By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR:Utkalmani Pandit Gopabandhu Das is a symbol of faith and loyalty of our Odisha. He is not only from Utkal, he is a gem of the whole world. He was a great freedom fighter, poet, writer and founder of the Daily Newspaper Society and Satyabandhi Magazine. He was the embodiment of truth, sacrifice and sincerity. On the occasion of the 149th birth anniversary of this great man of Odisha, State President Shri Manmohan Samal paid floral tributes to the statue of Gopabandhu at Gopabandhu Square in Bhubaneswar.
On this occasion, State President Shri Samal said that Utkalamani Gopabandhu Das was an institution because he stood by the common people in all times of trouble. It is a lesson for us how he became the confidant of millions of people by inspiring the people during the years of independent India. He protested against the extinction of the Odia language. His appeal was that the identity of every person and nation is its language. Language is the soul of the nation.
Similarly, while he was studying in Calcutta, he was moved by the plight of the Odia diaspora and established the Odia Workers’ Union and Evening School. Shri Samal said that he played a leading role in the formation of a separate Odisha province.
On this occasion, MLA Shri Babu Singh, former minister Shri Arvind Tachali, former MLA Shri Priyadarshi Mishra, State Secretary Shri Saroj Kumar Kar, senior leader Shri Golak Mohapatra, Dr. Purna Chandra Mallick, State President of Pisan Morcha Shri Subhransu Mohan Padhi, State Women Morcha President Dr. Aishwarya Biswal, Bhubaneswar District President Niranjan Mishra, State Executive Member Jagannath Pradhan, Rashmi Mohapatra and State Social Media Coordinator Shri Jyoti Ranjan Nayak and many other activists were present and paid tributes.
