Bhubaneswar: Sahitya Akademi has not treated Odia language well by not including it in its invitation card for the national level literary festival ‘Festival of Letters’ to be held in New Delhi, alleged ‘Bhasha Andolan’, an organisation working for Odia language.
The six-day long literary festival will kick-start from February 24. The invitation card the Sahitya Akademi has got printed for the festival has hurt the sentiments of Odias, alleged Pradyumna Satpathy, chairman, Bhasha Andolan and Odisha Nagarik Manch.
He said, the invitation card is written in all Indian classical languages but Odia. It amounts to a blatant dishonor to Odia language, he alleged further.
Condemning Sahitya Akademy’s move, Satpathy has demanded the Akademy get it corrected and tender an apology for its mistake.
Coming in support of Satpathy, spokesperson, Pujyapuja Sanskruti Suraksha Abhiyan, Arabind Tripathy said the matter has already been taken up with the union minister for culture and tourism, demanding stringent action against those who are responsible for downplaying the Odia language.
PNN