Odia Swaviman

 

Prafulla Kumar Mohanty

Call it self-respect, an ingrained sense of dignity, Swaviman is Pride. It is never adulterated by  insolence or defiance, it is a realization of Soulforce which makes an individual operate in his socio- intellectual environment with a natural confidence born  out of his/her cultural inheritance and historical glory. Mr Das( Madhusudan Das ) was perhaps , the first Odia to use this Swaviman to raise  the moral of the Odia when Odisha did not have her own map, that is, no clearly defined  geographical identity, no record of its glorious past and no officially recognised language. Supported by Fakirmohan Senapati, Gopabandhu Dash and other worthies Mr Das started the Utkal Sammilani and moved for unity of the Odia speaking people despite all odds. The movement gathered steam and forged ahead and eventually  in 1936 Odisha was formed. The Odia gained his voice and spoke  and wrote. Literature, fine arts, sculpture for which the Odia had already carved out his place in the history of India's cultural past. The resilience of the Odia, temple architecture and his music and dance traditions were revived in a renascent fervour.

After Independence the nascent democracy paid attention to eradicating poverty which was ( and is) the bane of the people. A state rich in mineral deposits, a 480 km coastline, native intelligence bravery had another bold and proud voice Biju Patnaik. It was Biju Patnaik who gave a new dimension to Odia Swaviman. If Mr Das was the first graduate , lawyer, industrialist, freedom fighter, cultural hero and energizer of the Odia Soulforce; Biju patnaik was the first dreamer of Odia resurgence. Biju infused into the dormant youth the dream of big Industry, Engineering , Higher education, Port-Airport- Expressways of speed to raise high and wide. He added " Kalinga " to Mr Das's Utkal and gave the Odia a larger world of ideas and vigour. Despite his heroics, however, due to lack of political and social support and the typical crab mindset of people he could not realize his dreams for the people of Odisha. But he made the people aware of a vibrant destiny which the proud Odia could achieve by self-reliant pursuits.

It is a pleasant Irony of  Time and History that what  the father aspired for , the son achieved. Nabin Patnaik , the worthy son of perhaps the greatest Odia, Biju Patnaik, arrived on  the desolate post-super- cyclone  scene like destiny's child to turn the Biju legacy into a realizable practical reality as his legatee.  A man of creative and critical thinking, least interested in his father's stormy World of Politics and overreaching dynamism, Nabin Patnaik, by a decree of fate was  thrust with the ruins of Odisha's administration in his pen holding  hand. I don't know whether  he soliloquized like Hamlet, "O' cursed spite that I was born to set it right" but he has ruled and reigned Odisha  to unimaginable heights. Biju Patnaik , somewhere in the stars in the blue canopy overhead  must be sipping his morning tea with a sober hint of a smile , in his charming face.

After about twenty years, Nabin's Odisha has carved out her proud place in the world map. Political stability, social accord apart, he has changed the mindset of Odisha by his work- without fanfare    He is almost in godlike isolation, in no way   overexposed to the public,  never advising  on  do's and don'ts: Yet he is recognised in India and abroad as a master craftsman  in the art of political administration. Today the Odia is in the highest chair in  the Supreme Court, The Reserve Bank of India, ambassadorial assignment, hospital , Universities, Sahitya Akademi and Gnanapitha chairs. And also in the honour lists of Army and CRPF. The people of Odisha are now in Silicon Valley, World Bank, Apple Microsoft and everywhere. In disaster management and post- devastation reconstruction  Odisha is admired by the world.  Well, I, am not writing a panegyric on Nabin Patnaik, although he deserves it.

 I wish he had created a workforce in the lower rungs of the social ladder. The bureaucracy, Police and other Government functionaries are doing excellent work with single minded dedication. But what pains me is the dole politics. Why should people be given everything almost free? Except air nothing is free. But  because of pollution (self-created)even "pure" air is also sold. Water has now become a scarce resource. If people would be compelled to buy the elements for survival, why should food items and other things be given free or almost free to people? Yes, during  calamitous situations and disasters, it is incumbent upon Government to give everything free, as ours is a welfare democracy. But when everything is normal why should people be encouraged to idle away their time  thanking the Sarkar? An idle mind is the Devil's Workshop- is always true.  Make the poor work and pay them more. Let them be proud of themselves and say- Yes we have deservedly earned by utilizing our energies. They would have their Swaviman and work hard to improve their capabilities. Biju Patnaik dreamed of the Odia, working , inventing and innovating with pride. His son has already prepared the basic infrastructure to some extent. May Odisha become the new Paradise and the Odia a proud specimen of humanity.