Pottangi: The use of Odia language has gone for a toss in the border villages of the state as Odisha celebrates its 88th formation day on Utkal Divas, Saturday. Ours is the first state formed based on language in the country. But what ails the Odias is that the language is struggling for survival in the fringe villages bordering other states.
Unless the tide turns the day is not far when dwellers of the border areas will completely forget their mother tongue pushing it into oblivion. Reports said the state government has made the use of the Odia language mandatory in government offices and every field. The rule mandates that all government and private establishments should issue letters in Odia and ensure the use of the language from writing nameplates to signboards.
However, due to lack of will and sincerity of the block and district administrations, the language is on the verge of extinction in these border villages. The fast disappearance of the language in villages under panchayats like Kotia, Sunki, Ampabali, Talagolur in Koraput district is some case of this point.
Observers said that Odisha and Andhra Pradesh are caught in a bitter dispute over border issues in Kotia panchayat. The panchayat is under Pottangi block of Koraput district but neighbouring Andhra Pradesh is staking its claim over the region and frequently infiltrating into the area. They alleged that no signboard in Odia language can be found in Fatusineri and Neredibalsa areas of Kotia panchayat. This has happened because neither the district administration nor the block administration is making any serious effort to make the Odia language flourish in the villages. There are several Odia schools in Tadibalsa, Neredibalsa, Uparsembi, Dhulipadar, Dholiamba, Fagunsineri, Fatusineri villages of the panchayat. However, most students do not attend school regularly and many of them even do not know how to speak Odia.
In these villages, the Andhra government has established its schools and is enrolling the wards of the locals. The schools are Telugu medium schools where students are encouraged to learn and speak Telugu language. There are some schools established by the Odisha government where students are being taught Odia. However, the schools established by the Andhra Pradesh government have overshadowed the Odia medium schools leaving the Odia language struggling for survival.