BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday called upon litterateurs to preserve the core values of Odisha’s culture, tradition and literature amid the rapid transformation taking place across the social and cultural fabric of the country.
Inaugurating the 13th edition of Odisha Literary Festival in the presence of editorial director of TNIE Prabhu Chawla, The New Indian Express Group CEO Lakshmi Menon and resident editor for Odisha Siba Mohanty here, the chief minister also asserted the importance of tribal languages and stated Odia Asmita (Odia pride) is incomplete without them. The state government is thus making every effort to preserve and promote the tribal languages, he said.
The chief minister said, “I repeatedly talk about ‘Odia Asmita’ because it is the basic mantra for all development. Loving our motherland, mother tongue and culture is crucial for progress. My government has taken many steps in this direction.”
Majhi said Odia language has been enriched and influenced by various regional and tribal dialects. The state is home to 62 tribal communities, each with its own distinct language and culture. “However, only Santhali language with Ol Chiki script has got recognition. Efforts are on to promote other tribal languages without a script by printing books written in the Odia but using their spoken language. This approach will enable tribal students to access educational materials in their mother tongue even if those languages do not have a standardised script,” he said.
Describing Odia as one of the ancient languages belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European linguistic family, Majhi said its antiquity is evidenced by various historical inscriptions and artifacts from several 3rd century Buddhist sites of the state. Numerous ancient manuscripts, copper plates and palm leaf manuscripts further attest to the age and richness of Odia language.
Odia language gained classical language status in 2014. With a history spanning around 3,000 years, the Odia script evolved from the Brahmi script, underscoring its rich linguistic legacy. Literary figures like Fakir Mohan Senapati, Radhanath Ray and Madhusudan Rao made invaluable contributions to the language and literature. Their works, along with those of Gangadhar Meher and Nandakishore Bal, became enduring treasures of Odia literature. The Satyabadi era further enriched Odia literature with the writings of scholars like Gopabandhu Das, Godabarish Mishra and Nilakantha Das, reflecting nationalist and progressive ideologies, he said.
The chief minister expressed gratitude to The New Indian Express Group for consistently providing a platform like OLF to writers and literary enthusiasts for exchange of ideas and knowledge on language and literature for the past 13 years.
In his welcome address, Mohanty said over the years, OLF has earned a unique place in the cultural life of Odisha. It is not just a festival of books and writers, it is a platform where literature, art and ideas converge and flourish. The festival has become one of the most important cultural events of the state, something that Odisha takes pride in presenting to the country, he said.