Demand for Sambalpuri-Koshali as second language of Odisha

Demanding quick steps to include Sambalpuri-Koshali, the lingua franca of ten western Odisha districts, in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution and to make it the second language of the state, an organisation fighting for the cause today said dilly-dallying on the issue is sparking agitation and resentment among the people.

Bhubaneswar: Demanding quick steps to include Sambalpuri-Koshali, the lingua franca of ten western Odisha districts, in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution and to make it the second language of the state, an organisation fighting for the cause on Wednesday said dilly-dallying on the issue is sparking agitation and resentment among the people.

In a memorandum to Odisha Governor S C Jamir, the Sambalpur-Koshali Bhasa Pratisthan (SKBP), an umbrella organisation led by senior Congress leader Sriballav Panigrahi alleged, for inexplicable reasons their demand had been ignored till now.

"By getting enshrined in the Constitution, the language will rightfully get its place in the socio-cultural order and also in the sphere of education and governance", it said.
The memorandum said, for achieving the rightful places in the Constitution, recommendation by the state government was necessary.

"It will be appropriate for the state government to take up the cause of Sambalpuri-Koshali language as the second language of the state and issue directions for its use in ten western Odisha district for all official business," it said.

Urging the Governor to initiate early action in this regard, a delegation of the organisation said the language would rightfully get its place in the sphere of education and governance.

Over 1.5 crore people in the region speak, read and write in Sambalpuri-Koshali. A sizable population also speak the language in areas adjoining and contiguous to Western Odisha such Chhatisgarh and Jharkhand, the memorandum said, adding "There are multiple tribal and ethnic dialects in the area, but for intra-community communication, Sambalpuri-Koshali is the sole language used by all".

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