NEW DELHI: Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday emphasised the need to develop the “brand of Odisha” and bring the state into the global arena.
Speaking at the India and Odisha Journalism Award event organised by Pallibani Mission, he said that through the National Education Policy 2020, they have worked to encourage all mother tongues of the country, and Odisha play a key role in realising the PM’s ‘Developed India’ dream.
The event was attended by Pradhan as the chief guest, Yoga guru Ramdev as the special guest, and The New Indian Express Group Editor Santwana Bhattacharya as the chief speaker.
“In 1936, Odisha earned the distinction of forming the first linguistic-based state in the country, and we will soon witness its centennial celebration,” he said.
“As an Odia, it is our responsibility to establish their great culture, rich history, and heritage not only at the national level but also on the international stage,” he added.
Sanjeev Paliwal, managing editor of International and Sahitya Tak; Pratap Somvanshi, managing editor of Hindustan; and Saurabh Dwivedi, founding editor of The Lallantop, were honoured with the Indian Journalism Award. The Odisha Journalism Award was presented to Sangram K Sarangi, editor of Argus Digital; Ratnakar Bhoi, district correspondent of Sambad; and Satyasundar Barik, special correspondent of The Hindu.
Congratulating the awardees, Bhattacharya said, “We’re a community under incessant attack from power, society, and technology. Society thinks we are too close to power, and power thinks that we are too close to society. Meanwhile, AI steals our work, feeds it back to us and tells us, We are no good.”
She added,“It is upon us to record and comment and analyse all that is changing or perceived to be changing.”