Spreading love for Odia language abroad

Bhubaneswar: Odias are leaving no stone unturned to showcase their language abroad, be it starting an online Odia ‘pathashala' for children or getting it included in a school curriculum or teaching through offline classes.Several Odias living abroad have taken steps to popularise Odia, the 37th most spoken language in the world and 9th in India. Recently, the High Commission of India invited people working towards preserving their mother language abroad to showcase it. From the UK, Jayashree Nanda and Suvendu Sethi participated in the programme. They spoke about the richness of Odia language and free online classes that they have been running every Sunday for five years."It is important to preserve our language and passing it onto the next generation is the best way to do it. Also, it is comfortable to express your feelings in your mother tongue," said Jayashree. "Only by learning the language, can they enjoy our literature or savour its richness," she added.The duo had designed a standi (banner) for their Odia pathashala at the event so that the word spreads and more children join. They have already taught over 80 students.Similarly, Sunanda Panda was invited by the Indian Consulate in Toronto, Canada, for propagating Odia. Sunanda teaches Odia to students at Tam O'Shanter Junior Public School, where the subject was introduced in Nov 2024. Before that she conducted online classes. For the function, she had organised a debate competition in Odia. The winners were given certificates. In her talk, she underscored the value of conversing in one's own language.Besides teaching Odia, the propagators of the language abroad also teach children about culture. "We tell our students about our festivals, food, temples, tourist places, classical and folk dances so that they can relate to those when they visit India. Also, they will learn about from where they hail," said Sethi.