CUTTACK: In a significant development, the Orissa High Court has imposed an interim stay on distribution of ‘Odia Barnabodha’, an edited version of the original Odia orthography ‘Madhubabu Barnabodha’ published by the Odia Bhasa Pratisthan, over allegation of gross distortions and anomalies in it.
Acting on two PILs filed by noted writer Binapani Mohanty and convener of Jajpur-based Odia Chetana Parishad, Ananta Devadarshi, a division bench of Justice Biswajit Mohanty and Justice BR Sarangi issued notice to the State. The bench has directed the Government to file its response in this regard within two weeks.
The petitioners challenged the publication of an edited orthography book ‘Odia Barnabodha’ meant for distribution among primary school children saying that it has significantly deviated from the original ‘Barnabodha’ written by Bhakta Kabi Madhusudan Rao in 1895. The editing was done on the pretext of simplifying Odia orthography but errors and distortions were introduced in the name of the original author Bhakta Kabi Madhusudan Rao have been retained.
The book which grossly distorts the language and grammar as prescribed in the original is not only going to tarnish the age-old script and its distinct orthography, etymology and grammar but also adversely affect the phonetics of Odia language. Almost all the 48 pages of the book, published by the School and Mass Education Department, contain orthographical or grammatical errors.
No language can survive unless there is an element of conservatism. The Chinese using the most ancient and difficult script of the world have achieved great heights in all fields. Even the difficult works in English language have not been subjected to simplification. Such action in case of Odia language, thus, is arbitrary and ill conceived, the petitioners submitted.
The petitioners alleged that the editing was entrusted on two insignificant Odia linguists. The resultant work has drawn sharp criticism from eminent scholars of Odisha literature and linguistics along with all top organisations working for protection and promotion of the language. They appealed to the Court to stay the distribution of the anomaly-ridden book among the students and direct the Government to re-edit it through a board of eminent scholars of Odia language from Government universities.