Odisha: BJD Demands Addition Of 2 Tribal Languages In -8th Schedule Of Constitution

Bhubaneswar(Reporters Today Bureau): In Odisha Biju Janata Dal (BJD) demanded the addition of two tribal languages in the eighth schedule of the Constitution of India.

BJD MLAs Soumya Ranjan Patnaik and Basanti Hembram and BJD’s General Secretary Shreemayee Mishra demanded the addition of two languages Ho and Mundari languages commonly used by people belonging to the scheduled tribe group in the eighth schedule of the Indian Constitution.

Patnaik said “The fight for languages has been continuing in Odisha since the British regime. All the political parties in their respective poll manifestoes had promised to raise their demand before the Centre for the inclusion of tribal languages in the eighth schedule of the Constitution, but no initiative was made by them after elections. However, the BJD has completed the constitutional process and we will meet the President in this regard,”

Addressing media, Hembram said, “As many as 30 lakh people in the country and 10 lakh in Odisha use Ho language. The tribal language will extinct if it did not get status in the Constitution.”

There is a total of 62 tribes are living in Odisha from which 13 near-extinct tribes and the tribe have been demanding the State Government for the inclusion of Ho and Mundari languages in the Constitution for a long period.

In this regard, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had written to the Centre two times seeking the addition of two tribal languages in the eighth schedule of the Constitution, the party stated.

BJD General Secretary Shreemayee Mishra Stressing the significance of the Koshali language termed it as a ‘sweet’ dialect.

“Around 75 lakh people speak Koshali. Even the epics like Ramayan and Mahabharat have been written in Koshali too. It amuses mind,” Mishra said