Protect the interest of Odia speaking people in Jharkhand , Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly urges Naveen Patnaik
Bhubaneswar : Leader of Opposition in Odisha Legislative Assembly Pradipta Kumar Naik Thursday urged Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to protect the interest of Odia speaking people in Jharkhand after the Jharkhand government decided to withdraw second language status to Odia language.
In a letter to Chief Minister Mr Naik said several organisations in Sadaikala, Kharsuan, East and West Singhbhum districts and few other areas of Jharkhand have protested after the Jharkhand government decided to withdraw the second language status to Odia . They also drew the attention of the Jharkhand governor but to no avail. .
In 2011, the then Jharkhand government had accorded second language status to Odia language.
Mr Naik said around 70 per cent of the people in these area speak Odia and the decision of the Jharkhand government to withdraw the second language status to Odia will adversely affect the Odia speaking people living there. He urged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to take early steps to protect the interest of the Odia people.
In a tweet he said every citizen of the country has a constitutional right to study in his mother tongue and the decision of the Jharkhand government to withdraw the second language status to Odia language is unconstitutional and u ndemocratic.
Mr Naik described the decision of the Jharkhand government as a conspiracy to alienate the Odias from their roots.
Meanwhile Odisha School and Mass Education Minister Sameer Ranjan Dash said he would interact with his counterpart in Jharkhand to safeguard the interests of Odia people there.
Mr Dash said Odisha government has coordial relationship with the Jharkhand government and we will discuss and ensure that Odia students are taught in their mother tongue in Jharkhand. If need be, we will request our Chief Minister to take up the matter with the Jharkhand Chief Minister, he said.
