Rourkela: Odia Bhasa Vikash Manch, an outfit for Odia language, sought conferring state song status to ‘Bande Utkal Janani’ at Rourkela Tuesday. Convener of the outfit, Artatrana Mohapatra expressed concern stating that the alleged neglect to the song will no longer be tolerated.
“The government should initiate immediate steps to give state song status to ‘Bande Utakan Janani’. Gangadhar Meher along with his contemporaries had made efforts for uplift of Odia language. As a result, it gained importance at Sambalpur instead of Hindi in 1901. In fact, Gangadhar Meher was the first to raise his voice in favour of Odia language,” he observed.
Later, literary giants like Madhusudan Das, Fakir Mohan Senapati, Nilamani Bidyaratna, Madhusudan Rao, Gopabandhu Das, Acharya Harihar, Godabarisha Mishra and Gopabandhu Das joined the bandwagon for protection of the Odia language, he noted.
“Later intensive efforts were made to use Odia at all levels and finally in 1936, Odisha was formed as the first state based on language in the country. The Utkal tradition has its uniqueness in the entire country,” he said.
However, he expressed agony, saying, “For the last few years, some influential persons have been trying to block spread of Odia language. This is condemnable.”
Mohapatra also pointed out that some people were trying to split the state on the basis of dialects while some are opposing ‘Bande Utkal Janani’ song. But the most dangerous thing is some leaders are encouraging such unjustified demand to serve their vested interests, he said.
“People of the state will not tolerate such heinous attempts. These leaders are trying to make discriminations only to spread their influence. Such leaders will not be taken into confidence,” he added.
The outfit appealed to people to oppose the leaders who are trying such dividing policy.
PNN
