Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today paid humble tributes to Karmaveer Gourishankar Ray on his birth anniversary.
Remembering the legend, the Chief Minister expressed that Ray made immense contribution towards formation of separate Orissa state and worked relentlessly for the protection and preservation of the Odia language.
ସ୍ଵତନ୍ତ୍ର ଓଡ଼ିଶା ପ୍ରଦେଶ ଗଠନର ଅନ୍ୟତମ ପୁରୋଧା କର୍ମବୀର ଗୌରୀଶଙ୍କର ରାୟଙ୍କ ଜୟନ୍ତୀରେ ଶ୍ରଦ୍ଧାଞ୍ଜଳି। ଓଡ଼ିଆଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ଜାଗରଣ ସୃଷ୍ଟି କରିବା ପାଇଁ ‘ଉତ୍କଳ ଦୀପିକା’ ସମ୍ବାଦପତ୍ରର ପ୍ରତିଷ୍ଠା ସହ ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଭାଷା-ସାହିତ୍ୟର ସୁରକ୍ଷା ଦିଗରେ ତାଙ୍କ ଅବଦାନ ଚିରସ୍ମରଣୀୟ। pic.twitter.com/a0Q6rjy3Fl
— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) July 13, 2019
Born on July 13, 1838 in Cuttack, Ray was a prominent figure among-st the ‘Makers of Modern Orissa’ (Odisha) as well as the savior of Odia Language and Literature.
He was the father of the co-operative movements as well as printing & publishing crafts in Orissa (Odisha). He founded the Cuttack Printing Company and Edited Utkal Deepika, the first Oriya newspaper to be printed as a weekly in 1866.
Utkal Deepika owed its birth to the upsurge of nationalism playing a significant role in sociopolitical life of Orissa. He lived a life of honesty and sacrifice.