-Satyakam Ray

Continuing the Odia tale with more humor, I present you with one more anecdote. People other than Odias who read this article, please conduct a social experiment. Ask any odia you know from your workplace, relations, or social circle where they are from. There is a 90% chance that he will say he is from Bhubaneswar. The truth is, most of them don’t belong in Bhubaneswar. They either reside in small towns or in villages unknown to outsiders. For everyone’s convenience, they claim to be from Bhubaneswar.

It’s not a matter of great concern, though, as most Indians also exhibit this trait. Ask any Bengali about the native; they will say he’s from Kolkata. However, he may be from Medinapore, New Jalpaiguri, or a small, remote village in West Bengal. Ask any Bihari, and the answer will be Patna. Any resident of UP, specifically Kanpur or Lucknow, depending on the audience. Even if Lucknow’s accent isn’t present in conversation, the person won’t hesitate to say he’s from Lucknow.

Most Odias seek to identify with the state capital, Bhubaneswar. Call it a low level of complexity, a lack of self-esteem, or simply a show-off, association with Bhubaneswar has become a source of pride for many. After the “smart city” tag was given to Bhubaneswar, the usual ostensible answer was updated to say that we belong to the smart city. If any odia reading this feels slightly offended, the author’s intention is correct. Because there are many smart cities in India, Bhubaneswar is not the only one. The author is also a proud odia but doesn’t want to sound cliché by mentioning the smart city numerous times. Repeated use of the ‘smart city’ tag makes it seem repetitive and laughable.

If they babble, rural folks converse in colloquial language and pronounce Bhubaneswar as ‘Bhonsore.’ The correct way of saying it is somehow lost, and very few people care. The intent and content of the conversation should be prioritized. Hypothetically, if a person from a rural area wants to talk to an outsider about their hometown, they might say, ‘I’m from the smart city of Bhonsore.’ It sounds ridiculous, but it’s an imaginary situation, so nobody should be offended.

Speaking the truth about the natives won’t harm anybody’s impression. Instead, lying about it will only dampen self-esteem and lead to another lie. The best in everybody comes out when they try to become more humble. If asked, Odias and other Indians should be able to specify their exact place of birth. If it’s a remote place, then it’s no issue. Just say the name of the area, and the nearby big town or city reference will do.

I’ll conclude the self-critical blog with a bit of humor now. If the residents of Cuttack call themselves ‘Cuttakia,’ ‘ Berhampur,’ ‘Berhampuria,’ ‘ Sambalpur,’ and ‘Sambalpuria,’ what about Bhubaneswar? Is it ‘Bhubaneswaria’ or ‘Bhonsoria’?