Pandemic Boon For Odia Literature

Pandemic Boon For Odia Literature

Odia literature is back in demand, thanks to the Covid-19 outbreak. Confined to their homes for months together due to the pandemic, more people are falling back on regional literature as they struggle with their new restricted reality. Be it anthologies, short story collections, novels, and even old comics, people have rediscovered their love for Odia literature.

Writer, poet and founder of a regional publication house Aditya Bharat Debashish Samantaray said the current restricted environment is the biggest factor that brought people closer to Odia literature during the pandemic time. “Earlier, people were leading a busy life and their focus was scattered on multiple tasks. They had various ways to indulge in entertainment through movies, travelling, concerts, cultural events and parties. What Covid-19 did is it contracted the individual surrounding. People began to concentrate more on their well-being and acknowledged the little things around them. This is how people started to flip through the pages of Odia books,” he said.

The Covid-19 outbreak has also helped increase the versatility of readers. “It has always been the trend to read English books of any genre. But now, both old and young people are reading books of Odia authors like Fakir Mohan Senapati, Manoj Das, Prativa Ray, Gourishankar Ray, the ‘Panchasakhas’ along with Albert Camus, DH Lawrence, etc. For the new generation, it is a content to meet their curiosity while people of the older generation are getting an opportunity to walk down the memory lane,” said Aditya.

Apart from the surge in readership, Covid-19 has also brought to the scene pandemic or lockdown literature in Odia. “Being both a writer and publisher, I can say that the literary works emerging during the pandemic will act as a true reflection of the present times for generations to come. Recently, we published two books, one is a collection of 100 Odia essays called ‘Bibhisikamaya Corona’ and the other is a compilation of short stories titled ‘Mask’,” he added.

The reading boom is being welcomed by the new generation which has remained disconnected with Odia literature as well as language. Sumit Panda, a technology analyst at an IT company, said the young generation book lovers in Odisha are familiar with and have easy access to foreign literature while it is not the same for Odia literature. “It’s heartening to see people acknowledging our regional literature. I believe it is not a temporary or periodical trend. If someone has read a good book during the pandemic, he/she will definitely find time to read other books as well. One who has once loved and lived in literature, cannot leave it. Secondly, readers were always there but the advent of social media made many to abandon their reading habit. Now that people have started reading books, they should promote it,” he said.

After completing a book, one should suggest it to five other people. This will not only help the book to become popular but also develop people’s interest in reading. “Supposedly, I read a book by Mayadhar Mansingh. After completing it, I would recommend people around me to read the book. That’s how we as readers should promote our regional authors or poets. If one reads ‘Odia Bhagabata’ by Jagannath Das, he/she would realise what treasure we have,” he said. Sumit had a keen interest in literature since his childhood but Odia literature held a special place for him.

He further said people of other States in India have a clear idea of their regional literature unlike in Odisha. “In earlier times, Odia literature was properly promoted by publishing houses as well as print and electronic media. But now, the major concern is to save our language from dying. For example, the Odia songs being made today do not do justice to our language. What impression does this make on people who think the entertainment industry is one of the strongest mediums?” he questioned.

Sumit also believes that Odia language should be promoted at home. “Parents should ensure that their children get to know about their language, culture and history. And most importantly, people should always try to use the correct Odia words. The influence of foreign language on Odia has been devastating as many colloquial words and terms have become extinct. Without literature, society is infertile, and without society, literature is orphan,” he added.