The Bargarh unit of Kosal State Coordination Committee has presented a memorandum to the district collector demanding to stop playing the song Vande Utkal Janani which is considered as the state song of Odisha.
According to the memorandum, there is no state named Utkal neither carved nor recognized by the government of India. The present western Odisha is not related with anyway to any historical Utkala nor was it part of its territory in any timeline of history. Rather Utkala was the neighboring state of ancient Kosala which is presently the wester part of Odisha. Therefore, it is irrelevant to play Vande Utkala Janani in this region.
Further, a state cannot have its own state song according to the constitution. Hence, playing Vande Utkala Janani in any government or public function is unconstitutional. And it is defaming the history of the particular region.
