On February 20, I was delighted to learn that the Union Cabinet had given its nod to grant classical tag to Odia.

Nine days later I was suffered immense pain when I came to know that our chief minister Naveen Patnaik had written a letter to the Centre for including languages such as Sambalpuri/Koshali and Ho in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.

As a linguist I have nothing against any particular language group, but I am against the proposal to include any language into the Eighth Schedule. Those who are guiding the chief minister on the issue are navigating him on a wrong track.

Nearly 130 years ago a movement was launched not to allow a separate status for Odia. During that crucial period, noted poet from west Odisha Gangadhar Meher led the agitation. Sambalpur resident Sripati Mishra had led a delegation of five eminent locals to the Viceroy at Shimla to form the state on the basis of linguistic consideration.

Their effort to go and meet the Viceroy in Shimla was also documented and the journey was chronicled in a book called Shimla Yatra in 1930 in Odia. It is disheartening that while we are trying to seam all the Odia speaking tracts following our achievement after getting the classical tag, this might result in a negative note.

Utkal Hiteishini, which was published from Bamanda, a leading princely state from western Odisha, was printed in Odia. Bhima Bhoi, the eminent poet from west Odisha also wrote many poems to enrich Odia literature.

With more than a half a century’s experience in the linguistic field, I assume that if a language goes to the Eighth Schedule then it might provide a fillip to a statehood demand. Earlier, Konkni language got separated from Marathi and Goa got the statehood.

Similarly, Maithili got separated as a language from Hindi. If we follow the report of the Linguistic Survey of India (LSI) conducted during 1894-1928 under the leadership of George Abraham Grierson, then there would be 170 more states in India. People with no or negligible knowledge in the formation of the country and state would suggest these things for their short-term gains.

As per my knowledge goes, the Union cabinet has no intention to consider new demands for new languages in the Eighth Schedule and perhaps the decision of the cabinet was not in the mind of the bureaucrats of the Odisha government and the home ministry. Otherwise, the home ministry would have reacted to the state government’s letter immediately or referred it to the Group of Ministers to discuss the issue.

Interestingly, when I went to the Census regional office in Bhubaneswar, the officials told me that before referring the letter to the home ministry, the Odisha government did not consult them for the linguistic data.

If the home ministry officials had asked the state administration to think on the subject, the bureaucrats here would have tried to provide a detailed report. Issues over relationships between the languages and dialects always have problems and it is a pan-world phenomenon. In a multi-lingual country languages and dialects are linked by relationships, but by trying to change the relationship into hierarchy we may invite more problems.

Hindi is the national language and has 39 varieties according to the history of Hindi literature. If all the language groups like Maithili demand language status then there will be no language called Hindi.

The problem lies elsewhere as till date there is no discussion on a particular language policy in India though we are a typical multi-lingual society. Odisha government is also silent on a specific language policy.

If the number of Ho speaking community from Odisha is added to Jharkhand then it is against the original policy of formation of state based on linguistic considerations as the larger Odisha concept was never based on our dialects, but rather on Odia as a single language.

If the Odisha government goes ahead with its appeasement policy for political considerations on the eve of the general elections, then will the government forward a proposal to include the Berhampuri dialect in the Eighth Schedule? Likewise if the people of Balasore or Baripada demand separate language group status in future, will it be considered?

Does the Odisha government ever think that the outlying Odia tracts in other states can come and join Odisha again? On the other hand, if the people from Berhampur or Balasore demand to be included with the other linguistic groups in their neighbouring areas (other states) can Odisha manage the situation?

Ho is not the largest tribal language of Odisha and while sending the letter to the home ministry, the authorities might have considered areas under Chhattisgarh without even bothering to consult the neighbouring state government.

The only happy note is that the people of Balangir are not supporting the idea. Koshal state is projected with regions from Sambalpur, Kalahandi, Balangir and Chhattisgarh. Multilingualism has many positive signs for development and its virtues should be understood completely, but if it is treated in a shabby manner like this, then there will be no regional development.

It is a strange coincidence that a newspaper advertisement of the Odisha government shows that sending the letter for the inclusion of Sambalpuri/Koshali in the Eighth Schedule is a sign of regional development. If the step was taken with the general elections in mind, then it will be a dangerous step.

When the state government is unable to fulfil a simple demand of the people of west Odisha by granting a bench of the high court, why is it creating more trouble for the region remains beyond my comprehension.

The Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand governments have accorded the second official language status to Odia as there are many Odia speaking tracts in their regions. If the Odisha government is concerned that Sambalpuri/Koshali is a separate language, then instead of referring it for inclusion in the Eighth Schedule they could have given special status within the state. It certainly shows immature political statesmanship and vision.

(The author a noted linguist and founder-director of the Mysore-based Central Institute of Indian Languages)