Odisha politicians don chef’s hat during COVID lockdown

Bhubaneswar: As the entire country is under lockdown to contain novel coronavirus (COVID-19), many unknown facts and lighter side of known political faces have come to fore during the crisis.

After an appeal by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik through Odisha Government’s Spokesperson for COVID-19, Subroto Bagchi, suggesting men to help women in household work during lockdown instead of putting burden on them for preparing tasty and delicious food items at homes, School & Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash has set an example for male community.

The BJD leader shared a video on a microblogging site revealing his strong enthusiasm for helping his wife in cooking. Along with practising social distancing, in the video, Dash was spotted standing beside his wife with a spoon and helping her in cooking.

In a tweet, he asked people to follow the same what he is doing as per suggestion from CM Patnaik to help out women in kitchen.

“If women feel exhausted under such circumstances, the country will be shattered,” he wrote on his twitter handle.

ଆମ ପ୍ରିୟ ମୁଖ୍ୟମନ୍ତ୍ରୀ ଶ୍ରୀଯୁକ୍ତ ନବୀନ ପଟ୍ଟନାୟକ ମହୋଦୟ ପରାମର୍ଶ କରି କହିଛନ୍ତି ଯେ ଘରର ମହିଳା ମାନଙ୍କ ଉପରକୁ ଲକ୍ ଡାଉନ୍ ର ବୋଝ ଲଦିବାକୁ ଦିଅନ୍ତୁ ନାହିଁ।ନିଜେ ଯାଇ ରୋଷେଇ ଘରେ ସାହାଯ୍ୟ କରନ୍ତୁ।ସେମାନେ ଭାଙ୍ଗି ପଡ଼ିଲେ ଦେଶ ଭାଙ୍ଗି ପଡ଼ିବ। ମୁଁ ବି କରୁଛି ଆପଣ ମାନେ ବି କରନ୍ତୁ.@Naveen_Odisha pic.twitter.com/LUBAHqXLVa

— Samir Ranjan Dash (@samirdash01) March 31, 2020

This was somewhat the most lighter side of a politician, who is assigned the portfolio like School & Mass Education in Naveen’s ministry.

Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) Chairperson Shreemayee Mishra was not far behind to follow her passion for cooking adding music to it.

In a video shared by her on Facebook, she is seen rolling rotis by singing an old Odia melody ‘abhimanini e amania dheu…’ inside the kitchen.

Meanwhile, the newly elected Rajya Sabha MP Mamata Mahanta has also revealed her skills in cooking, not for her family, but for underprivileged persons, who are the worst-hit during lockdown.

Presenting herself as a typical village woman and putting veil on her head, the parliamentarian, who belongs to Kudumi tribal community, cooked food on wood fire and distributed it among the poor hungry people at her village under Bisoi block in Mayurbhanj district.

Acknowledging her selfless service, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik hailed the woman BJD leader for feeding hundreds of needy and helpless people during pandemic situation.

ନିକଟରେ ରାଜ୍ୟସଭାକୁ ନିର୍ବାଚିତ ହୋଇଥିବା @bjd_odisha ର ସାଂସଦ ମମତା ମହନ୍ତଙ୍କ ମାନବୀୟ କାର୍ଯ୍ୟ ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ପ୍ରଶଂସନୀୟ। ବର୍ତ୍ତମାନର ସ୍ୱାସ୍ଥ୍ୟ ସଙ୍କଟ ସମୟରେ ନିଜ ପଞ୍ଚାୟତର ଗରିବ, ଅସହାୟ ଲୋକଙ୍କୁ ନିଜେ ରୋଷେଇ କରି ଖାଦ୍ୟ ପରସୁଛନ୍ତି। ବାସ୍ତବିକ ତାଙ୍କର ଏପରି କାର୍ଯ୍ୟ ସମସ୍ତଙ୍କ ପାଇଁ ପ୍ରେରଣାର ଉତ୍ସ। #OdishaFightsCorona pic.twitter.com/62Sdgee5Zq

— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) March 31, 2020