5 Stereotypical Things a True Odia Listens to, Amidst Non Odias

Today a big part of skilled Odia population stay outside Odisha, specifically for availing carrier growth opportunities in their lives. But for some of us when the love for our culture and homeland displays a major piece of our personality, we face awful and disrespectful remarks on our identity. I am sure that if you are an Odia who loves his /her roots while staying outside Odisha, must have witnessed some of the below noted down points already.

What is the news of Odisha?

This is the sarcastic question that a lot of non Odias (sometimes including Odias) ask you just to give you a feeling that it does not matter how much you talk about your state, ultimately you will remain unrecognized if you don’t exhibit the fake globalized trends like them. It displays a short headed thought which ignorantly mocks you behind your back as if the way it says silently, ‘whatever’ for ditching your pride in presence of others.

Jagannath temple, hain?

Yes, Puri’s Jagannath temple is a famous shrine in Odisha and Odias are associated to lord Jagannath in one way or the other from the time of their birth. But Odisha is also a place of many other religious shrines and cultural activities. We have a proud history in this nation that was and is deliberately ignored in your school text books. We were the first to colonize south East Asia in India, first to rebel against the British in an organised manner and Ashoka lost his sub continental wide military machine to the bravery of our forefathers that resulted in the downfall of Mauryan dynasty later.  You probably haven’t heard of the ancient Odishan emperors like Kharavela and Satrubhanja who avenged and plundered Pataliputra in response to Ashoka’s misadventure in ancient Odisha. Yes, we are ancient people with the pride of traditions, character and rituals.

You talk in Orissi. Right?

Orissi ? No sir, its Odishi and it’s a classical dance form with a history spanning thousands of years. We talk, can read and write in Odia. For your information it is one of the six classical languages in India, spoken in varied forms across the regions of Odisha and neighboring states.

Bengali and Odia are the same.

Yes, you might self conceptualize that but do not forget to notice that Odia is the masculine version of your perception and Bengali is the feminine when you lend your ears to people talking them. Moreover, the relationship between Odia and Bengali is just as the relation between father and a son despite all the advocacy of the late comer Bengali literature and script.

Are you Racist / Anti National?

India was glorious when its states defined it, was enslaved when they fought amongst themselves and India is stagnant when they are defined by it. We are everted nationalists, the patriots that grow out from their roots and share the fruits with everyone from its branches. This does not make us unworthy of finding a place to grow in a beautiful garden.  So please step up your sense of nationalism and do not try to pull ours down!!

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