No Namaskar, no handshake; it is now ‘Juhaar’ or ‘Jai Maa Samalei’ for expressing respect or greeting that would set the new trend in Sambalpur.
People here have decided in an important meeting held at Rengali to change over to this new mode. Elite citizens took part to take such a decision at a time when the conspiracy against Sambalpuri language is at the peak with the new nomenclature of ‘Kosali’ by people other than Sambalpur district.
And to safeguard the language and the very culture of Sambalpur, now old to youths have come forward. They have also shown their reaction at Rengali where they have taken oath to fizzle out any conspiracy since no one can tolerate to let their language die.
‘The Voice of Sambalpur’, a newly formed organisation in Rengali, has shown its commitment towards the language of the land that is nothing but ‘Sambalpuri’ only. “And anyone who wants to wipe out this age-old language will himself be wiped out rather,” warned outfit’s president Bidesh Bhoi.
At the first phase, 18 persons have been elected to this organisation and the one- point programme is protecting the language from the conspirators, Bhoi added.
“We will work jointly to preserve our language and involve more like minded people for this purpose,” said The Voice of Sambalpur general secretary Manoj Kumar Nayak. “To preserve our language, we don’t require anybody’s mercy; rather we are capable enough to do it,” Nayak reiterated.
After formation of the outfit in Rengali, the language movement in Sambalpur is sure to take a new turn here and people’s support is also coming in spontaneously.