Members of the Samaja Andolan, a movement promoting use of Odia language and its protection, on Wednesday on the occasion of Odia New Year Day, fixed nameplates of bureaucrats written in Odia and defaced the English ones.
Shouting slogans highlighting the poor treatment to the mother tongue, Andolan activists raided the official quarters of top bureaucrats and IPS officers, like Forests and Environment Secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra, Energy Secretary Rajesh Verma, Information and Technology Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena, Intelligence Director Sunil Roy in Forest Park and other areas in the city and installed nameplates written in Odia fonts.
“Our Odia language and culture is our strength. Being an Odia we should always promote out mother tongue. We urge the Government and officials to use Odia at their end in positive manner,” said an Andolan activist.
He said the movement would continue till Odia gets its due recognition.