KHATTI

There is no exact English word for Khatti. In Gopal Chandra Praharaj's Purnachandra Bhasakosh, Khatti is described as a den or rendezvous for drinkers and smokers i.e. those who take intoxicating drugs. Purnachandra Bhasakosh was compiled in the early thirties of the last century. The meaning of the word has changed over the years. The recent dictionary meaning of the word is adda, only a meeting place, a rendezvous. There is no reference to drinkers or smokers.

But Khatti is more than a meeting place. Khatti in Odia is equivalent to the word adda of Bengli language. Adda, as described in Wikipedia, is a form of intellectual exchange among members, who are originally of the same socio-economic strata. It is most popular among the youths belonging to the so-called ‘middle class intelligentsia’.

But this is also not wholly true. There is intellectual exchange provided the persons meeting in a khatti/adda belong to an intellectual group. The kind of discussion or exchange of views depends upon the persons meeting in a Khatti.

Khatti meets normally before a tea stall with paan/cigarette shop nearby, either in the morning or in the evening or both in the morning and evening. Discussion goes on over cups of tea and smoking/chewing paan by the participating members. Subject matter of the Khatti varies; of course, it depends on the kind of Khatti members. The subject may be music, literature, sports, politics, economy or anything, especially the event which is in news at the present or the members’ fond subject. The discussion in a khatti is not always intellectual, though there may be an intellectual tinge in the views expressed by a member. It ranges from the affair/elopement of a girl of the locality to the love affair of the French president, displacement problem of Kalinganagar to famines of Sudan/Ethiopia, gang war of Kendrapara to fall of dictators in Egypt or Libya or prospects of BJD candidates in the ensuing Panchayat elections to chances of Republican candidate in the next American presidential election.

The Khatti at Kisu paan shop, Buxi Bazaar, Cuttack has already found its due place in literature and memoirs of some great persons. It is the place where the legendary Akshaya Mohanty used to sit. The other members who attended the Khatti are lyricst-writer Debdas Chhotray, poet Haraprasad Dash, singer Prafulla Kar, etc. It is said Akshaya sang there the song he composed and others including Kisu listened. Everybody was free to give their opinion which Akshaya gave importance, and modified his composition if he found the suggestions worthwhile. He fine-tuned his composition on the basis of the inputs at the Khatti. Mostly singers, composers, lyricist, writers assembled in this Kisu paan shop . Most of the members of the then Khatti at KIsu’s are all great persons now in the field of music and literature.

I sincerely attended a Khatti after I had completed my M A and before I got a permanent job. All of my friends attending the Khatti were like me, educated unemployed youths. Our Khatti met at Gada paan shop, Rupali Chhak, Bhubaneswar. We were of different educational background. I had done my MA in History, Bimal was MA in English Literature, Goutam Jena, a published poet by that time was MA in Odia, Ashok and Brahmanand were M A in Psychology, Jadu was MA in Economics, Jayakrishna, J K in short, was M Sc in Zoology. After even twenty five years Gada still remembers us and our taste and habit. Whenever I go to Bhubaneswar and find time I try to meet him. He offers me paan, now free of cost, and tells me about other friends if he had happened to meet them or they had met him, and enquired about others from me, purposefully to pass on the news to other of the old Khatti.

I have been attending a Khatti since I came to Cuttack on transfer fourteen years back. Though the Khatti sits every day at Sarat’s tea stall near Jobra fish market, I cannot attend every day. But I make it a point to attend it on Sundays and other holidays. Accordingly, I schedule my programme. If I have any work, I try to schedule it in a way not to miss the Khatti in the morning. Other members also do likewise, especially for holidays. Some of the regular members of this Khatti are: Saroj Ranjan Mohanty, poet, and editor of Jhankar. Prafulla Mohanty, a retired Section officer, but an actor. Mr Mohanty has acted in more than three hundred dramas and has been appreciated for his performance. A recognised artiste of AIR, he gives voice in many radio plays. Ajay Barik is the president of Cuttack Bus Owners’ Association. He also dabbles in politics. Chagla is a Municipality Tax Collector. Cuttack, its geography and important persons of the City and the major events that take place in the City are on his fingertips. Mana sells fish in the nearby market, but he is a cricket buff. Sometimes other persons such as writers, professors, and poets come as many who know Saroj Ranjan know also at this time he is available in the Khatti. So also the friends of other regulars. Discussion in the Khatti goes on literature, language, sports, politics, economy, and what not?

Sarat serves tea and does not bother about payment. He enjoys the company and the discourse whether he understands it or not.
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