Forum urges Odia speakers to promote, protect language

A forum working to promote Odia identity, culture and language in the country and abroad has called upon the people of Odisha to spread and protect Odia language, which it said was losing its sheen.
At a conference held on the premises of Jagannath Temple at Tygaraj Nagar here by the forum 'The Intellects', speakers voiced their concern over the Odia language losing its sheen and said it was the responsibility of Odia people to make every effort to promote the language, which is spoken by 85 million people, including 45 million globally.
The speakers urged Odia parents to teach their children the language and inculcate in them a habit of interacting in their mother tongue.

The goal of the forum is to spread and protect Odia language and to promote the art and culture of Odisha by organising cultural activities in Delhi and other places of the country.
The forum also has plans to open a knowledge centre in the national capital and provide Odias with Odia newspapers and magazines. There is a proposal to also open a library which exclusively houses Odia books. The forum also aims to help Odia students and youth develop communication skills for better career opportunities.
The forum's convener, Devraj Mohanti, appealed to Odia people to donate Odia books and magazines for the proposed library and make the mission a success.

Among the speakers were advocate Birja Mohapatra, Dr Sadananda Sahoo (educationist and social worker), Sangram Dhar, Indu Bhusan Lenka and Rashmi Ranjan Parida (journalist and social worker).