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In Oriya please, Mr Patnaik

M I Khan in Bhubaneswar

Biju Janata Dal chief Naveen Patnaik, the man who many believe would be the chief minister of Orissa one day, can't speak Oriya. Though there are no signs yet of this hampering his political career, it's widely known that his partymen are ashamed of his inability to communicate in the local language.

The Doon School-educated son of Biju Patnaik, former chief minister, Naveen Patnaik had promised when he entered politics that he would pick up Oriya as soon as possible. He, however, has not kept his promise.

He continues to address public rallies in Hindi after beginning his address with a sentence or two in broken Oriya. This, however, does not satisfy people who come to hear him, especially in rural parts of the state. Often, his speeches are translated for the audience by party workers after he has left.

''It is quite embarrassing. How can a leader, who aspires to lead a state, not speak its language? People are asking this question...and the whispers are only getting louder and louder,'' said a party workers requesting anonymity.

People are also drawing a parallel with his father, who was a man of masses. ''If he aspires for the kind of following his father enjoyed in Orissa, he will have to speak their language,'' the worker added.

Naveen Patnaik's political adversaries are aware of this weakness of his and they seldom miss a chance to exploit it.

Former chief minister J B Patnaik, who heads the state Congress unit, recently wondered whether the people of Orissa would accept a leader who can't speak to them without an interpreter. He was referring to Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu's prediction at a campaign rally that Naveen Patnaik would be the next chief minister of Orissa.

''Would people of Andhra Pradesh accept a leader who can't speak Telugu?'' Patnaik had asked.

A senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader kicked off a controversy soon after the BJD-BJP combine decided to project Naveen Patnaik as their chief ministerial candidate by questioning whether a leader who can not read and write Oriya should be allowed to become the chief minister?

The question is likely to become a major political issue as the state readies to vote in a new assembly. The answer must come from Naveen Patnaik himself. And it better be in Oriya.

Assembly Election 2000

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