In a fresh move to teach Odia language to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the students’ wing of the Congress (Chhatra Congress) on Sunday prepared a blueprint at its executive body meeting here and decided to teach him the State’s mother tongue through a distance mode.
“We have decided to teach him (Patnaik) Odia through a distance mode. Accordingly, student leaders of all colleges and universities of the State will send letters in Odia to the Naveen Niwas. All student leaders have been asked to shoot off letters from their respective institutions,” said Chhatra Congress State president Itish Pradhan.
“Moreover, if the CM allows us, we would personally visit his house to teach him Odia,” Pradhan added.
Reacting to the move of the Congress, the Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD) said the Congress’ programme has no meaning. “They are only trying to highlight themselves in the media. The Honourable CM knows Odia very well and he is always trying to propagate at the international level,” BCJD president Byomakesh Ray said.
Notably, Chhatra Congress activists had tried to enter the CM’s residence in April with a copy of Chhabila Madhu Barnabodha (the most popular Odia primer), chalks, dusters, pens, writing pads, slates and other teaching materials. Some Chhatra Congress activists led by Pradhan had been blocked by security personnel midway and taken into preventive custody while they were marching towards the Naveen Niwas.