Subhas Chandra Pattanayak
When late lamented Janaki Ballav Patnaik was the Chief Minister of Orissa, I was his arch political rival in his constituency: Athgarh. Yet, it was he, on whose insistence, the Congress Party had made me its candidate for Athgarh in his place. I had refused the Congress ticket, as a result of which, there was no Congress candidate in Athgarh in 1990 Assembly election.
On his first death anniversary, at the end of this intro, is my tributes to him.
He was the man, who had tried his sincere best to implement the Orissa Official Language Act and to ensure governance of Orissa in Oriya.
After his sad demise, we have now started ‘Bhasa Andolan‘ to free our State from non-Oriya rule. The lacuna has been located and necessary legislation has been proposed to provide for punishment to whosoever contravenes the Language Act.
The Government is reluctant to accept it, but the way our movement is proceeding, it will be compelled to amend the law as we have demanded.
We have started silent agitation with black-flags and posters since Orissa’s New Year’s Day i.e. Pana Sankranti, which, this year, had come on 13th April. The fiery epitome of Oriya nationalism, Subartta editor Pradyumna Satpathy, the tireless conscience-keeper, columnist Tusarkant Satpathy, eco-campaigner, media consultant Pabitra mohan Maharana, Journalistic jewel Sagar Satpathy, acclaimed social activist Madhimita Samal are everyday leading the black-flag march, in which four eminent persons are proudly participating on each day. The whole State is waking up as they march with black-flags and posters. In this unique march for the mother tongue, famous personalities like singer Prafulla Kar, flutist Mohini Mohan Pattanayak, actor Bijaya Mohanty, academician and author Prof. Biswaranjan, linguist Prof. Natabar Satpathy, Wing Commander (Rtd) Nandakishore Samal, scientist Dr. Asok Misra, agro-scientist Prof. Alekh Chandra Swain, poet and book movement magnet Saroj Bal, Central Sahitya Academy member Banoj Tripathy, poetess Golap Manjari Kar et al are amongst 32 proud and illustrious Oriyas that have already marched with black-flags in their hands in protest against official contravention of the Orissa Official Language Act and in demanding codification of penal action against the contraveners.
We shall take no rest, till the aim is achieved. And, it will be our real thanks giving to the man, who, for Governance of Orissa in Oriya language had tried his best.
Below, dear friends, is my tributes, in his dearest language Oriya, to the great man, whom we really miss at this great moment of movement for our mother tongue.
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