BHUBANESWAR: Deputy leader of the BJD legislature party Prasanna Acharya on Wednesday demanded that the state government grant second state language status to Kosali and push for its inclusion in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
Raising the demand during the Zero Hour in the Assembly, Acharya said over 1.5 crore people across 11 districts of Odisha speak the language. Kosali language has a rich literary heritage with numerous short stories, poems, and books produced in the language, he said and added that it also has its own dictionary. “This further strengthens the case for its official recognition,” he said, highlighting the contribution of Satyanarayan Bohidar and Haldar Nag.
While Nag, a poet, received Padma Shri in 2016 for his contribution to Sambalpuri language, Bohidar was the author of ‘Kosali Bhasakosh’, a dictionary and grammar book in Kosali.
The senior BJD leader further cited the widespread popularity of Kosali songs such as ‘Rangabati’ and ‘Chi Chi Chi Re Nani’ which have gained recognition beyond Odisha, and Sambalpuri handloom sarees. “The demand for its inclusion in the Eighth Schedule has been raised several times in the Parliament. Former chief minister Naveen Patnaik had also raised the issue with the Centre on several occasions,” he said and added that the state government should send a proposal to the Centre, urging its inclusion in the Eighth Schedule.