Bhubaneswar: Odisha Sunday remembered the great soul Utkal Gourav Madhusudan Das on his birth anniversary observing the day as ‘Swabhiman Dibas’.
Paying a rich tribute to Odisha’s first lawyer at his memorial at Gorakabar in Cuttack district on Swabhiman Dibas organised by Ama Odisha, Justice DP Choudhury of Orissa High Court said that Madhu Babu is credited with protecting the Jagannath culture in the state during the British era.
“With his legal prowess, Madhusudan Das had defeated the British government that had conspired to control the Srimandir management in Puri,” he said.
Cuttack Parliamentarian Bhartruhari Mahtab, who had also graced the occasion, hailed Madhusudan Das’s contribution in field of cottage industry. He said that Father of Nation Mahatma Gandhi had also received two-day hospitality from Madhu Babu at his native place Satyabhamapur village.
Speaking on the occasion, Rajya Sabha MP Saoumya Ranjan Patnaik said that the efforts by Madhusudan Das for upliftment of women will always be commended.
“We have been celebrating Madhusudan Das Jayanti as the Swabhiman Dibas since the past 22 years. The world Swabhiman should not be confined to world, rather we should be aware of the field that need to be in focus for a person with self esteem,” told Patnaik to media here.
Speaking on Odia language, he said, “Even as the government announces the Odia language as the official language, it will not bear fruit if we will not use the language extensively. If Odia language will be used at every successful person’s home, it will grow with wings.”
“Unfortunately, our mother tongue has been sidelined by our own people. I am not against people sending their children to the English medium schools, but it does not mean that we will not let our children learn Odia,” he said while urging people for massive usage of Odia in every sphere.