Holidays:

October 08/2011: Orissa is a state that seems to love staying away from work. If one looks at close range, the number of holidays in the second half of each year just keeps multiplying. Start from August 15, the Independence Day. Many amongst us would recognize this day today as Dependence Day. Yet we stop work and sleep at home or do things that even our own grandmothers would never have imagined we would be capable of. Similarly, we supposedly celebrate Gandhi Jayanti, Radhakrsnan’s birthday (Teachers’ Day), Jawaharlal’s birthday (Children’s Day), not by remembering these gentlemen of yesteryears and appreciating or admiring their achievements and abilities but by having a rollicking time throughout those specific days where we are legally able to stay away from our duties and responsibilities. After this list comes in one of the earliest Pujas, that of Biswakarma. Beyond this we are conned into avoiding work with the blessings and help of Ma Durga, Luxmi and also Kali, the demon slayer. All these followed by Diwali, Eid, Christmas, New Year, Republic Day (Jan 26) and such other favorites. We are really sad and heart broken when Holi (plus the double deal of Dola in Orissa) rings in a respite from these heavy and hectic holidays.

To top these silly work bunking (maybe even bonking) excuses we have the Rail Rokos, Rasta Aborodhs, Yatras, marriages, political rallies, Maoist Bandhs and such like futile activities that rage on throughout the year. With 365 days to spare, the number of working days seems to be fast disappearing here in our state. We pride ourselves as a race that could put up the Konark temple. Maybe it has the grandeur unparalleled in the South East corner of this Sub Continent, but was it really Oriyas who put it up? If that had been so, then our abilities and desire to work hard would have evolved and would have been refined way beyond that stage over these centuries. Unfortunately, I for one do not believe our ancestors could have built something like that temple. Maybe we had transported labor from Bali or some such place who were poorer and more desperate than us for survival. I am fully aware of the ire this statement could possibly evoke in the hearts of those who feel they and their land grab movement have contributed for the development of this state.

Let us keep those elements aside for now. Them we could discuss later, that too at an opportune moment and disclose all their sordid sagas. As of now, the merry story of holidays invigorates and excites all us. Take for example the case of declaring Saturday last (Nov 05) as a state sponsored holiday. The reason cited was that Friday, Nov 05/2011, the President of India, Smt Prativa Devsinh Patil, signed the Bill that finally made Orissa into Odisha. Oriyas are not good at pronouncing ‘sh’ properly. Anyone who knows English well shall understand that a double ‘s’ is always pronounced ‘sh’ but very softly. Example ‘percussion’, concussion’, ‘aggression’ and so on. Unfortunately those who promoted the idea of this change of spelling and those who participated in the discussions to push the relevant Bill do not possess mastery over any language, least of all English. Secondly, even the way the name of the state is written in the original language, Oriya, there is a dot below the ‘d’ letter. That makes the pronouncement softer for that particular alphabet.

There are many such arguments but all those idiotic points do not mean anything since most of us today are incapable of admiring the beauty of our own mother tongue. The Oriya middle class prides itself by talking to their children in Hindi, little knowing that by this singular act they are belittling themselves. And so, we did what no other mortal would ever dream of doing. Changed our Mother’s name. And created a monstrosity of a spelling that is so very alien to the local populace and the language they speak. Do refer to the article by Cine star Ms Nandita Das in The Week magazine (Last Word titled `Sorry, I don’t speak Odissi) of October 16/2011 to appreciate this point even better.

To top this off, our senior most bureaucrats advised our leaders to announce a HOLIDAY to mark the signing of this Bill by the President. Therefore, one more working day is dumped on the wayside as we roll into the future where we cannot claim to be thinking of the poor farmers reeling in severe drought conditions in more than 19 districts out of the 30 that comprise this state. Nor have we yet dealt properly with the flood damages in the few coastal districts that were ravaged by not one but three consecutive inundations. Yesterday was Eid, obviously a government and Bank holiday. Praise be to Allah the Merciful!