Subhas Chandra Pattanayak
If documents can say how Orissa is being administered, this document would show how mad has become administration under Naveen Patnaik.
Orissa Assembly’s Standing Committee on Higher Education discussed with departmental Secretary Sri G. Dhal and his team officials on 23.02.2015 on how to improve higher education in Orissa. The Committee resolved that for betterment of the scenario, “English language should be mandatory in College” (Point No.7) and wanted implementation thereof. In elaborating the point to Government, the Assembly wrote at item No.11, “English should be made the medium of teaching in junior and degree colleges. University authorities be asked to print the text books in English language”.
It is a mindless recommendation of the committee comprising MLAs namely Tara Prasad Bahinipati (Chairman of the Committee), Sashi Bhusan Behera, Bibhuti Bhusan Harichandan, Anubhav Pattnaik, Surendra sethi and Basanti Mallick. None of these members is a linguist and/or a known educationist. When they resolved to make English language “mandatory in college” they should have summoned language experts and educationists to the committee to take their considered views on what would be the impact of making English the mandatory medium of teaching in colleges. If the MLAs who do not possess didactic excellence or acclaimed expertise in language study, could not visualize if English becomes the mandated medium of instruction, what would happen to Oriya, what was the sabjanata IAS officer that represented the Higher Education department as its Secretary with his pack of officers doing? Why did he not assist the Assembly with the necessary advice that impact study of the promulgation of English as the only medium of teaching in colleges should be taken up before adding Assembly insignia to the proposal?
However, this mindless recommendation of the Standing Committee is not yet put before the Government and the Cabinet has not been made aware of this proposal, even though the matter breaths disastrous consequences. But the Secretary seems to have implemented it. Otherwise, the order posted above could not have been issued.
The desk officer who has issued the order is a Bengali namely S.K.Ghosh. He is the Deputy Secretary by way of promotion from the rank of a clerk in the secretariat. He should have raised the issue of impact study of making English the only medium of teaching in the Colleges. He should have placed before the departmental Secretary that, as very serious dislocations would be created in teaching if the mindless proposal of the Standing Committee is implemented, collective wisdom of the State Cabinet should be invoked.
When required to report on “action taken” on the Committee’s recommendations, the Secretary could have told the Committee that expert opinion was being taken or language impact study was being conducted or the Cabinet was being apprised of the recommendation or the Cabinet was considering on it, for example. But the fertile IAS/OAS brains in the Higher Education department, without Government (The Cabinet) approval of the Standing Committee recommendation, have implemented it as suggested by issue of instructions to all the Principals to report how far they have implemented the order.
The “Action taken note” the Higher Education Secretary has placed before the Standing Committee on 17.6.2015 at 3 PM shows that all the Principals have been “requested to furnish action taken report” as per the office order posted supra that mandates, “English should be made the medium of teaching in junior and degree colleges. University authorities to print the text books in English language”.
This means, Oriya text books shall be printed in English and Oriya language shall be taught in English. What nonsense!
Naveen Patnaik has been reading his Oriya addresses through Hindi or English alphabets typed in his PRO office for all these years. So, perhaps, the fertile brains in Higher Education department are sure, Oriya can be taught in English language with the text books in English.
This nefarious design must be quashed.
First published in orissamatters.com
NB:
A decade earlier in 2005, when Naveen Patnaik Government had conspired to eliminate Oriya as a subject in higher education, we had exposed and foiled that mischief. Now the same conspiracy having returned more menacingly, I am giving links to some of my discussions in ORISSA MATTERS in those days to say that this conspiracy is culmination of a decade long hidden agenda. Peruse these links, and wake up. We are to save our mother tongue from this mad government.
A renewed Bengali conspiracy: Thwart it. Thwart it. Thwart it.
Orissa Govt. plays its nastiest tricks against the OriyasThe Lingua-Benga Minister be shacked
Lingua-Benga design defeated: Oriya nation wins
Not enough, National humiliation must be avenged
