People of Sambalpur district, including eminent personalities, have come forward for protection of the Odia language in the district and all over the State.
They demand Odia to be used in all the Government offices and be the medium for all official works. Professor Girija Prasad Sharma and Bansidhar Kar reminded the role played by the people of the district during the British rule to save this language from a great conspiracy to eliminate it.
“But all the conspiracy of the British Government and some neighbouring States fizzled out as people of Odisha and the district in particular protested it tooth and nail,” recalled Professor Sharma.
To press their demand, these people went round in a vast rally from Nelson Mandela Chowk covering a great chunk of the city and gathered near the statue of Veer Surendra Sai at Jail Khana Chowk.
All the participants pledged their commitment to keep Odia language alive for all times to come in spite of all arrangements and declaration by the successive State Governments, English is still continuing as the official language and Government is just mute spectator to it. “Hence, we demand the State Government to carry out its own order with letter and spirit for preservation and use of this age old language,” said Prafulla Kumar Guru.