panigrahigh

[panigrahigh]

Odia Asmita can be for real

Odia Asmita for many, for over 80% of people both in urban and non-urban areas, means gobbledygook. An informal survey across the state says that its plain mumbo jumbo for the generation beta. This is the generation which will live long enough to witness the dawn of the 22nd century. Modi government has put industrial growth and cultural consciousness on equal footing, with unprecedented temerity, inventiveness and doggedness. Odisha, on the verge of yet another course of heavy-duty industrial transformation needs Odia Asmita badly to balance between economy and culture. India is on the fast lane of growth, creating assiduously, a balance with the four Cs - Culture, Creativity, Commerce and Collaboration. There is enough to learn and imbibe from the national government’s transforming initiatives. Equilibrium between high outward growth and deeper inward journey should be the bedrock of Odia life. Odia Asmita instead of being colored as flinty pride, should be internalized as ���cultural confidence”, like being comfortable in one’s own skin. The difference between the two, if only realized, will only lay the foundation for a whole rekindling of cultural mooring. This is the time to choose between genuine Odia culture renaissance or token culture gaslighting. So far Odia Asmita, even before the current marque exercise has not been comprehended as Odia culture’s innate strength – the Odia Soft Power. Odisha has not yet assumed the flavour of this power because the narratives are limited to vapid & ballyhooed conferences and shows, without substance, which the youngsters are blasé about. Understandably so.  The gobby culture gurus go ad nauseam.

The collective memory from our museums; the empathetic plays and dance of our theatres or the books from our libraries; our festivals, literature and painting, and we are blessed a society ready for a high quality, high pitch national conversation, about its identity or anything else. We have to to raise our benchmark and stay away from low quality dilettante.

Your writer suggests a few immediate drives here.

District Creative Economy (DCE): Deep dive developments in district level culture space is almost non-existent and seldom reviewed in Collector’s appraisal meetings. Presently, its significance depends on Collector, the person and not Collector, the institution. The district has to create its own Culture Map and high-quality Culture Compendium – in all formats – writing, A/V, pictorial appropriate for both mainstream & social media. Each district has to survey, assess and compile its cultural uniqueness. This is not as daunting as it might sound. In Google and ChatGPT times one doesn’t require information overload.  But an online visitor or an inquisitor must have hooks: fables, folk tales, contemporary personalities for better acclimatization. What we have today are one off TV Channel shows, dreary and outdated District websites and a few Reels. Reels, despite their weak content, without support, are trying best to keep the storytelling alive. The DCE quotient is strongly proportional to tourism performance of the district. District GDP, without DCE is unsustainable, helplessly resting on extraction industry. Even the budget accruing out of extraction is not deployed to bolster DCE, though DMF (District Mineral Fund) is the fountainhead. The District Culture Office is seeking greater role in developing the district’s/state’s soft power. Padma Sri Dr Utsab Charan Das, the renowned Ghoda Nacha Folk Dancer, and many more creators of Odia Asmita, who preserve art & culture, need our attention and patronizing. Asmita is organic and is in dire need of incubation and nurturing.

R&D in arts: Under Asmita, a quantum jump in understanding innovations in the arts is imminent. There are no rigorous definitions of R&D in the arts, nor are we aligned on why it's socially desirable. We are clueless about how to measure how much arts, organisations invest in innovation. Estimation of its return on investment is far away from us now. Institutions like the Odissi Research Centre, University of Culture, Sahitya Akademi, Museum, Sangeet Mahavidyalaya, State Library, Arts and Crafts College, Sangeet Natak Academy, Lalit Kala Academy should demonstrate their contribution to research and internalization of culture. The pathbreaking NEP 2020 allows institutions to blend academic research and internationalization. These institutions, whether public or private should be evaluated, apprised & ranked according to their effectiveness and relevance. The mega rich minerals industry should be sensitized and if necessary mandated to provide CSR support to strengthen these institutions. CSR today is mostly funding community events, dance shows and the like. But sustained institution capacity building warrants big ticket endorsement. Read the CSR White paper and you can find the glaring gap in culture funding.

The National School of Drama (NSD) is on its way to Bhubaneswar, with the setting up of an outreach centre. The swanky infrastructure of the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Odissi Research Centre should be better utilized for the public. The building should house NSD permanently because NSD will open avenues for aspirants to build careers in theatre and acting, and with booming OTT, will create mediums to mainstream Odia art, music, lifestyle, social mores and culture. In tangible terms, NSD in that building will give positive RoI on taxpayers’ money. The cultural centers should cease to be rehabilitation centres for retired grandees who have already enjoyed highest level perks and elevated postings. These postings should go to the artistes/technocrats who can give time and energy for the arts and the institutions.

Odisha’s coastline is now elongated by 96 kms more to 574.7 kms. The scenic beauty expands but there is not a single state level art gallery, worth the mention to give place to the prolific artwork inspired from such ethereal landscape. Koraput’s beauty should not be ephemeral in Insta or Reels. Some celebrated artistes (read names) have been given prime plots in Bhubaneswar, but definitely not for family succession. These successful names do not mentor youngsters in the state but claim Odisha roots. Take a policy decision and make an art school mandatory for such artistes who thrive on welfare economy – doles and then skulk.

We seem to know the price of everything and the value of nothing. But Odia Asmita can be for real provided we want it, really. Otherwise, it is a good slogan for the time being. India, the superpower in the making is looking up to Odia Asmita to deliver.

(Charudutta Panigrahi is a writer, policy advocate and culture aesthete)