Dikhyaa Mohanty 
The Board of Secondary Education notified the inclusion of the State song ‘Bande Utkala Janani’ as part of the syllabus for Class IX and X across schools in Odisha. But later the Koshal Rajya Samanwaya Samiti (KRSS) in Balangir has decided to stage demonstrations across all Western Odisha districts on June 29 protesting the move.
According to the reports, KRSS member Sunil Purohit stated that the decision was unconstitutional and the State government is playing with the emotions of over two crore people of Western Odisha. Bande Utkala Janani was written by Kantakabi Laxmikanta Mohapatra for the people of Utkala as he belonged there and Utkala is not the same as Odisha.
Purohit further added that when the song was written, Utkala comprised Cuttack, Puri and Balasore. Koshal and Kalinga regions have different socio-cultural identities and therefore, the inclusion of the song in the school syllabus is unacceptable to people here. Hence the government cannot make it binding for all by including the song in the syllabus.
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