What’s in a name?

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell sweet”
-Shakespeare
In simple words, my teacher used to say, what‘s in a name, in any other name the rose smells the same. The great poet and playwright by this means and what we understand is what matters is what something is, not what it is called. There is much discussion on the subject and the two lines are much quoted. But I have not come across a discussion on what happens when two persons bear the same name. It definitely matters to the person bearing the name of another person, known and powerful. A very few persons might have the bitter/sweet experience as I have.

The officers of Orissa Finance Service have to pass Marwari language test. Since the business community in Odisha comprises a large chunk of Marwaris, the officers are required to know the language to study their books of accounts they maintain in their language. An officer of Orissa Administrative Service, then working as ADM in Sundargarh, had come to take the viva test. When I entered into the room, he offered me a seat and then, asked his first question, “Do you know any other person by the name Sahadev Sahoo?”
“Yes, there are three in Odisha… I know.” I replied.
“Three?” He looked surprised.
“Yes, sir. One Prof Sahadev Sahoo, the professor of SCB Medical College, who recently died of car accident. Second, Sahadev Sahoo I A S.” I said
“The third one?” He asked.
“Myself, I mean, the person sitting before you.” I replied
He could not control his laugh. Laughingly he said, “Write your name and the post held by the second Sahadev Sahoo.”
Sahadev Sahoo, IAS was then Secretary to Government, Information and Public Relations Department. I wrote on a piece of paper in Marwari. My interview was over. He had awarded me the pass mark.

When I was a student in college/university I wanted to be a feature writer/columnist, to write on current affairs, comment on socio-political events. But destiny had some other things in store for me. I entered into government service and I learnt I could not write anything critical of the government policy. I could write only articles of academic nature. I gave up my ambition of writing features/articles on current events, and switched over to writing stories.
My stories got attention of the reading public. I received letters of appreciation from the readers, which encouraged me to continue with writing. Sometimes I received letters like this. “Sir, I read your story published in … magazine. I liked it. I have read your articles on daka tickatru jnana( knowledge from the postage stamps). But I did not know, you also write stories which are so beautiful….”
Sahadev Sahoo, IAS is a philatelist. He was former Chief Secretary to Govt of Odisha and also former Vice Chancellor, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT). He writes essays, features on varied things. He has also written a few stories, but he is not known as a story writer. He wrote in the Samaj, one of the most popular and widely circulated Odia daily, a regular column titled daka tickatru jnana( knowledge from the postage stamps) for quite a long time. The above letter writers mistook my stories as his as he was famous and a popular person.
To the above letter-writers I wrote back just to dispel their misgivings, “Thanks for the letter, glad to know you liked the story. But I am not Sahadev Sahoo IAS, the philatelist, though I have written this story.”
I did not get back any letter after I clarified them, which created doubts in my mind whether the story I wrote was really good! Was the letter addressed to me was neither for me nor for the story, but for the former Chief Secretary and Vice Chancellor?

In the year 1999, my first collection of short stories was published. An eminent writer was invited to the book release function held at Puri. The function was organised by my friend, Pradeep Biswal, the poet. The eminent writer told me,“Honestly speaking, I had not read your story till I got invited to the function. I was under the impression that the IAS Sahadev Sahoo was writing the stories. He is an essayist, a feature writer, but not a good story writer. I did not want to waste my time on reading his stories. Recently, after I got invited, I chanced upon your story in nabalipi. Of course, your photograph was also published. I have read only one story of yours. That was good.”

A few years back SAMBAD had published in every month the dates of births of the Odia writers/poets. My date of birth, as recorded in my certificate, is 10th January. In the month of January of that year SAMBAD had mentioned my name against 10th January, but had published the photograph of Sahadev Sahoo IAS. His date of birth is, perhaps, not 10th January.

Gobind Chand, a journalist cum writer has published his research work on contribution of Jhankar to Odia literature. All the stories published in the name of Sahadev Sahoo in Jhankar by the time the book was published, both mine as well as his, have been mentioned against Sahadev Sahoo. Credit of all the stories goes to one person, and definitely it would go to the IAS.

There are many similar incidents occurring since last twenty/twenty-five years.

A few months back, Neelkain, an Odia literary magazine honoured me as a story writer in a function organised at Bhubaneswar. I was given two minutes to speak my reactions. I spoke about the confusion being created bearing the same name with a known and familiar person, an IAS officer. My daughter was in the audience. She told me later that a person sitting beside her was saying to his friend, “I also believe the same. Sahadev Sahoo, IAS writes the stories. Who is this fellow? First time I am hearing there is another person by the name Sahadev Sahoo.”
xxxxx