Nationalism of
Dasrathi
Flight DL5720
11/12/2018
ଉତ୍କଳୀ କହେ ନୀଳାଚଳେ ଆମ
ଭେଦା ଭେଦ କିଛି
ନାହିଁ | ସନ୍ତାନ ଆମେ
ଭାରତ ମାତାର, ସଭିଏଁ
ଭଉଣୀ ଭାଇ |
“An Odiya says that in Nilachal (Puri Town), where the deity
of Odiyas, Sri Jaganath is worshiped, there is no discrimination. Everybody is
the son or daughter of Mother India, so we are all brothers and sisters”.
It was a powerful poetry for Dasrathi in his elementary school.
The poetry described, how
1Odiya people think all Indians are brothers and
sisters as the children of Mother India, while 2Gujarati was boasting to own
Mahatma Gandhi, 3Marathi was boasting for Chatrapati Sivaji and 4Rajasthai bosting
for being great decedents of Maha Rana Pratap and 5Panjabis for a brave
community with vast sacrifice for mother India. Once he visited 6Puri on the occasion of annual public bathing ceremony
of Sri Jaganath and was thrilled to witness the majestic walk of the God from a proximity and it all
made sense why here all Indians are brothers and sisters. Dasrathi did not feel
his poverty, even though they did not have money to eat food of their choice
and lived with dry rice pallets his father carried from home. Few years later,
as Dasrathi moved to a small town from his village, he realized that he is a
bit inferior compared to his friends and must learn how to dress properly to
claim their equals. Later, when he met some people from central part of the
province, it became clear that people of his region are lesser mortals. Still, he thought maybe
one day people will recognize their siblings and embrace them. Or, maybe people
elsewhere would be with broader mind to consider their brothers and sisters of
Bharat Mata (Mother India). In the meantime Dasrathi became busy and moved to
north for higher studies.
As he came to an university in north, the head of the
department, where he wanted to study, was generous and made arrangements for
joining the department and comfortable
living. While travelling by train, he met an old man from Punjab with
turban, who guided him how to change the train in New Delhi Railway station. Dasrathi
wanted to join M.Phil course in the same university after completing two years
of MSc course. Most of the seats reserved for the students of Haryana Domicile.
Head of the Sanskrit Department, who was impressed on watching Dasrathi
performing Ganesh Puja with proper pronounce of 6Mantras, asked him to meet the
district commissioner, who was his old student to get the necessary
certificate. As Dasrathi, visited Commissioners
home, he was offered tea and light snakes besides getting the domicile
certificate. Next day when he took another student of the native born, the commissioner
was annoyed and refused to oblige. But,
Dasrathi’s faith in nationhood deepened and he was sure of the fact that all
Indians are brothers and sisters and he belongs to this great community.
Few days later while working for PhD in premium institute, it
was clear to Dasrathi that he is really from an inferior breed. His friends
from south actually boasted how great movies are made there. On one occasion,
he even heard from them how little culturally in the form of movie making comes
from Odissa. And, actually that was true. While attending a national science conference,
Dasrahi over heard from a prominent leader of science, Dr. Srinivasan, that the
real genius people in scientific research are from West Bangal and Tami Nadu.
All others are marginal. As he analyzed, he became convenienced that his
community produced very little scientist, poets, writers and leaders. He is
actually a lesser breed. While, that could be true, at the same time, he was
doing fine in the institute, even better than people from the states of better
breed. His PhD supervisor gave an impression that Dasrathi is as good or some
times better than many of his peers. In the meantime, he was exposed to
international community. So, he decided to show his talent to people of other
countries or other nations, who may not know that he is from a lesser breed in
his home nation.
Dasrathi proudly travelled to Germany, after completing PhD
to pursue Post Doctoral work. As he came across many people of his nation, it
was clear that most are miserable compared to their white counter part! Most
detested their native place and tried to live in the west if possible. One day,
while waiting for the bus, he met a young, healthy individual from Punjab, who
was seeking asylum. Dasrathi was curious to know the hardship he went through
in his great native place. It was surprising to find that, the complains were just hoax to get an
opportunity to stay in this great land! Even with less pleasant experience in
the home nation, Dasrathi wanted to be back to live with his parents and people
of similar type. After a couple of years, he received two letters from a colleague of
his PhD advisor to join his institute to build a research group. He decided to
return to motherland and if possible contribute like Jawahar Lal Nehru and many
others!
Dasrathi returned to join a newly built Astronomy Center in
middle of the country. He was under impression that getting trained in a
western institute of repute, his native background would be overlooked and he
would be accepted like others. Before joining the institute, Dasrathi was promised
and independent accommodation, which he did not get. He was disgusted and decided
to appeal to the dean, who was from Rajasthan – a worrier breed of superior
type. The Dean told him, “being an ordinary post-doctoral fellow, who does not
even have a future after couple of years, what more you want!! You should thank
us for having some accommodation that many people in this nation would be
fortunate to have.” Quickly, Dasrathi realized that he is talking to a worrier
class, superior to his own. As another senior professor from north came to know
about it, he sympathized Dasrathi and advised to appeal to the institute
director. Being aware of his root, poor Dasrathi decided to leave the institute
to join his parent institute, where he completed his PhD.
His parent institute, where he completed PhD belonged to
Space Department of the nation, and Dasrathi was well-known to most people,
including the head of organization. He
had a happy life both academically and personally for many years. Once again, he
started feeling the belonging to a great nation. Once, while presenting the
astronomy facilities at an conference in France, organized by United Nations,
he used a digital map of his country where the western boarder was shown as
disputed with dashed lines. Following him, his Pakisthani colleague Prof.
Faruki showed a map in which he drew the map with a pen showing the entire Kashmir
belonging to them. Dasrathi joked, “Faruki Sahab, you have taken the entire
Kashmir by the stroke of a pen. At least you should have left SriNagar for us.”
Faruki 7sahab, said, Dasrathiji, you can return to your great country, where
people are broad minded, even after showing such a map. But, I cannot!”. Truly,
Dasrathi was proud to have heard this. He thought how great a nation he belongs
to. Few years later, as Dasrathi mingled with adult people of the society, he
realized that may be he does not belong to the community, since their food
habit, political views and social set up is completely different. He tried hard
to prove them, that he is a devout Hindu,
but eats meet, adores, freedom fighters and finds fault with all of them. Despite
his desperate effort, he could only partially integrate to the society in Rajasthan,
that after all produced many brave worriers unlike his own community.
On another occasion, he travelled to Bejing, China with
travel support from Third World Academy of Science and Chinese Academy of
Sciences. On arriving in Beijing, he found that there is a problem with his air
ticket and might cause trouble on return journey. He went to the embassy to
seek help and met the science attaché. On
their first meeting the officer asked, if their trip is an government official
trip. On learning the contrary, the attaché said, although it is not from the
government office, he would do his best to help. The tone was somewhat
uncomfortable. Dasrathi said, the president of his nation requests all people
of the world to help without any reservation. Being his employ, the officer is
actually duty bound to offer help. The officer laughed and they enjoyed
together. Later an officer from a press organization invited them for lunch in
their home and broadcast his interview on the eve of the visit of the vice
president of his country! That gave a belongingness to a great nation, even
though the embassy officer was less than perfect.
Few years later, Dasrathi came to United States for work and
came across a community of people from his native region, who spoke same
language and followed same customs. It was after about more than two and half
decades he had this opportunity. He thought, now he belongs to this community
of his own. But, in the meantime, he lost touch with most of the customs and
even lost fluency of his own native language! His little son, did not even
speak Odiya. But, he certainly enjoyed their company, even though, his son had
a hard time learning the language, at least speaking part. The American
colleagues, without knowing that
Dasrathi belongs to a lesser community of his nation, treated him like equals.
Dasrathi started feeling comfortable here. Some years later, Dasrathi returned
to his mother land to build some great facility. After spending few years, he
left his beloved nation. By this time, the nationhood was of not much meaning
as he hardly contributed to enrich his motherland.
Many years later, Dasrathi
approached a famous scientist, Dr. Lal, of his country to congratulate him on
the occasion of being elected as a fellow of a prestigious society. After
enquiring the wellbeing of Dasrathi, Dr. Lal said, there is a special pleasure
to work for your own land! Dasrathi wondered, what relevant Dr. Lal’s work has
to the motherland? The work will have an affiliation to a geographical location
and belong to all humanity anyway.
Dasrathi has now seen east, west, Japan, China, Europe and
America. Many people accept him as one of them, some don’t. When, asked a
famous colleague of his field of research, they gave him all the support and
accepted as one of them. Many times in his own home nation, he was rejected and
felt miserable. Nationhood became an ill-defined word. If geographically
confined, he only belongs to the little village or town where he spent the
childhood. But, he cannot earn a livelihood living there. If he adores Bharat
Mata (Mother India), what happens to his Utkal Janani (mother Odissa)? He started thinking, his forefathers got freedom from English Speaking people, not to have another royal language. If he has to adopt something else, other than what his mother understands, may be it should be more powerful and that matter in world stage. He
thought, only those who cannot earn for themselves, motivate others to become
territorial that might give an earning!
Lord of the Universe comes to hug people.
Recently, he visited Nilachal (Puri, Odissa) to see his God
coming to millions of people to identify Him as one of them. When, his God, the
Lord of the Universe (Jaganath) ascended to the chariot witnessed by millions
on the grand road, he reflected, will He not listen to those, who call him in
another name, for example Ala? Will he not listen to those, who happen to live
in a geographically different location, say in Europe or Australia or in
another planet? Dasrathi actually felt, the God he is witnessing belongs to all
thing in the universe, and if there are people in a planet in a remote galaxy,
they also own this God! When God was comfortable on the chariot in the evening,
Dasrathi felt, He smiling and reassuring
him of the idea that He actually is the Lord of the Universe and can be geographically
confined. For Him there is no such thing as nationhood. He just happened to be
here at this time!
1-5: People of different provinces - Odisha, Gujarat, Maharastra, Rajasthan and Punjab.
6: Sentences in Sanskrit that can be understood by the Hindu Gods.
7sahab: A respected way of addressing an individual.
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