Bhubaneswar: Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Odisha Assembly, Prasanna Acharya, has urged the Odisha government to grant state language status to Sambalpuri Kosali and push for its inclusion in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
Raising the demand during the Zero Hour, Acharya emphasised that over 1.5 crore people across 11 districts of Odisha speak the language.
Acharya also mentioned about the rich literary heritage of Kosali with numerous short stories, poems, and books produced in the language, which even has its own dictionary. “This further strengthens the case for its official recognition,” he said, highlighting the contribution of Satyanarayan Bohidar and Haldar Nag.
Bohidar was the author of ‘Koshali Bhasakosh’, a dictionary and grammar book in Koshali.
The senior BJD leader further cited the widespread popularity of Kosali songs such as ‘Rangabati’ and ‘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 multiple times in Parliament. The then CM Naveen Patnaik had also raised the issue with the Centre on several occasions,” he said.
Therefore, the state government should send a proposal to the Centre, urging its inclusion, he said.
“The Constitution has also given the power to the state government to grant state language status to more than one language. Keeping in mind the aspirations and sentiments of the people of the region, the government should consider recognising Sambalpuri Koshali as a state language,” he said.
He added that this is important for avoiding a language war and disintegration of the state, while drawing parallels with the formation of Bangladesh.
Last month, Sambalpur MLA Jayanarayan Mishra had stirred a fresh controversy by terming the integration of Koshal region with Odisha a “historic blunder”. He alleged that people of Koshal, which comprises western Odisha, have been historically neglected on all fronts. “You are exploiting us, our wealth, our mines, our agriculture, our forests… We were already exploited on many fronts, and now you are trying to exploit us culturally too. We had merged with Odisha and also participated in the movement for its sake. But now we regret that decision. It was a historic blunder, and we have admitted it on many occasions,” he said.
