Row Over ‘Bande Utkal Janani’ Intensifies

Bhubaneswar: The ongoing row over the demand to accord state song status to ‘Bande Utkal Janani’ has intensified in Odisha with the Western Odisha Yuva Manch and the Koshala State Coordination Committee supporting the Energy and Employee State Insurance Minister and Bhatli MLA Susanta Singh for replacing the word ‘Utkal’ with ‘Odisha’ in the song.

Activists of the Western Odisha Yuva Manch took out a rally in the state capital on Thursday in support of the minister.

Talking to the media, Ajit Kumar Pati, member of the Manch, said the demand to accord state song status to ‘Bande Utkal Janani’ is thoroughly unjustified since the song has overlooked the art and culture of Western Odisha. “We will support the decision of the state government to accord state song status to the song if the word Utkal is replaced with Odisha, which our minister has proposed,” he added.

Coming down heavily on the leaders of Western Odisha for opposing the statement of Susanta Singh on this matter, convener of Koshala State Coordination Committee, Pramod Mishra said protesting against the opinion of a minister of Western Odisha on this issue is unconstitutional.

“We protest against the statement of the Sambalpur MP Nagendra Pradhan and former Speaker Kishore Mohanty who had criticized the Energy Minister on this issue. It is grossly unfortunate. We request all the elected representatives of Western Odisha starting from the panchayat to the Parliament to unanimously oppose the efforts being made to accord state song status to ‘Bande Utkal Janani’,” he demanded.

Notably, the Sambalpur MP on Wednesday had told the media that except for the man who has composed the time-honoured song, no one has the right to change a single word of the poem. Besides, the former Speaker had said that there has been no such demand in Western Odisha for replacement of the word Utkal. He had also said that whatever the minister has said on this issue is his personal opinion and the state government will take a final decision on this issue.

The row over the song cropped up on June 26 after the Energy Minister told the media that the people in most places in Western Odisha have suggested that the song will be acceptable if the word ‘Utkal’ is replaced with ‘Odisha’. Instead of ‘Bande Utkal Janani’, it should be ‘Bande Odisha  Janani’.

“I don’t know what decision the state government is going to take on this matter. But it would be better if it considers the sentiments of the people of Western Odisha,” Singh had pointed out.