No single ruling party (BJD) MP has raised voice in Parliament for classical status to Odia language which shows the seriousness of the State Government over the issue,” said Rajya Sabha Congress member Rama Chandra Khuntia at a Press conference here on Wednesday.
Earlier, a conference had been organised here where two committees were formed to start the movement for getting the Centre’s approval for classical tag for Odia. One was the action committee headed by Khuntia and the other a drafting committee headed by eminent linguist Debi Prasanna Pattanayak. A draft of 465 pages was prepared and submitted to the President, the Prime Minister, the Union Culture Minister and the Kendra Sahitya Akademi.
“After the movement started since March 12 last year, I have already raised three questions in Parliament on the subject,” said Khuntia.
He said that following the submission of base paper on classical history of Odia language prepared by the Institute of Odia Studies and Research, the Central Government asked for the State’s view regarding the issue. To avoid criticism from the political parties and civil society, the State Government immediately formed a committee in January this year which also accepted the base paper of the action committee. After forming the committee, the State Government didn’t take any step to submit the base paper before the Centre. The action committee presented the paper on May 8 this year along with signatures of 15 MPs.
“When we informed the whole matter at a public meeting, the State Government unveiled an incomplete report and declared that they would submit it very soon,” said Khuntia, adding, “But the declaration failed and the report can’t reach before the Kendra Sahitya Akademy in time.”
The State Government’s report came at 11.15 am on July 23 when the Expert Committee’s meeting was going on along with the drafting committee members. “It was really embarrassing for us when the report reached late,” said Khuntia, adding, “What the Chief Minister and the concerned department were doing though it was a matter of pride for the four crore Odias.”
Khuntia criticised the Odisha Sahitya Akademi and the director of Odia Bhasha Pratishthan for providing wrong information regarding the 376-page report.
After getting the nod from the Central Cabinet, Odia will be declared a classical language. Khuntia said the action committee had organised a conference in Delhi on July 22 which Union Minster of State in PMO V Narayanasamy attended. He had promised to support the demand and talk to the Prime Minister for approval of the Cabinet, he added.
“It’s not a problem for us to get approval from the Union Cabinet, but the State should expedite the rest of the formalities till the language gets approval and an Odia University is set up for development and promotion of the language,” said Khuntia.