An Odia girl Sona Mohapatra is in the news cycle for singing the famous Odia Bhajan (devotional song) "AHE NILA SAILA". Not new to controversies, it is her mispronounced Odia words from the song whose lyrics were penned by the legendary Lord Jagannath devotee BHAKTA SALABEGA has catapulted her into the center of controversy.
Not sure if she did it deliberately to gain some attention, but not surprised at her act. It is not difficult to fathom the fashionable tendency amongst the modern generation Odias to speak a twisted, acccented version of Odia - especially the girls. In nutshell it reflects their inferiority complex of being from a state of India which is feudal and amongst the bottom on social ladder.
By uttering their mother tongue in an accented manner they strive to pretend not being Odia, hoping it would promote them to identify with another race from a higher strata. What Sona Mohapatra did is symptom of a prevalent disease if unchecked can turn into an epidemic, resulting in the death and decay of one of the oldest and finest languages in the world.
I have seen interviews of Odia actors, item number dancers and wannabe artists who speak in a equitable mix of Hindi, Odia and Hindi. This disease is slightly less amongst men but first catching up - a tendency you will not find in folks from our neighboring states of Bengal and Andhra who are proud of their mother tongue and harbor no inferiority complex about speaking it.
Several Odiyas who I am certain rarely venture out of their home state are often seen talking in Hindi among themselves, even though the closest non-Odia person could be miles away. In premium hotels in Bhubaneswar waiters take orders in Hindi, fully aware of the fact that their customers are 100% pure bred Odias. I once asked a waiter the reason behind this. The man responded - AGYAAN, LOKA HINDI PASAND KARUCHANTI (Sir, folks prefer Hindi). He probably had a point. Apparently, speaking Hindi fetches more respect and possibly tips than speaking in Odia.
I am sure UTKAL GOURAB (The Pride of Odisha) Madhusudan Das who famously said "UTCHA HEBA PAI JADI KARA ASHA, UCHHA KARA AGE NIJA MATRUBHASA, "if you wish to rise then raise your own mother tongue" would be turning in his grave. Reminds me of a friend during my Engineering days who in an inebriated state used to say - HUM SUB ODIA HAIN, ODIA MAI BAAT KARNA CHAHIYE (We are Odias, we should speak in Odia).
Eminent writer Khushwant Singh was concerned that the way the new generation of Sikhs are cutting their hair and getting clean shaved, soon they will lose their identity and blend with Hindus. I am afraid we Oriyas are well on track to achieve that.
Not sure if she did it deliberately to gain some attention, but not surprised at her act. It is not difficult to fathom the fashionable tendency amongst the modern generation Odias to speak a twisted, acccented version of Odia - especially the girls. In nutshell it reflects their inferiority complex of being from a state of India which is feudal and amongst the bottom on social ladder.
By uttering their mother tongue in an accented manner they strive to pretend not being Odia, hoping it would promote them to identify with another race from a higher strata. What Sona Mohapatra did is symptom of a prevalent disease if unchecked can turn into an epidemic, resulting in the death and decay of one of the oldest and finest languages in the world.
I have seen interviews of Odia actors, item number dancers and wannabe artists who speak in a equitable mix of Hindi, Odia and Hindi. This disease is slightly less amongst men but first catching up - a tendency you will not find in folks from our neighboring states of Bengal and Andhra who are proud of their mother tongue and harbor no inferiority complex about speaking it.
Several Odiyas who I am certain rarely venture out of their home state are often seen talking in Hindi among themselves, even though the closest non-Odia person could be miles away. In premium hotels in Bhubaneswar waiters take orders in Hindi, fully aware of the fact that their customers are 100% pure bred Odias. I once asked a waiter the reason behind this. The man responded - AGYAAN, LOKA HINDI PASAND KARUCHANTI (Sir, folks prefer Hindi). He probably had a point. Apparently, speaking Hindi fetches more respect and possibly tips than speaking in Odia.
I am sure UTKAL GOURAB (The Pride of Odisha) Madhusudan Das who famously said "UTCHA HEBA PAI JADI KARA ASHA, UCHHA KARA AGE NIJA MATRUBHASA, "if you wish to rise then raise your own mother tongue" would be turning in his grave. Reminds me of a friend during my Engineering days who in an inebriated state used to say - HUM SUB ODIA HAIN, ODIA MAI BAAT KARNA CHAHIYE (We are Odias, we should speak in Odia).
Eminent writer Khushwant Singh was concerned that the way the new generation of Sikhs are cutting their hair and getting clean shaved, soon they will lose their identity and blend with Hindus. I am afraid we Oriyas are well on track to achieve that.
Wow good website, thank you.
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