Nua Khai Abhinandan
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Biraja Mahapatra
Aug 22, 2009, 1:07:57 PM8/22/09
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Dear friends,
I wish all my odiya friends "NUA KHAI ABHINANDAN".
It was dream of few people including myself in Bargarh in 1990 to have
a state-wide festival in the name of Nuakhai. Now it is an institution
for emotional integration. Incidentally Bargarh, a small city which
transforms itself into a drama stage during Dhanu Yatra, had the
tradition of using public sentiment in the community interest.
"Baazle citi phatsi pithi" is the back ground of Dhanu yatra. At a
time when the British wanted to have their Political agent's
headquarters at Brooks Hill in Sambalpur, they had their cantonment
established at Bargarh. Police were torturing and exploiting local
people and unleashing a terror in the city. A group of people thought
of a mass rising against the British. They were carrying whistles. If
some body was being beaten by police, he immediately used to blow the
whistle. Within seconds the whole city used to get bustle with the
sound of whistling. It sent shock waves to the Politial Agent. This
gave the birth to the Dhanu Yatra and Kansa represented the British
Administration.
Like Nua Khai we need to have a similar festival for the country as
well that could foster emotional integration. This is what Build India
Group propounds. It says we need to have a national festival of
commitment to the country. A festival in unison and across the country
it self will be the greatest force to unleash a hate campaign against
terrorism and corruption.
Let Nua Khai continue to foster such emotional integration in Odisha.
with love
Biraja Mahapatra
I wish all my odiya friends "NUA KHAI ABHINANDAN".
It was dream of few people including myself in Bargarh in 1990 to have
a state-wide festival in the name of Nuakhai. Now it is an institution
for emotional integration. Incidentally Bargarh, a small city which
transforms itself into a drama stage during Dhanu Yatra, had the
tradition of using public sentiment in the community interest.
"Baazle citi phatsi pithi" is the back ground of Dhanu yatra. At a
time when the British wanted to have their Political agent's
headquarters at Brooks Hill in Sambalpur, they had their cantonment
established at Bargarh. Police were torturing and exploiting local
people and unleashing a terror in the city. A group of people thought
of a mass rising against the British. They were carrying whistles. If
some body was being beaten by police, he immediately used to blow the
whistle. Within seconds the whole city used to get bustle with the
sound of whistling. It sent shock waves to the Politial Agent. This
gave the birth to the Dhanu Yatra and Kansa represented the British
Administration.
Like Nua Khai we need to have a similar festival for the country as
well that could foster emotional integration. This is what Build India
Group propounds. It says we need to have a national festival of
commitment to the country. A festival in unison and across the country
it self will be the greatest force to unleash a hate campaign against
terrorism and corruption.
Let Nua Khai continue to foster such emotional integration in Odisha.
with love
Biraja Mahapatra
acidorissa .
Aug 24, 2009, 9:26:15 PM8/24/09
to oriss...@googlegroups.com
Than U Mr. Mohapatra for providing vital information on Dhanu Yatra. Why can't we observe Nua Khai as a state level festival like Ganesh Ustav in Maharastra. Nua Khai is observed throughour Orissa in different name at different date. Let us propagate it's motto. It is a festival to unite family members and teach to pay respects for others which has enormous importance in our present days social culture.
Happy Nuakhai.
acidorissa ( Anti Corruption India Drive )
Biraja Mahapatra
Aug 25, 2009, 10:46:06 AM8/25/09
to oriss...@googlegroups.com
Dear Sir,
( I am sorry not being able to address you by name.)
I will be greatful if you please reveal your name. Now for your information, Nuakhai as a festival is being celebrated on an appointed date in most parts of the state. This has been continuing since 1991. Nuakhai has been a Western-Orissa specific festival. Then there was a demand that it should be a state festival. It also received patronage from the then Biju Patnaik government. In most coastal parts, Nabanna Bhakshan (ceremonial eating of rice from the new crop) is being celebrated on Manabasa Gurubara (the first Thursday of Margasira) or on Dusherra, now in Western Orissa it is being celebrated on one date. The effort to start it on one single day started from small group of people including Surendra Hota from Bargarh in 1990 and then it was finalised by scholars in Sambalpur next year to hold it on a particular day. If I correctly remember the first State level Nuakhai festival was on September 5, 1992.
I appreciate your view that we should have Nua Khai as a festival like Ganesh Utsav in Maharashtra. Before that I must say, Ganesh Utsav was exploited as platform by Bal Gangadhar Tilak against the British. This was a great idea but its scope was narrow. It took into its fold some Hindus and not Muslims and Christians. This idea was based on a bit narrow cultural nationalism. Nevertheless it did work. This is, according to me, the first step to exploit public sentiment for a socio-political cause. Bargarh Dhanuyatra is also another such step.There could be many other places where similar cultures may have evolved. Nothing has been done in the country so far for emotional integration of people and Independence Day Celebrations and Republic Day celebrations have become too official in nature.
I appreciate your view that we should have Nua Khai as a festival like Ganesh Utsav in Maharashtra. Before that I must say, Ganesh Utsav was exploited as platform by Bal Gangadhar Tilak against the British. This was a great idea but its scope was narrow. It took into its fold some Hindus and not Muslims and Christians. This idea was based on a bit narrow cultural nationalism. Nevertheless it did work. This is, according to me, the first step to exploit public sentiment for a socio-political cause. Bargarh Dhanuyatra is also another such step.There could be many other places where similar cultures may have evolved. Nothing has been done in the country so far for emotional integration of people and Independence Day Celebrations and Republic Day celebrations have become too official in nature.
When we talk of cultural nationalism, it must integrate each and every individual of this country irrespective of one's religion, language or community or sex. There must be a common problem affecting each and every individual. Today this problem in India is corruption and its ugly face- terrorism. There has to be celebration to deal with it. There has to be revelry so that people can enjoy killing the davil. Therefore we need a festival through which we can spread hate campaign against terrorism and corruption. According to Build India Group (BIG), it has to be the festival of commitment to the country. We believe this festival can force a Tsunami of hate against terrorism and corruption.
The festival must not hurt any one's religious sentiment. It has to be a secular festival which has to be essentially celebrated across the country at one point of time and it has to be celebrated religiously. Therefore, we have decided to hold a national pledge festival when people in their mother tongue say the pledge across the country in unison as a matter of celebration. This idea has been supported by the Bar Associations in Delhi and it has sperad to several educational institutions in the country. Hope it clicks.
Ours is actually aimed at an Anti Corruption India Drive. To know more about us, please log on to www.buildindiagroup.org.
regards
Biraja Mahapatra
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