The Utkal Sammilani central committee observed the 70th Bruhattar Odidha foundation day here on January 1.
Central committee chairman Basant Kumar Tripathy presided over the meeting coordinated by its general secretary Dr Radhanath Praharaj.
Reader Duryodhan Parida and others, who graced the occasion as guests, stated that Mayurbhanj was included in Odisha as a district on January 1, 1949, enhancing the State’s boarder. To remember Mayurbhanj’s inclusion and formation of Bruhattar (larger) Odisha, the Utkal Sammilani has been observing January 1 as a memorable day.
Though Mayurbhanj Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanjadeo had worked for unification of Odia speaking areas, yet Mayurbhanj could not be included in Odisha as Bhanjadeo had died in 1912, much earlier to Odisha’s formation on April 1, 1936. Due to his early death, no communication could be established and many Odia speaking Shadheikala and Kharasuan areas in the then Bihar, presently Jharkhand, couldn’t be brought to Odisha fold, despite the fact that the British Government had frames rules for formation of Odisha on language basis. Detached from Odisha, thousands of Odia people have been residing in the neighbouring State since then. In view of this, January 1 is very important for every Odia than the English New Year, opined the speakers.
The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks proposed by Dr Gouranga Prasad Behera.
Among others, Satyajit Nayak, Trinath Samantray, Tapas Ranjan Mishra, Jitendra Kumar Padhi, Abani Bhushan Mihsra, Dr Banambar Parida, Girija Bhushan Mohapatra, Bharat Kumar Jena, Benudhar Sahoo, Biranjchi Jena, Kalandi Nayak, Surendra Kumar Paila, Shiba Narayan Mishra, Dr Kashinath Rath, Bibhuprasad Nayak, Padmini Mishra, Sarada Kkumar Sahoo, Kalandi Nayak and Sadashiba Rout were present.