My Blog

Being Odia

Apr 15, 2023

Being an Odia in Odisha whose fate is tied and tightly coupled with the whims and fancies of another Odia would speak of another Odisha which it never was or should be.

For centuries we have proved that we make very good servants, sincere, loyal, and honest; efficiency was not expected from the one who just has to guard the post to protect his master`s interest. From being the Balasore Bearers to a Babu in the highest office and now as waiters and security guards in metros we have done every role because the lure of risk-free, easy, and secure life is hard to resist. It`s time we resurrected that dormant gene that made some of us kings and emperors.

Bhubaneswar – The city which adopted this nomad.

Apr 13, 2023

Vividly remember that Sunday afternoon in the summer of 1974 when Baba drove us to a plot he had recently acquired.
After crossing the last human habitation with some rickety unimpressive houses at Acharya Vihar, we were on the highway towards Khurda. After about a kilometre plus he turned right to a barren geography with no shrub in sight. New roads were being demarcated with mounds of aggregates dotting the sides of stormwater drains. Our Jeep rattled on it and stopped at a point where the road ended and overlooked a valley. We were asked to get down and Baba proudly showed us his first material acquisition after struggling for a decade plus to raise his 4 children.

A father`s letter to his daughter

Mar 04, 2023

Dear,

Today is your first day at your office and your first step into the world as a professional. I as a father feel I must tell you certain home truths and things that will help you take on the uncertain water and navigate in the new world filled with unknown people and their unknown interests.

Leap not with romantic hopes but with practical understanding.

Sunday Blues and our perpetual fight with Procrastination

Jan 22, 2023

It’s a Sunday afternoon and after the post-lunch siesta, I wake up to a mixed feeling of having lost out, being left behind, guilty, and filled with self-doubt - a sense of dejà vu.

Familiar with it; deep down I know that this will continue till I reach the office and start taking up things. I have lived through this feeling since my adolescence and only recently realized that many adults like me do undergo this feeling routinely and it has a name.

Kutta-Dutta Rigmarole

Nov 26, 2022

Sri Kutta! Does it sound weird?

Yes, that’s how he would have been officially addressed because the spelling of his surname in the official record tells just that - had Sri Srikanti Kutta (Dutta) of Bankura not protested.

Dutta was determined and was made of sterner stuff.

After repeatedly failing to move the authorities to make a valid change of the name on his ration card, he chose to stage a protest in the most non-violent and creative way. He took his appeal to the head of the organization for the fourth time and instead of requesting the authorities with folded hands wearing a hangdog look, he yelped and whined like a snarling dog much to the chagrin of the BDO in the full public view. The video became viral on social media.

The Silence of the Sounds

Oct 09, 2022

Some days back in Bangalore, around midnight I was shaken off my sleep by an ear-piercing unfamiliar sound. It was the typical sound of a piece of a heavy metal hammer hitting another large metal body at rhythmic regularity. Why would someone in a residential colony hit a metal body with another hammer continuously for hours so late at night? I started analyzing what could the situation be and drew a big blank.

I could not associate this sound with the industrial situations I had experienced so far. I remained clueless.

Respect – What it means and what we have made of it

Oct 03, 2022

A cousin of mine who works in a school for children with special needs was recounting an experience of hers.

A senior retiree who stayed alone in their community with time to spare, came occasionally to that school to help people with their chores. He didn’t mind doing any task – big or small whoever asked for help. He wanted to contribute to the community. He was always punctual, came much earlier to school time; and would invariably park his car at the farthest end of the parking lot.

This habit caught the attention of my cousin who asked him about this quirky habit of parking when there are many vacant slots available closer to the exit. He said, as I come early if I park near the exit, the ones who are unable to reach in time for some reason on that day will be forced to park at the farthest end. That will make them still late to work. As I have time in hand, I choose the distant slot and leave the better ones for others.

BMC and Kishore Bhaina Friction

Sep 18, 2022

I flew out of Bhubaneswar when the drama surrounding Kishore Bhaina’s Roadside Hotel was at its peak. For those who came late; the drama started with the BMC authorities sealing his eatery with the notice of non-compliance with food quality and hygiene standards. It was not an isolated incident; they had done it at more than a dozen such places as a part of their routine drive. It’s a known fact that the evicted encroachments get back to business the very next day; while the media and authorities choose to look the other way.

Jadoo ki Jhappi

Aug 28, 2022

A few days back when Ratan Tata said, "You don`t know what it is to be lonely, until you spend time alone wishing for companionship"; to many of us that was happening to someone, somewhere else. A common description of loneliness is the feeling we get when our need for rewarding social contact and relationships is not met. Loneliness is a state of mind. Loneliness causes people to feel empty, alone, and unwanted. It is marked by feelings of isolation despite wanting social connections. It is often perceived as an involuntary separation, rejection, or abandonment by other people. There is a difference between Loneliness and Solitude. If the latter can be therapeutic at times the former is corrosive.

Sustainable Living – We are facing the consequence of ignoring our traditional values.

Aug 22, 2022

A recent UNEP article stated “To combat the climate crisis and secure a safe future below 1.5°C, the world needs to cut emissions of planet-warming greenhouse gasses by 50 percent within the decade. Individuals and policymakers can help secure a healthier planet through their sustainable choices. Research shows that lifestyle changes could help the planet slash emissions by up to 70% by 2050. For many, ambitious targets such as this can induce a sense of dread and paralysis. But experts say there is a lot we can do as individuals to counter climate change.”