The Freethought Party of India has opposed the formation of an Odia Bhasha Commission to monitor the implementation of Odia in all official correspondences.
The FPI has opposed the very idea of promoting Odia at the cost of other languages prevalent in Odisha and demanded wider use of English education to free the people of the State from all prejudices and medieval customs and blind beliefs.
The leaders of the Bhasha Surakshya Sammilani simply want to harm the interest of the Odisha people and the future of Odia boys and girls. Besides, in the name of an Odia Bhasha Commission, these people want to put retired Odia college teachers as white elephants. Why should the State Government waste huge public money in such an exercise, questioned the FPI.
It further argued if Odia language is given exclusive importance, then the State of Odisha would get divided into Kui State, Ho State, Santali State, Koshali State, Odia State and Telugu State. It said why alone for Odia, former BJD MP and Bhasa Surksha Sammilani president Baishnab Parida should also campaign along with prominent leaders of Kui-speaking, Santali-speaking, Kosali-speaking, Ho-speaking, Telugu-speaking, Hindi-speaking, Bengali-speaking groups living in Odisha for promotion of their respective language.
“Some coastal high caste Hindus without the backing of the SC/ST leaders should not determine the linguistic agenda of Odisha. Former Chief Minister Naba Krushna Choudhury, author of the Odisha Official language Act of 1954, continued as CM till 1956, but could not implement the Act. For obvious reasons the Act remained in the limbo for six decades. So, a great deal of political wisdom is required to give effect to the Act of 1954, “ said FPI general secretary B Ramchandra CST Voltaire.