Language and Identity Take Centre Stage at 15th Odisha Manaska Circle

Bhubaneswar:
The 15th edition of Odisha Manaska, the monthly community dialogue hosted by the Bhubaneswar-based initiative All Things Odisha, brought together an engaging mix of voices and generations to reflect on how language shapes who we are. Held at the head office of ExtraOdinari in Saheed Nagar, the discussion turned into a lively exchange of stories, memories, and ideas around the theme: “Mother Tongue, Multilingual World, Modern Mind: How Languages Shape Our Identity and Dictate Our Existence.”

Facilitated by Sandip Bal and coordinated by Sonali Priyadarsini, the session encouraged participants to speak freely from personal experience, a hallmark of Odisha Manaska’s inclusive and democratic spirit. Among the speakers were historian and author Anil Dhir, food researchers Ritu Patnaik, actor Partha Sarathi Ray, culture blogger and Shrutisikha and several young voices including Akankshita, Anwesha, Biswajit, Faisal, Anwesh, Akanksha, and Alka.

The conversation moved fluidly between nostalgia and critical reflection. Participants spoke about the need to protect and promote mother tongues in a multilingual, globalized world, and the urgency of making vernacular languages compatible with technology to ensure their growth. Some reflected on the class divide that privileges English while undervaluing regional languages calling for those with influence and access to lead efforts in preserving linguistic diversity rather than leaving it to marginalized communities.

Over the past year, Odisha Manaska has emerged as a vibrant physical space for dialogue, a place where people meet not to debate, but to listen, share, and learn from one another. Since its inception by All Things Odisha in August 2024, the circle has explored a wide range of topics on identity, culture, and belonging, steadily building a thoughtful community committed to rediscovering Odisha through conversation.