Dekha Sikha Odia - Watch and Copy Odias

A recent post by Prasanna Mishra Sir - "When we (Odias) copy everything from outside why we don't celebrate the Jalikattu here" inspired to write this prodding blog.

A very pertinent question indeed which made me think why we (Odias) tend to ape North Indians - their language, culture, tradition and even festivals more than South Indians ? The answer is, the fair skinned North Indians look cool, and their mother tongue Hindi cooler than other Indian languages. We conveniently give cold shoulder to those from south of Vindyas (the low height mountain running from east to west which pretty much divides North and South), same as the North Indians dismiss their South Indian counterparts as MADRASIs (all South Indians are Madrasis to them).

A la we Indians prefer to ape the West (British before, now Pax Americana it is United States) rather than Nigerians or Ugandans, we Odiad have our distinct preference for North Indians over the rest. Both reflect a clear preference to the fair skin. Hindi has overridden our mother tongue, thanks to Bollywood and the new arrivals from North India in heartland Odisha. Full marks to the person who coined the phrase - DEKHA SIKHA ODIA, "Watch and Copy Odias".

We Odias can beat Americans as the most immigrant friendly folks on earth, specially liberal to those outsiders who don't speak Odia so that we can copy them. Copying north is the flavor of the season. Because North Indians have fairer complexion and Hindi sounds so modern !!! 

Chhena has become paneer, Ghanta has paved the way for Vegetable Jalfrazie. Odia anchors on TV are seen uttering - "MEHNGA Padila", " Apana ka Samna Re PES Karuchu MLA ka  KHULASA", " Kouthi Khechudi PAKUCHI". Mate CHUTIA Baneila (made an ass of me) is an accepted slang these days. Lori and Dhantera are celebrated by Odias, not Pongal. A recent Odia movie with leading actor and actresses being Odias was tittled - ISHQ TU HI TU and many more...

Glad Jalikattu is celebrated Tamil Nadu not from Bihar. Othewise, we would be wrestling our poor Kataki Bulls inside the Kalinga or in Barabati Stadium today.