Orissa Matters

Mana of Orissa Resurrected at Gopalpur: Port Ready for Merchants of the World

Subhas Chandra Pattanayak

The only All Weather Direct Berthing Port of Orissa owned and controlled by an Oriya of immense port-experience Sri Mahimanand Mishra – the Gopalpur Port – has resurrected itself as a storm-proof Port and is ready for the merchants of the world.

Two years ago, it was heavily damaged by the severe anabatic cyclone Phailin.

The damage was massive, as the storm had its landfall here. But, Neither Sri Mishra nor his dedicated team allowed themselves to be defeated. With all determination, they started the resurrection process with immediate effect. A visit to its site after the storm had inspired us to write that Phailin had failed to damage the guts of Gopalpur.

We are happy that our observation has come true and the direct berthing port is now ready for the ships.

Advance Congratulations to Language Activists: Governance of Orissa in Oriya is No More Distant

Subhas Chandra Pattanayak

We in Odia Bhasa Sangram Samiti (hereinafter Samiti) are sure that governance of Orissa in Oriya is no more distant from reality. Our systematic movement is yielding results and the political government is determined to remove all obstacles from the way of governance of Orissa in Oriya. We have held many informal meetings with the Ministerial Committee on the subject and our last meeting in the chamber of Hon’ble Minister Debi Prasad Mishra, who heads the said Committee, gives me every reason to report that, Hon’ble Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is also eager to see that Orissa is governed in Oriya.

We, from our side, have fully honored the resolutions adopted in the Joint Action Committee comprising our representatives and the Ministers representing the Chief Minister held on August 01, 2015 in the 2nd floor Conference Hall of the Secretariat. Dr. Debi Prasanna Pattanayak was specifically requested to draft the “Language Policy” which he has done and submitted. Under resolution No.3, Subhas Chandra Pattanayak has submitted draft of necessary amendment to the Orissa Official Language Act, 1954 along with the draft of necessary Rules for driving the Act ahead. The State Government on its part has taken all steps for creation of a website on the subject wherein the above three drafts would be posted for the general public to suggest improvements, if any, they deem relevant to the purpose.The website will carry the original Act and all the official circulars in the matter so far for facilitating formation of public opinion and suggestions.

The Hon’ble CM will launch this historic site possibly by the 2nd week of November.

Sri Sankar Parida, Convener of the Samiti and Dr. Subrat Kumar Prusty, in consultation with Dr. Debi Prasanna Pattanayak and Prof. Natabar Satapathy and other representatives thereof , have created a road-map for proper implementation of the Act.

Another informal meeting of the Joint Action Committee is on the anvil to finalize the agenda to be placed before the next formal meeting wherein the relevant official functionaries along with eminent men of letters with marked language activism would be invited to put forth their views. With such views as would be coming, the concrete proposals shall be fine-tuned and then the Government shall proceed to get the necessary legislation, so that penal action should be taken against whosoever contravenes the Act.

It is most noteworthy that the CM is taking personal interest to ensure that the assurance given to the Bhasa Sangram Samiti on July 08, 2015 is honored in letter and spirit. And, the way the Ministers representing the CM are giving their unrestrained constructive cooperation to us in this matter has, in fact, created the necessary climate for governance of Orissa in Oriya.

When thus we feel that the mission of the movement is not far from success, we congratulate in advance all the friends whose language activism is going to succeed. We congratulate poet Gajanan Mishra whose ‘Fast onto Death’ jerked the entire Oriya population including all the Ministers and the CM out of slumber, consequent upon which the dreams of the revered founders of our language-based State is coming true within a few months. Students from Shantiniketan had come on cycle to help that dream come true. Students from Sambalpur are coming on foot to help that dream come true. We congratulate them all in advance. Media in general and Sambad Editor Soumya Ranjan Patnaik in particular deserve congratulations in advance as their cooperation to our campaign is a great factor in bringing the government to agreement with the Samiti for governance of Orissa in Oriya. Here are some pictures that would carry their contributions into the pages of history.

Utkal Sammilani Celebrates Nuakhai at Rourkela, determined to protect geographical oneness of Orissa

By Roving Reporter

The Rourkela branch of Utkal Sammilani celebrated Nuakhai on the appointed day (the day following Ganesh Chaturthi) which occurred this year on 18th September.

Former Minister and incumbent Chairman of Rourkela Development Authority Sri Sarada Prasad Nayak graced the event as the Chief Guest, Chief of orissamatters.com as Guest of Honor and Prof. Biswaranjan as Chief Speaker.

Held at the Dhamara Sangha premises, the festival was inaugurated by Dr. Bhabagrahi Mohapatra with ceremonial lighting of Lamp and dedication of the event to Maa Samalai.

Advocate Gobarddhan Pujari presided over the event. Describing Nuakhai as basically an festival of new harvest, he gave a picture of how it has evolved into the most cherished mass function on being fixed to a particular day. General Secretary of the Branch Sri Akshaya Kumar Das presented the guests, following Orissa’s National Anthem ‘Vande Utkala Janani’ recited by Ms. Minakshi Dhar. Sri Ramesh Suna rendered Samalei vandana.

Utkala Sammilani has been celebrating this festival here for the last 32 years.

In introducing the event, Vice-President of Utkal Sammilani Sri Bichitrananda Sahu recalled how the entire Oriya race had woke up to force the British authorities to quash their own mistake that they had perpetrated by dividing Oriya speaking tracks and to resurrect Mother Orissa on the basis of mother tongue Oriya. By all means the children of Orissa shall protect the geographical oneness of the motherland and Utkal Sammilani shall continue to guard the interest of the race, he said, calling upon entire Orissa to celebrate Nuakhai on the particular day as is being observed in areas wherever Maa Samalai is being worshiped in order to enhance the sense of societal integration in whole of the State.

Sri Nayak described Nuakhai as the day of societal oneness, when to Sri Pattanayak this unique reminder of Orissa’s agro-matriarchal past, which had given birth to Jagannatha Culture, is in essence what Orissa needs be addressed to.

Prof. Biswaranjan dwelt on the historicity and magnanimity of Nuakhai, as Dr. Mohapatra stressed upon the need for honesty on parts of political leaders to make Orissa a land of glory and prosperity again.

Er. Balaram Patra recalled how Oriya employees, Officers and industrial managers were being harassed, humiliated and victimized by the non-Oriya authorities of the central sector undertaking – Rourkela Steel Plant – which had forced them to unite under the banner of Utkala Shilpa Parichalaka Samaj and how that unity has led to Oriyan developments in the industrial township. Similar unity among all the Oriyas everywhere would ensure prosperity for the Motherland, he said. Sri Chittaranjan Das proposed the vote of thanks.

Baby artist Banshita Pattanayak mesmerized the audience with Odissi Dance when another young artist Ms. Shraddha Das presented a spellbinding Sambalpuri.

Below are a few pictures of the event that depict the guests and speakers and the audience and the artists of the event.

SAD NEWS TO SHARE// PROF. GANESWAR MISHRA NO MORE

Subhas Chandra Pattanayak

Prof. Ganeswar Mishra, former Professor in English, Utkal University is no more.

The eminent author, thinker, founder editor of Prameya, a man of immense patience, of unfathomable friendship, of deep concern for the society, a man of matchless strength to overcome debacles is lost to Orissa. He passed away this early morning leaving family members. innumerable admirers, friends and relations to mourn.

Author of 30 books in English including 25 research papers mostly on Aspects of Translation, Indian and Commonwealth Literature published in India and abroad, he had written 50 books in Oriya spread over all major areas of literature like Novels, Features, Translations, Travelogues, Book Reviews, Essays and Poems. Many of his Oriya works have been translated into English and several Indian languages.

He was Commonwealth Academic Staff Scholar, University of Kent (U.K.) from 1974 to 78; Commonwealth Academic Staff Fellow, University of London (U.K.), 1983-84; British Council visitor to U.K. in 1989. Very many award winners in the field of literature, he was awarded with Senior Fellowship in Literature by the Government of India for 1992-94. Professor of English, Utkal University (1986-2002) he was President of Orissa Sahitya Akademi from 2005 to 2007, during which period, he headed the Project Committee of Oriya Bhasa Pratisthan. he had earned his Ph.D. in English and American Literature from University of Kent (U.K.) in 1978; yet he was a Praveen in Hindi from Hindi Rastrabhasha Parishad.

“MRUTYURNASTITI” (There is no death) has said Sanatsujata in Mahabharata. “DEATH IS DEATHLESS” has said Buddha.

I hope, Sriman Sandeep Mishra, the worthy son of this illustrious father, will appreciate this ancient wisdom and convince his entire family to feel Prof. Mishra as omnipresent hereafter always.

I stand in silence in his honor.

Long live Prof. Mishra in our hearts, live for ever.

Oriya Print Media Condemns Rangabati Remix

Subhas Chandra Pattanayak

Rangabati remix, which has committed offence against Orissa’s State Anthem too, has been condemned by every Oriya who honors the distinction of Orissa in maintaining archaically significant specimens of her artistic and literary excellence.

There was a time, when culture vultures in neighboring states were claiming superiority over Oriya language. The issue was settled in Linguistic Survey of India where it was declared that the “Oriya language can boast of a rich vocabulary in respect of which neither Bengali nor Hindi nor Telugu can vie with it”. Years after, Bengal’s famous linguist Dr. Suniti Kumar Chatterjee compared Oriya language with the languages of her neighborhood and declared, “Of these three speeches – Oriya, Bengali and Assamees – Oriya has preserved a great many archaic features in both grammar and pronunciation; and it may be said without travesty of linguistic truth that Oriya is the eldest of the three sisters, when we consider the archaic character of the language (I.H.Q. Vol. XXIII, 1947, p. 337).

So, the strength of Oriya lies in preservation of its unique works of literature, the speaking part of which is Orissa’s folk songs like Rangabati. Its uniqueness has been tampered with under filthy design of the avaricious rich under the banner of M.Tv.

This is blatant assault on the very libretto of the immensely popular song of Orissa by a gang in song business. This is song industry’s offensive onslaught on archaically important Rangabati song as well as on the State Anthem Vande Utkala Janani. YouTube is a platform where videos on incest sex spreads in unfathomable speed. No wonder the Rangabati remix is getting massive hits in YouTube. As incest sex is not the proof of legality because of hits the videos thereof gain in the internet platform, so also Ragabati remix, despite the heavy hits in YouTube, is not legal.

Every Oriya, conscious and proud of his/her belonging to Orissa, the unique land of preservation of her literary and musical distinction as mentioned supra, should wake up against this nefarious mischief of the new gang of tin pan alleys that has made and spread the Rangabati remix.

Eminent Editor Rabi Kanungo Condemns the Mischief

There is a brilliant editorial on the mischief in 9th July edition of Orissa’s major daily Suryaprava, authored by its editor Rabi Kanungo. He has held the supporters of the remix as similar to a son who presents to his mother a different person as his father after implanting his head on the neck of that man. As people of Orissa are keeping their eyes on the mischief, I am putting here the copy of the said editorial.

Subhas Chandra Pattanayak

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik seems to have developed a wrong notion that governance of Orissa in Oriya depends upon his mercy. His press-note of December 17 and full page display advertisement in major broadsheets of today force us to arrive at this apprehension.

In his December 17 press note it was declared that he had held a meeting with the five members of the ministerial committee on that day for the purpose of “strictly implementing the Orissa Official Language Act, 1954 in official and non-official level” to facilitate which a website has been floated by the government. In the full page multi-color advertisement in broadsheet dailies today, this is intriguingly missing.

The advertisement is designed to tell the people that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has taken historical steps to save and develop Oriya language, and has enumerated the steps he has taken. This is blatant lie. Neither he nor his government has executed any single item claimed to be “historical” in the official advertisement. The entire advertisement is nothing but false propaganda. What a shame it is, that, the people of Orissa are taken for granted by their Chief Minister! Read more →