Our Chief Minister has reportedly issued a directive asking people not to celebrate the English New Year and not to come to greet him. Fair enough. But the Chief Minister should clarify to the people—what exactly is tomorrow?
Is it not the English New Year? Of course, we celebrate our Odia New Year on Pana Sankranti, and that is wonderful. But why should we not celebrate the English New Year as well? Will Odias become “English” if they celebrate it? Will our culture vanish?
If you truly believe our culture is under threat, then shut down all English-medium schools from tomorrow. But wait—how can you do that when you yourself are promoting English-medium education under the banner of “Adarsha Vidyalaya”?
This directive against the New Year is unnecessary. The entire country, including the government, runs according to the English calendar. Does the government function based on our traditional Purnima, Sankranti, or Kala (lunar phases)? Does the Chief Minister schedule his public grievance hearings based on Purnima, Pratipada, or Ashtami?
Time knows no religion, caste, or creed. It is impossible for humans to bind time. We have surrendered ourselves to time, counting our days like prisoners. This counting has nothing to do with English, Odia, religion, or tradition.
For weddings, rituals, and festivals, we follow the Odia calendar starting from Pana Sankranti—and rightly so. But for our daily lives and official work, we follow the English calendar. So, what is wrong with celebrating the English New Year? After all, the dates of the English year hold great significance in our lives. Why deny that?
And remember—the Odia New Year is not only Pana Sankranti. It is also the day of Sunia—the first day of the Anka (era) of our Gajapati Maharaja, the New Year of Lord Jagannath Himself. Why would we not celebrate that too?
Let us celebrate every New Year for its true significance.
And after all this, let us remember— we are mere playthings in the hands of Time.
If you agree with this, Happy New Year to you!
If you think this is wrong, then advance wishes for whenever you choose to celebrate your New Year!
