, Gamang has hit the limelight several times and he made history when his lone vote in the Lok Sabha when he was also a Congress MP from Koraput had played a key role in bringing down the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government on April 17, 1999.</p>.<p>The 79-year-old veteran tribal leader and nine-time Lok Sabha MP had resigned from the Congress in 2015 and joined the saffron party.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/east-and-northeast/23-years-on-odisha-super-cyclone-horrors-still-haunt-survivors-1157879.html" target="_blank">23 years on, Odisha Super Cyclone horrors still haunt survivors</a></strong></p>.<p>“Have you ever seen or heard any opposition party like BJD or BJP raising an issue over my style of functioning as the chief minister or criticising me over super cyclone management?</p>.<p>“It was my party (Congress) people then who made all sorts of allegations against me just for political reasons”.</p>.<p>“I resigned as the CM because of the internal party politics in the Congress and therefore, I call it that I was a victim of super politics,” Gamang said.</p>.<p>While resigning as the chief minister, Gamang said “I met the then Congress president Sonia Gandhi and offered to resign. Nobody told me to resign, but I did it on my own when I felt that somebody was trying to rule over me. As CM, I was supposed to rule and not be ruled by somebody.”</p>.<p>Gamang further said: “Madam (Sonia Gandhi) asked me who was ruling over me and I said, you know it better.”</p>.<p>Asked why he so easily readily tendered resignation on the demands of his opponents, Gamang said: “You know the state was then undergoing a crisis due to the super cyclone. I did not want my people to face a political crisis. They (opponents) took a political line while I resigned on humanitarian grounds so that people were not subjected to more trouble.”</p>.<p>Referring to the allegations of his alleged failure in handling the devastating super cyclone in 1999, Gamang said that he performed his duty on humanitarian grounds as a chief minister and never indulged in politics.</p>.<p>“You know, there was no technology or scientific assistance during the 1999 superstorm. We were told that wind and water (tide) will hit the Odisha coast, but are now aware of a tsunami-type calamity.</p>.<p>“The tidal surge reached 30 km from the seashore while the people were evacuated from within 3 km of the coast. Of about 10,000 deaths, over 7,000 people died due to tidal surges as high as 15-20 feet. How can the CM stop tides sans any scientific or technological assistance?” he asked.</p>.<p>Terming the death of so many people during his chief ministership as “unfortunate”, Gamang claimed not a single person died during the post-cyclone relief and restoration activities.</p>.<p>Gamang also claimed that Disaster Mitigation and Management Plan was his contribution to the entire country, and not only to Odisha, after the super cyclone.</p>.<p>“It is Gamang who gave the concept for preparing disaster management plans. My concept was based on reporting (report on possible disaster), information on the timing of a possible calamity, rescue and relief operation, rehabilitation, and restoration. Based on these points the Government of India framed the Disaster Management Act in 2006,” he said.</p>.<p>This apart, Gamang also claimed that he had also mooted the idea of construction of the coastal highway, rather a multi-purpose national highway along the coast of Odisha from Balasore to Ganjam district.</p>.<p>“I took up the matter with the then defence minister George Fernandes as three major defence establishments were coming on the way. I also met Gadkari in this matter. But, unfortunately, the Odisha government has not been able to construct the road even after 23 years of the super cyclone,” he said.</p>.<p>Noting that proper use of science and technology in disaster management can save many lives, Gamang, a master in the tribal music instrument 'Changu' ,said that his works as the chief minister were never appreciated because he did not beat his drum in public.</p>
<p>Some 23 years after resigning as chief minister of Odisha following mounting criticism of his handling of rescue and rehabilitation of the 1999 super cyclone, Giridhar Gamang claimed he had been a victim of “super politics”.</p>.<p>Gamang, who was then a member of Congress, said he had resigned as the chief minister due to “internal party politics” and alleged that some people of the grand old party had “planned” his ouster and had “succeeded”.</p>.<p>“I am a victim of super politics and not super cyclone,” the veteran tribal leader said in an interview with <em>PTI</em>.</p>.<p>Gamang, a veteran tribal leader of Odisha, who had held ministerial berths under prime ministers Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, and P V Narasimha Rao since 1982, had to quit as the Odisha chief minister immediately after the 1999 super cyclone that killed around 10,000 people in the eastern state.</p>.<p>On the reason behind quitting as chief minister barely nine months after occupying the post, Gamang said “Since over two decades, I have been accused of failing to handle the super cyclone and therefore resigned from the chief ministership. I have tolerated it all along. But, it is not a fact.”</p>.<p>During his five-decade old political career, Gamang has hit the limelight several times and he made history when his lone vote in the Lok Sabha when he was also a Congress MP from Koraput had played a key role in bringing down the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government on April 17, 1999.</p>.<p>The 79-year-old veteran tribal leader and nine-time Lok Sabha MP had resigned from the Congress in 2015 and joined the saffron party.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/east-and-northeast/23-years-on-odisha-super-cyclone-horrors-still-haunt-survivors-1157879.html" target="_blank">23 years on, Odisha Super Cyclone horrors still haunt survivors</a></strong></p>.<p>“Have you ever seen or heard any opposition party like BJD or BJP raising an issue over my style of functioning as the chief minister or criticising me over super cyclone management?</p>.<p>“It was my party (Congress) people then who made all sorts of allegations against me just for political reasons”.</p>.<p>“I resigned as the CM because of the internal party politics in the Congress and therefore, I call it that I was a victim of super politics,” Gamang said.</p>.<p>While resigning as the chief minister, Gamang said “I met the then Congress president Sonia Gandhi and offered to resign. Nobody told me to resign, but I did it on my own when I felt that somebody was trying to rule over me. As CM, I was supposed to rule and not be ruled by somebody.”</p>.<p>Gamang further said: “Madam (Sonia Gandhi) asked me who was ruling over me and I said, you know it better.”</p>.<p>Asked why he so easily readily tendered resignation on the demands of his opponents, Gamang said: “You know the state was then undergoing a crisis due to the super cyclone. I did not want my people to face a political crisis. They (opponents) took a political line while I resigned on humanitarian grounds so that people were not subjected to more trouble.”</p>.<p>Referring to the allegations of his alleged failure in handling the devastating super cyclone in 1999, Gamang said that he performed his duty on humanitarian grounds as a chief minister and never indulged in politics.</p>.<p>“You know, there was no technology or scientific assistance during the 1999 superstorm. We were told that wind and water (tide) will hit the Odisha coast, but are now aware of a tsunami-type calamity.</p>.<p>“The tidal surge reached 30 km from the seashore while the people were evacuated from within 3 km of the coast. Of about 10,000 deaths, over 7,000 people died due to tidal surges as high as 15-20 feet. How can the CM stop tides sans any scientific or technological assistance?” he asked.</p>.<p>Terming the death of so many people during his chief ministership as “unfortunate”, Gamang claimed not a single person died during the post-cyclone relief and restoration activities.</p>.<p>Gamang also claimed that Disaster Mitigation and Management Plan was his contribution to the entire country, and not only to Odisha, after the super cyclone.</p>.<p>“It is Gamang who gave the concept for preparing disaster management plans. My concept was based on reporting (report on possible disaster), information on the timing of a possible calamity, rescue and relief operation, rehabilitation, and restoration. Based on these points the Government of India framed the Disaster Management Act in 2006,” he said.</p>.<p>This apart, Gamang also claimed that he had also mooted the idea of construction of the coastal highway, rather a multi-purpose national highway along the coast of Odisha from Balasore to Ganjam district.</p>.<p>“I took up the matter with the then defence minister George Fernandes as three major defence establishments were coming on the way. I also met Gadkari in this matter. But, unfortunately, the Odisha government has not been able to construct the road even after 23 years of the super cyclone,” he said.</p>.<p>Noting that proper use of science and technology in disaster management can save many lives, Gamang, a master in the tribal music instrument 'Changu' ,said that his works as the chief minister were never appreciated because he did not beat his drum in public.</p>