No pride until Odia generates employment

BHUBANESWAR: Until Odia as a language helps generate employment like English, and all kinds of academic books are available in Odia, this regional language can never fascinate the young generation despite its classical status. It would lose relevance and fail to maintain the language pride, said speakers at a session on ‘Bhasha Nahin Ta Asmita Nahin’ during the Odisha Literary Festival on Saturday.

Setting the context on language as a pride of a community, vice-chancellor of Odia University Sabita Pradhan said as globalisation and urbanisation continue to shape the cultural landscape of the country, the essence of Odia identity faces unprecedented challenges. The diminishing use of Odia language threatens not just linguistic diversity but the very fabric of Odia Asmita or the pride in Odia identity, she said.

“The legacy of a language can continue to grow only if people feel proud of it and represent it. But how can we instill the fondness or likeness towards Odia language in our younger generation is a matter of challenge. Everybody knows that no teachers who have been appointed to teach Odia in schools and colleges are educated only in Odia. This is why we have sought the approval of the government to open BEd so that the teachers to be appointed can be trained in the language,” she said.