Sambalpur: Demand for Extension of ‘Nuakhai’ Holiday Gains Momentum, Memorandums Flood Chief Minister’s Office
Sambalpur: On the one hand, the Nuakhai festival, a major event in Western Odisha, is missing from the official government calendar. On the other hand, there has been a significant increase in demand to extend the holiday to two or three days. Today, numerous Sambalpur organizations sent memorandums to the Chief Minister via the RDC (Revenue Divisional Commissioner), urging him to extend the Nuakhai holiday.
In a significant move, the social and cultural organization ‘Prayas Parivar’ met with the RDC’s secretary to present a demand letter to the Chief Minister. They have strongly urged the government to declare a three-day holiday for Nuakhai. Swayamjit Pattnayak, Rajkumar Jal, Arpan Kumar Nayak, and Mohammed Parvez Khan led the delegation and delivered the memorandum, along with several other members.
Similarly, another organization, ‘Juhar Parivar, Sambalpur,’ requested a two-day holiday for Nuakhai via the RDC. The letter was submitted by prominent members such as Biplab Dansana, Utsarg’s Sanjay Shadangi, UPMS’s Shambhu Barelia, Sambal’s Ramdas Panda, Subrat Panda, and Naresh Seth, who were led by coordinator Prafulla Kumar Dash.
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Growing Dissent Over Nuakhai’s Exclusion from Holiday List
Notably, despite being a major festival in the region, Nuakhai is not listed as a holiday on the state government’s official calendar. This exclusion has caused widespread discontent among the people of Western Odisha. Several public representatives have also expressed their concerns about this issue.
Political support: Congress MLA Sagar Das, along with BJD MLAs Kalikesh Singhdeo and Manorama Mohanty, have made similar demands to the Chief Minister. Former Minister and BJD Sambalpur District President Rohit Pujari has also written to the Chief Minister, asking for a two-day holiday for Nuakhai.
Previous Protests and Ongoing Struggles
Last year, during a massive rally organized by the Kosal Sena, various pro-statehood organizations from various districts of Western Odisha, including Paschim Odisha Yuva Morcha, Kosal Mukti Morcha, Kosal Kranti Sena, and Kosal Samaj, as well as over a hundred Maheshwari Sena members, stormed into the RDC office, demanding a three-day holiday for Nuakhai. The situation worsened to the point where the RDC, feeling trapped in his chamber, was forced to emerge and accept the memorandum after a three-and-a-half-hour protest.
Why demand is important: The main argument is that many people from Western Odisha who work throughout the state and country return home the day before Nuakhai arrives. Because of the long distances, they struggle to return to work the day after the festival. A two-day official holiday would benefit the public greatly, allowing them to celebrate Nuakhai with their families and return to work without rushing.
