During a recent discussion here, most speakers expressed their concern over the poor use of Odia language in various Government and private offices, including corporate houses and business entities, in spite of a Government order to strictly adhere to it from August 16 last.
State Convenor of Odia Bhasa Suraksha Sammilani Baishnab Charan Parida lamented the lackadaisical attitude of the State to implement the very same order which it has passed after the promulgation of language Act in the year 1954. It took almost 62 years to act upon the Act-1954 an that too without any monitoring mechanism and fixing of responsibility on the authorities in case of non-adherence, he rued. Dakshina Odisha Sahitya Sammilani general secretary Dandapani Mohapatra professed people’s monitoring and reality check of the status of implementation of Odia language in various offices and enterprises thereby creating a public pressure on the violators.
Dr Ratan Das, a veteran octogenarian sarvodayee, who presided over the meeting, had a different view point. According to him, population-wise tribal dominated districts like Rayagada, need a mother-tongue based multilingual approach from the early childhood.
Since the pre-primary education is the foundation of a child and context-specific, mother tongue based multilingual education at this stage can be a boon for the child’s all around development. It will enhance the love and passion in the tribal child for other languages including Odia. “Unless we, as Odias, do not respect and promote the local colloquial and tribal languages, expecting implementation of Odia language in this hinterland will not have a far reaching effect,” he opined.
“We expect that the Government will constitute a language Commission in line with Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to take the violators to task and promote the Odia,” said district convenor of Odia Bhasa Surakshya Sammilani Gouranga Rout. Jayaram Jena suggested that campaign must go to the tribal villages and integrate the tribals to the initiative.