Bhubaneswar, April 28: The Opposition stalled Assembly proceedings, demanding enforcement of the Odia Official Language Act from today, coinciding with the 168th birth anniversary of Utkal Gaurav Madhusudan Das.
Das had led the movement for a separate Odisha province on linguistic basis.
The Congress and the BJP insisted that the act, enacted in 1954, should be enforced immediately. Members of the Congress stormed the well of the House holding placards and banners. "We want the enforcement of the act from today itself," they shouted. Their efforts drew support from their colleagues in the BJP as well. The pandemonium forced Speaker Niranjan Pujari to adjourn proceedings twice.
Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra said the law was passed in 1954 when Nabakrushna Choudhuri was chief minister. However, it was not enforced for decades because the relevant rules could not be framed. It was partially enforced much later when JB Patnaik was at the helm. "We want the full-fledged implementation of the act now," Mishra said.
BJP state president Basant Kumar Panda said: "It is unfortunate that the state is now being ruled by a person who is not conversant with Odia. This is an insult to the state and our mother tongue."
BJD spokesperson Samir Ranjan Dash, however, criticised the Congress, which ruled Odisha for decades, for neglecting the language. "Our government supports the demand and is implementing the use of Odia for official purposes in phases," he said.
Outside the Assembly, the day was marked with seminars, torch rallies, meetings and launch of music albums across the state to commemorate Das's birth anniversary and press for using Odia in official works.
Odia Bhasha Suraksha Samiti took out a torch rally demanding enforcement of the Odia Official Language Act. BJD MP Baishnab Parida, who heads the organisation, has consistently pursued the demand. He had also launched a postcard campaign for this.
On the occasion, chief minister Naveen Patnaik launched 100 rural drinking water supply projects simultaneously from the secretariat . Naveen and other dignitaries also paid floral tributes to Das.
Celebrations
There were widespread celebrations across Bhubaneswar to mark the birth anniversary of the maker of modern Odisha. Das's statues were garlanded while a special exhibition of his rare pictures was hosted at Jayadev Bhavan. The pictures included his meetings with Mahatma Gandhi, his time as a barrister and public speeches. Educational institutes, too, marked the occasion with Utkal University of Culture hosting a seminar based on his vision for Odisha.
Album launch
In Cuttack, a musical album compiled with Das's poems was released online.
"For the first time, Madhu babu's poems have been rendered into songs and an album comprising all his poems is now available in compact disc form on our website odianewyear.org.in. He is the architect of modern Odisha and was the first graduate of the state," said Prasanna Kumar Nanda, chairman of the Cuttack Nababarsa committee that released the compilation.
"Copies of the CD will shortly be circulated in schools and other cultural organisations. The project was conceived with the aim to make his evergreen poems popular among the younger generation," said Nanda.
