Hot seat - Baishnab Charan Parida
Rajya Sabha member

As convenor of the Odia Bhasa Suraksha Sammilani, you are now taking many steps to promote the Odia language. How long have been associated with the movement to promote the language?

After completing my school, I went to Calcutta to pursue higher studies at the instance of my family members. My father was a jute mill worker as well as a trade union leader. He wanted his son to pursue higher studies.During my first year of BA, I contested the students' union election and was elected as one of the secretaries of Bangabasi College. Later, I was also elected as vice-president of the West Bengal Students' Federation.Since that day, I have been organising meetings and working towards protecting the Odia language and its promotion.

 You must have come across reports about the Odia language being neglected in the Bicchinanchal (Odia-speaking tracts in neighbouring states). How do you view it?

I recently visited Jamshedpur, along with some friends, and attended a programme of the local Golmari Odia Samaj. They had set up an Odia school that has now been converted into a college. I contributed Rs 10 lakh for construction of a building from my MP Local Area Development (MPLAD) fund. Later, I went to Chakradharpur, Sareikala and Kharasuan, where many Odias live.What I have found is that the Odias and the Odia language are being neglected there. They still nourish a desire to be part of Odisha.

 Who do you blame for the plight of Odias living there?

According to the Constitution, it is the duty of the respective state governments (both Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh) to work towards protecting and promoting the language and culture of the linguistic minority communities.Nearly 75 lakh people live in these regions. But, what I have found is that the respective governments have done very little to promote the Odia language and culture.

 Don't you think that the Odisha government is also responsible for the plight of the people? Has it not failed in persuading the neighbouring states to take steps for protection of Odia language?

(Pauses) Definitely, the Odisha government is also responsible for it. It has done very little to promote and protect the language in these areas. The government should have taken up the matter with the Centre and persuaded the respective state governments to look after the Odia language.We must remember that even after 67 years of Independence and 77 years of the formation of a separate Odisha province on a linguistic basis, we have failed to promote our mother tongue. While other states have adopted their mother tongues as their official languages and introduced it in their official dealings, we have failed to do so. Unfortunately, English is still used as the medium of official work. Odia language and Odia students are not getting due recognition and opportunities. The students passing from Odia-medium schools are not getting government jobs.

? You must have come across the news that our students excel neither in Odia nor English. They are also unable to compete at the all-India level examinations. Why is this so?

I have thoroughly studied various aspects and problems of the language. According to my knowledge, a child can develop his knowledge and excel in studies through his mother tongue only. Later, he can pick up other languages. Besides, our standard of education in school, college and universities is quite low as compared to other states. The competitive spirit of our youths is quite dismal as compared to others. You will be surprised to know that a Tamil student wrote his answer sheet in the civil examination in his mother tongue and came out with flying colours. He even stood first among all the Tamils. But in Odisha, we have neglected our mother tongue and are paying the price for it.

Where have we gone wrong?

(Pauses) The identity of a nation is its language and culture. Non-implementation of the Official Language Act is still a major problem. In 1954, the then chief minister, Naba Krushna Choudhury, had passed the act making Odia as the medium of communication. But, successive governments have failed in implementing it properly. Though J.B. Patnaik, during his tenure, had tried, he had also failed to implement it properly. English is now the main language starting from the state secretariat to the block level. It is the medium of communication in administration. The students reading in English-medium schools have failed to learn the language properly. If this situation continues, the next generation will forget the Odia language. This is only because of the faulty policy of respective state governments.Now, the people of southern districts are communicating in Telugu, people in the northern districts are speaking Bengali, the bordering districts of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh and people living in the industrial belts are speaking Hindi. The upper-middle class and affluent people are more inclined towards English.

 You are raising the demand for implementation of Odia in official work. But how can it be possible when the chief minister himself does not have a good command over the Odia language?

His (Naven's) knowledge in Odia is not my concern.However, I will certainly agree if a chief minister does not know the language of the state, the officers will continue to ignore the language. Sometimes, the work of the administration is also partly affected because of it.

 During a recent meeting, you quoted Mahatma Gandhi that a ruler must know the language of the ruled. But in Odisha, we find the chief minister struggling with Odia, even after having been in charge of the state for 14 years.

If the ruler knows the language, it is easier for him to rule the people and understand their problems. Though Naveen babu understands Odia, he mostly depends on the people (officers), who know Odia. He does not have direct access to the common people. But, you must have noticed that Naveen babu has a desire to mix with the people and communicate with them through interpreters.

 Don't you think that for an effective administration, Naveen babu should know the language?

He should learn the language, but that is not the major issue here. Now, my concern is to save Odia language and not about Naveen not knowing the language. My concern is that the people should be ruled in their language. We will be organising people to raise this demand before the government.

 Since you are talking of promoting Odia in the Bicchinanchal, you must be knowing about the state of affairs of the Odia-medium schools. The enrolment of students has come down. How do you react to it?

This is for negligence on part of the state government. Even after completing their studies in Odia, people are not getting jobs. Well-to-do people are not sending their kids to the Odia-medium schools. It is pathetic that no regular posts of Odia teachers are there in these schools.All these things can be changed once we introduce Odia as the medium of communication in administration.

 Coming back to your political career,a section of leaders at times, point out that you were close to Odisha Jan Morcha leader Pyari Mohan Mohapatra, who had once called the shots in the BJD. Don't you think that you will pay a price for this allegation in coming days? Are you hopeful that that you will get another term in the Rajya Sabha?

I have spent nearly 55 years in politics. I had never thought of becoming an MLA or an MP. But, by luck and God's grace, I have become a Rajya Sabha member. I never run after posts. I always fight for my ideology. Besides, when I joined the BJD, not only Pyari babu, Naveen babu had also taken an interest in me. Pyari babu has known me for the past 40 years. When I was in the Communist party, Pyari babu was also there.The relation with Pyari babu is a personal one. That is nothing about party and politics.When the so-called coup attempt against Naveen babu had taken place, I was away in Moscow. When I returned, I had called on Naveen babu and he told me not to worry about anything. In fact, at the time of formation of the BJD, I was there. But because of a section of the then BJD leaders, I had quit the party and had joined Samajwadi Party.

 Everyone knows you as a party hopper...

(Pauses) In Indian politics, changing parties is not a big issue. Even Biju babu and Harekrushna Mahatab had changed their party affiliations. It is wrong if you change your ethics and ideals. In order to save your life-long principles, you may change the party. I was in the Communist party for 31 years and have wrote a dozen bookson communism. But, I changed the party as it failed to accept the ground realities of the Indian society.

Social activist

• Seventy-three-year-old Baishnab Charan Parida is a social activist
• After completing his high school in Jajpur district, he moved to Calcutta and did his BA from Bangabasi College
• Later, he completed MA in political science from the University of Calcutta and did his MPhil from Moscow University
• He had been a member of the Communist Party of India (CPI) from 1960 to 1992. He was involved in trade union and labour movement in Bengal
• In 1974, Parida moved to Moscow with his family for a special assignment for Indo-Soviet co-ordination. He stayed there till 1989
• After his differences with the CPI in 1992, he quit the party and joined the Congress
• Later, he left the Congress and joined the Samajwadi Party in 1999.  In 2008, he joined the BJD and in 2010, the party sent him to the Rajya Sabha

What would you have been had you not been a politician?

I would have certainly been a writer. I always keep interest in writing and reading a number of journals, novels and short stories. Now, since I am busy with social work and there is a lot of responsibility on me, I do not find time to concentrate on that.