I am no sociologist or economist, but a film-maker who has been to remote parts of Orissa to record the living conditions of people. In the 75th year of Orissa’s independent identity, one looks around for some notable changes in the social attitude of the ruling class and the living conditions of people in general.

Inevitably, some growth and progress has been achieved in material terms in a certain belt of the state. The upward mobility of the middle class alone seems to be a significant change.

But the so-called “winds of change” has still not affected the bulk of its populace. It is true that inertia has been the “original sin” of Orissa in the recent past. Lack of enterprise and initiative for hard work has been our hallmark.

That, to my mind, has added to the woes of the masses.

But it is also true that even after 75 years of territorial identity, we have not been able to provide the basic amenities of life such as drinking water to a sizeable population. In fact, the divide between “the rich” and “the poor” seems to be widening at an ever-increasing pace. It is not surprising therefore to find Naxalism raising its head in several tribal-dominated pockets.

The main cause for worry is the lack of concern for the “common man”. In this regard, we seem to have imbibed the trait of our erstwhile British rulers. The social attitude of the administrators, by and large, towards the poor is no better than the “dirty natives”.

Social sectors such as education and health care, the government claim not withstanding, have not reached a large mass of people till date. Orissa achieved statehood on the basis of language. However, after all these years we have done little to promote its language and culture. Language chauvinism has produced many cultural heroes and political icons in the south. But we are yet to learn our lesson.

The enemy from the sky is turning the whole world into a monolithic culture. It is all the more reason to safeguard one’s language and culture. An excessive stress on English at the cost of Oriya is slowly strangulating it. It is very much like an excessive enthusiasm for industry killing agriculture.

Well, I may sound like an incorrigible optimist to say that there is still hope that things will turn around in the future.

Or, call me a cynic if you please.