Jubilated at the classical status tag to the Odia language, the Odia Classical language Action Committee on Saturday demanded that the State Government set up an Odia University for research in the language.
The committee also demanded that appropriate steps be taken soon to use Odia as an official language at all Government offices and to make it a compulsory subject at all schools and colleges.
“It is now time for the State Government initiate efforts for development and wide publicity of the language,” said committee chairman Ram Chandra Khuntia.
The committee submitted a memorandum to the Governor to this effect. The memorandum proposed that the State Government ensure that all examinations held by the Odisha Public Services Commission be conducted in Odia along with advertisements, application and intimation letters for various jobs. The national-level entrance examinations, including medical and engineering tests, should be held in Odia and all judicial communications done in the language, it urged.
Committee member Natabar Satpathy said, “It is disappointing that the people of the State are slowly getting deflected from Odia when the language received great recognition. Odia is studied as a third language in schools and colleges. We have decided to organise awareness camps in villages to create interest in the language.”
The committee also alleged that even though the state government had set up Odia Bhasha Pratisthan, the institute had not done any commendable work for the promotion and preservation of the language in the last few years.
“The Government should have taken all these initiatives to develop the language, but, unfortunately, we have had to put these demands before it. We have also planned to launch a movement to motivate people so that our demands are met,” said committee coordinator Subrat Kumar Prusty.