The boastful launching of Adarsha Vidyalayas by the State Government to provide CBSE-pattern teachings to Odia students in rural areas has been strongly opposed by the BJD Rajya Sabha member Baishnab Parida-led Bhasha Suraksha Sammilani.
“The establishment of English medium Adarsha Vidyalayas in Odisha has stunned four crore Odias when a massive movement is on with a demand to use Odia in all the spheres, Government offices, judiciary, business establishments and education institutions. When imparting lessons in Odia is in a dire state from primary level to university level, establishment of such English medium schools is a well-planned conspiracy to kill Odia language,” said Parida, summarising views of Bhasha Suraksha Sammilani members who gathered at an emergency meeting here on Wednesday.
Parida said while more than 95 per cent of Odisha children study in Odia medium Government schools, the Government’s decision to set up Adarsha Vidyalayas will only degrade Odia schools. “Is not it an attempt to create some English-speaking Odia Sahebs and to deprive Odia medium students from higher education,” wanted to know Parida.
He too lamented saying that Adarsha Vidyalayas would only encourage English medium education and discourage Odia students to study in Odia medium schools.
“Due to nonuse, Odia has turned dead in Government offices, business establishments and judiciary sector. The way negligence being meted out to Odia in the education sector, the day is not far behind when the language will be dead in this sector too,” apprehended Parida.
The sammilani demanded that students should be taught in Odia in these schools and English be taken as a subject.
Among others, Sammilani advisor Satakadi Hota, Prof Nityananda Satapathy, Justice Hrudaya Ballav Das, Dr Bijay Mohanty, noted lawyer Natabar Mohanty and secretary Amitabh Khilar were present.