Bhubaneswar: The Nationalist movement, protection of Odia language, and formation of separate Odisha state were the results of the great struggles of Gopabandhu Das. Similarly, Madhusudan Das, who became poor for the sake of Odia art, culture, and heritage, was the main force behind the formation of a linguistic state or province.
Despite their contributions, the two great men have not received due recognition in India. Demands for posthumous Bharat Ratna awards, installation of their statues in the Parliament premises, and naming of trains after them have not subsided. In this regard, a delegation from the All Odisha Lawyers’ Forum has collected signatures in Thailand.
In Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, the members of the Forum collected signatures from Odias living there. They discussed how national leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Rajendra Prasad, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, and Pandit Nehru knew and respected Gopabandhu and Madhubabu, and collected signatures. Similarly, discussions were held on how to promote the use of the Odia language. The programme was presided over by Dr. Lingaraj Sahoo, convener of the Forum. Social worker Dr. Chinmaya Badajena, Arun Pattnaik, Prakash Rana, Manas Malik, Naba Sahu, and many others participated in the programme. Earlier, signatures were collected from 20 different states and discussions were held to demand due recognition for Madhubabu in the country.
