Why Odisha Is Truly India’s Best Kept Secret
But then Odisha turned out to be the new Wakanda (a Marvel movie reference). People thought Wakanda is an economically, educationally, infrastructurally backward country but it turned out to be the most developed country. Even more than the USA!
There is a common misconception amongst people living in this country that Odisha is a backward state. Well, we are extremely sorry but it’s high time you realise what this state is capable of. Odisha is a phoenix that will always rise from the ashes. It’s not the first time we were hit by a cyclone and it won’t be the last. But you know what was the best part? Even when Cyclone Fanipronounced as ‘Foni’ became a funny incident for many residing in other states, if certain posts and memes on social media are anything to go by, we knew exactly what to do.
With barely any time in hand, (the cyclone was earlier supposed to make a landfall in Tamil Nadu), the Odisha government not only understood the gravity of the situation, it also started a massive rescue operation prior to the cyclone. The government successfully evacuated 1,29,000 residents only from Puri and approximately 12 lakh people from all coastal areas.
Nevertheless, it was a devastating cyclone and left behind a trail of destruction. Trees uprooted, no electricity, no water, shortage of food and no mobile connectivity. .jpg)
So, what now? Well, this is when the people of Odisha show the way via adaptability. People in the affected areas have started adapting to the situation, however, tough it may be.People are also no more dependent on the government for every small help. Some have started cutting and cleaning trees in front of their houses. A small group of volunteers had, in fact, started collecting money to distribute among affected areas, even before Paytm and other relief funds came into the scenario.
Malls and shops opened the very next day of the cyclone to help people buy groceries and food, or get their phones recharged. Even some restaurants turned operational while many offered free food services.That’s Odisha for you!
Summing up the spirit of the people of the state at this juncture, a shopkeeper told My City Links, “It’s a tough phase but we are in it together and managing fine. I could have a good bath today and that was like bliss. I live near SUM hospital and though electricity is yet to be restored, water supply is good enough.”
So, how does he charge his phone to connect with friends and family, we ask and he took no time to reply, “Near my shop, there are malls and offices that let me charge my device. It is the need of the hour and I guess everyone understands. Everyone has kept aside their differences to help each other.”
Another customer from that shop told us that he lives 12 kms away from the main city. “As I live in the village, I haven’t faced any problem regarding food, we use gas stoves for cooking purposes and I work in the city and my office has generator connection so I charge my devices there. Moreover, there are generator connections in schools and colleges near my locality and we are told that if anyone wants to charge the devices, they can.”
No wonder, living without electricity and phone can be a dare or challenge for anyone in this globe today but not for the people of Odisha. We are managing fine and we have the patience to bounce back as well. What motivates us is the journey, the process of falling down and rising up with more power and energy than ever before. The never give up attitude is something that has always helped Odisha and yes, we always live a peaceful and happy life. Want to know how? Sorry, we can’t tell you that because we are indeed India’s best kept secret!