Lucknow: When patients in Gonda complain that their “jee michlaat hai”, “maatha bhanbhanaat hai” or “shareer jhanjhanat hai”, Dr Anitha Punyodaya Misra understands far more than the symptoms. She understands the emotion behind the words.Nearly two decades after moving from Mangaluru in Karnataka to Gonda following her marriage, the gynaecologist and laparoscopic surgeon has become so fluent in Awadhi that many patients are surprised to learn she is not from Uttar Pradesh. Only a faint Kannada accent gives her away.The doctor recently went viral on social media after describing Awadhi as “poetry” and expressing her affection for the dialect. Her remarks struck a chord with viewers, turning a personal appreciation of language into a larger story of cultural integration.For Dr Anitha, learning Awadhi was never a deliberate goal. It emerged naturally from her desire to connect better with patients.“To become a good doctor, you need to connect with patients,” she said. “In small towns, many problems are psychological as much as physical. Patients want to be heard in their own language. When you respond in that language, they feel you are one of them.”Married to surgeon Dr Punyodaya Misra, whose family is from Gonda, she quickly realised that language was often the bridge between treatment and trust.More than half the patients who visit her clinic come from Gonda and neighbouring districts and prefer speaking in Awadhi.“When patients speak in Awadhi, they do not simply say they have a stomach ache,” she said. “They say ‘pet chil-chil howat hai’. For throat pain, they may say ‘natai peerat hai’, while for pain in the legs they use expressions like ‘pair tapkat hai’ or ‘pair jhanjhanat hai’.”“These descriptive words make the language incredibly expressive. There is a rhythm and warmth in Awadhi that makes it sound like poetry. I find it fascinating how richly people describe their feelings and symptoms,” she added.Dr Anitha, whose mother tongue is Tulu, is fluent in Kannada, Hindi, Awadhi and English. She belongs to the Bunt community of coastal Karnataka and comes from a family active in business and public life. Her cousin, Nalin Kumar Kateel, is a three-time MP from Dakshina Kannada and former BJP Karnataka president.Apart from her medical career, Dr Anitha has won several beauty pageant titles, including Mrs Asia International 2022-23, Mrs India Classical 2021-22 and Youth Icon of India 2021-22.Reflecting on her journey from southern India to eastern Uttar Pradesh, she said her family’s story represents the cultural exchange that enriches the country.“I believe doctors and public servants should make an effort to learn the language of the people they serve,” she said.On the debate surrounding the perceived imposition of Hindi in southern states, Dr Anitha advocated mutual respect rather than compulsion.“I came from Mangaluru to Gonda and had to learn and respect the language of this place,” she said. “Wherever we live, we should respect the local language and culture. Learning another language is always good, but imposing it on people is not right. We should be flexible and respect every language.”For the doctor from Karnataka, learning Awadhi was initially a professional necessity. Over time, however, it evolved into something deeper: an appreciation for a language whose warmth and vivid imagery helped her become not just a better physician, but also a part of the community she serves.
