World Odia Language Conference to be held every five years, announces Odisha CM

Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik declared that the World Odia Language Conference would be held every five years, marking a significant announcement on the concluding day of the inaugural conference in Bhubaneswar.

Describing the first World Odia Language Conference as a monumental event, the Chief Minister expressed gratitude to the participants, including students, youths, writers, researchers, and poets, for their active involvement. He revealed that fruitful discussions and proposals had emerged during the three-day event, promising that language-related decisions would be officially announced in the Odisha Assembly.

Highlighting the historical significance of the Odia language in preserving the identity of the Odia race, the Chief Minister urged everyone to enrich the vocabulary by creating new words. He acknowledged the challenges posed by scientific knowledge, technological advancements, and computer language to traditional languages, emphasizing the need to integrate the Odia language with these developments.

Encouraging the youth to embrace and promote the Odia language, Naveen Patnaik envisioned it becoming the language of the youth. He underscored the importance of recognizing the glory of the language for its progressive future.

Addressing the success of the conference’s accompanying museum, the Chief Minister announced a three-day extension in response to public demand. He congratulated the winners of various talent awards and released three books during the ceremony.

The books unveiled by the Chief Minister include ‘Shree Jagannatha: Lord of The Universe,’ published by ‘The Hindu Group,’ ‘Odia: Journey Of A Language’ conceived by Chief Advisor (Special Initiatives) R Balakrishnan, and translations of ‘Magical Tales From Odisha’ in German and Japanese.

The ceremony, attended by dignitaries like 5T & Nabin Odisha Chairman Kartik Pandian, concluded with a vote of thanks offered by Siddhant Kumar Sahu, a class VIII student of Ravenshaw Collegiate School.