BHUBANESWAR: English medium schools have posed a challenge to Odia language and literature, which is going through a crisis that needs an early resolution through mentorship and drastic academic reforms, authors and critics opined at the 10th edition of Odisha Literary Festival here on Saturday.
Speaking on ‘How to Tell Our Stories: Where is the New Generation of Odia Writers?’, author Chandrasekhar Hota set the debate on motion by launching a scathing attack on the public schools where, he thinks, the potential of young generation is silently dying.
“Children are being punished for speaking in Odia in English medium schools. When our language is not given importance in the present education system, how can we think of producing writers? We have lost our Odia writers in such public schools,” he said.
There are many who are promising writers. But they are afraid of taking writing as a profession as it still continues to be a passion for many and underpaid in the state unlike the literature in other languages, the cop-turned author observed. Hota was supplemented by author and educator Sanghamitra Bhanja.
“The world is full of stories, but we need the right people to write the stories. Cell phones and social media are killing the writing and reading habits of this generation. None is seen reading a book these days. When we do not read, experience and feel, how can we write? Reforms in our education system are the need of the hour to save our language and literature,” she said.
However, author and critic Adhyapak Biswaranjan was very optimistic about the new generation Odia writers. He said there may be less number of Odia writers nowadays, but the quality has not been compromised. “We still have good authors, who are full of confidence. Creative writing is being taught in various parts of the country, but it is not happening properly in Odisha,” he rued.
Moderating the session, author and editor Gourahari Das was critical about the Odias, who are becoming custodians of English instead of their mother tongue. “Who has forced us to make our children practice ‘Twinkle twinkle little star’ instead of ‘Aa Janha Mamu Saraga Sashi’? Why are not our mothers reciting Odia lullabies anymore? As long as we do not feel proud about our language, tradition and culture, we can not produce good authors,” he summed up.
Das said, Odisha is such a place where there is a story under every stone. “But when emojis have replaced words, how can we think that our young generation will generate some great literature,” he wondered.