No national fest tag for Bali Yatra gets oppn flak | Bhubaneswar News
Cuttack: Odisha govt said there is no provision to accord national recognition to the historic Bali Yatra of Cuttack, triggering strong criticism from the opposition. Culture minister Suryabanshi Suraj, while answering a question by MLA Kanhai Charan Dang in a written reply in the assembly on Friday, said no festival or fair can be granted national status under existing norms.
A few days ago, the Centre responded to BJD Rajya Sabha member Debasish Samantaray regarding the demand for national festival tag for Bali Yatra. Following the reply, several BJP MLAs and ministers took to social media to congratulate the Modi govt for considering the request. But within a day, all such posts were mysteriously deleted, raising questions about the govt’s stand on the issue, informed Congress.
Congress leader and Barabati-Cuttack MLA Sofia Firdous lashed out at the BJP-led state govt, accusing it of misleading the people of Odisha. “First, their leaders celebrated the Centre’s move, and now they are saying there is no provision for national recognition. This is nothing but an eyewash to fool the people,” she added. “Bali Yatra is a centuries-old festival that symbolises our maritime trade history. Nothing is more deserving than this,” added Firdous.
Historian Manaswini Mishra highlighted the maritime significance of Bali Yatra, which has been celebrated for over 700 years. “The sadhabas, a trading community of Kalinga, sailed to Java, Sumatra, Borneo, and Bali for trade, making this festival a symbol of Odisha’s glorious past in foreign commerce,” she said, supporting the demand for a national heritage festival status.
Samantaray slammed the BJP govt for its stance. “They first take credit for considering the national tag, and now they deny it in the assembly. The double-engine govt has turned into a double-defunct one,” he said. “They promised to make our region great but have only focused on changing wall colours,” added Samantaray. In 2019, former Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik wrote to the Union tourism ministry urging recognition of Bali Yatra as a national maritime heritage festival.
A few days ago, the Centre responded to BJD Rajya Sabha member Debasish Samantaray regarding the demand for national festival tag for Bali Yatra. Following the reply, several BJP MLAs and ministers took to social media to congratulate the Modi govt for considering the request. But within a day, all such posts were mysteriously deleted, raising questions about the govt’s stand on the issue, informed Congress.
Congress leader and Barabati-Cuttack MLA Sofia Firdous lashed out at the BJP-led state govt, accusing it of misleading the people of Odisha. “First, their leaders celebrated the Centre’s move, and now they are saying there is no provision for national recognition. This is nothing but an eyewash to fool the people,” she added. “Bali Yatra is a centuries-old festival that symbolises our maritime trade history. Nothing is more deserving than this,” added Firdous.
Historian Manaswini Mishra highlighted the maritime significance of Bali Yatra, which has been celebrated for over 700 years. “The sadhabas, a trading community of Kalinga, sailed to Java, Sumatra, Borneo, and Bali for trade, making this festival a symbol of Odisha’s glorious past in foreign commerce,” she said, supporting the demand for a national heritage festival status.
Samantaray slammed the BJP govt for its stance. “They first take credit for considering the national tag, and now they deny it in the assembly. The double-engine govt has turned into a double-defunct one,” he said. “They promised to make our region great but have only focused on changing wall colours,” added Samantaray. In 2019, former Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik wrote to the Union tourism ministry urging recognition of Bali Yatra as a national maritime heritage festival.
