LUCKNOW: When patients in Gonda describe their ailments using vivid expressions such as “jee michlaat hai”, “maatha bhanbhanaat hai” and “shareer jhanjhanat hain”, Dr Anitha Punyodaya Misra understands not only their symptoms but also the emotion behind their words. Two decades after arriving in Gonda from Karnataka’s Mangaluru, the gynaecologist and laparoscopic surgeon has become so fluent in Awadhi that many patients refuse to believe she is a South Indian at all.The doctor recently went viral on social media after speaking fondly about Awadhi phrases and describing the language as “poetry”. What began as a simple expression of affection for the local dialect soon turned into a celebration of cultural integration, earning admiration from across the country.Dr Anitha says learning Awadhi was never a conscious mission. It became a necessity born out of her commitment to patient care. Married to surgeon Dr Punyodaya Misra, whose family hails from Gonda, she arrived in the district after her marriage and soon realised that language was the bridge between treatment and trust.“To become a good doctor, you need to connect with patients,” she says. “In small towns, many problems are psychological as much as physical. Patients want someone who listens to them in their own language. When you respond in their language, they feel that you are one of them.”That realisation transformed her practice. More than half of the patients visiting her clinic from half a dozen nearby districts prefer speaking in Awadhi.“When patients speak in Awadhi, they don’t simply say, ‘I have a stomach ache.’ Instead, they use vivid expressions such as ‘pet chil chil howat hai’. For throat pain, the expression is ‘natai peerat hai’; for pain in the leg, they say ‘pair tapkat hai’ or ‘pair jhanjhanat hai’. These descriptive words and adjectives make the language incredibly expressive. There is a rhythm and warmth in Awadhi that makes it sound like poetry. I find them very attractive and charming, and I am fascinated by the richness with which people describe their feelings and symptoms,” said Dr Anitha, who has won multiple beauty pageant competitions, including Mrs Asia International 2022-23, Mrs India Classical 2021-22 and Youth Icon of India 2021-22.Dr Anitha’s mother tongue is Tulu, but she is fluent in Kannada, Hindi, Awadhi and English. She belongs to the Bunt community and comes from a family involved in business and politics. Her cousin, Nalin Kumar Kateel, is a three-time Member of Parliament from Dakshina Kannada and a former state president of the BJP’s Karnataka unit.Dr Anitha said her family’s life reflects the cultural exchange between southern and northern India. “I believe doctors and public servants should make an effort to learn the language of the people they serve,” she said.On the debate over the perceived imposition of Hindi in southern states, she said people should respect the language of every place while avoiding compulsion.“I came from Mangaluru to Gonda, and I had to learn and respect the language of this place. Wherever we are, we should respect that place. People may learn another language, but imposing it on them is not right. We should be flexible and respect other people’s languages,” she added.
