Expressing solidarity with activists of the Odia Bhasa Sangram Samiti who are now on a fast-unto-death agitation demanding enforcement of the Odisha Official language Act, 1954, various teachers’ organisations on Sunday pledged their support to cause and held a rally to put pressure on the Government to implement the demand.
Hundreds of teachers of various organisations, Primary, Upper Primary School Teachers’ Associations, Odisha Secondary School Teachers’ Association (OSSTA) and School Teachers’ Federation of India (STFI) reached the agitation venue of the activists at Mahatma Gandhi Marg in a procession.
Shouting slogans demanding use of Odia as official language, the protestors led by STFI vice-president Indu Bhusan Mohanty and OSSTA general secretary Prakash Mohanty urged the State Government to accept the genuine demand of the people of the State.
The teachers’ leaders maintained that they would take the issue to schools and villages and make people aware about the importance of the official use of Odia language.
Samiti convenor Sankarsan Parida said two more prominent persons, former Government Chief Whip in Assembly Ajay Jena and Gobinda Mohapatra, would resort to indefinite hunger strike from Monday to strengthen the agitation and force the Government to end its abominable lack of concern shown to the mother tongue of the people of Odisha.
On Saturday, participating in the dharna PCC president Prasad Harichandan dared the State Government to convene an all-party meeting over the issue without any delay. Nearly eight persons are on the fast.