The Role of Odia Language and Cultural Heritage in Promoting Sustainable Development Governance in Odisha: A Study of Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Community Engagement

Arpit Suman Swain (), Mimansha Mishra () and Devanshi Kotak ()
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Arpit Suman Swain: Centurion University of Technology Management
Mimansha Mishra: Einstein Institute of Technology and Management
Devanshi Kotak: University of Leicester

A chapter in Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development, 2026, pp 37-46 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract The Odia language plays a vital role in promoting sustainable development governance by conserving indigenous knowledge systems, facilitating community engagement, and shaping inclusive policy frameworks (Mohanty, Encyclopedia of Language and Education. Springer, 2008; Pattanayak, Multilingualism in India. Multilingual Matters, 1990). This study investigates how Odia functions as a medium for the transmission of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), contributing to social cohesion, economic adaptability, and environmental stewardship in Odisha. Oral traditions—embodied in myths, sayings, and ritual practices serve as depositories of ecological knowledge that impact community-led water operation, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable agrarian practices (Agrawal, Dev Chang 26:413–439, 1995; Sahoo, Odisha J Soc Sci 12:44–56, 2016). Cultural expressions such as carnivals, folk art, and community performances uphold ecological ethics and support collaborative identity, thereby fostering participatory and popular governance at the grassroots level (Behera, Tribal Culture, Continuity, and Change: A Study of Odisha Tribes. Rawat Publications, 2012). Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of eco-linguistics and language ecology (Haugen, The Ecology of Language. Stanford University Press, 1972; Mühlhäusler, Language of Environment, Environment of Language: A Course in Eco-linguistics. Battlebridge, 2003), this paper underscores the significance of verbal addition in sustainability policymaking. The continued marginalization of Odia and other indigenous languages under the pressures of globalization and language shift poses a serious threat to these embedded knowledge systems (UNESCO, Language Vitality and Endangerment. UNESCO, 2003; Skutnabb-Kangas, Linguistic Genocide in Education – or Worldwide Diversity and Human Rights? Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2000). This paper advocates for programs that institutionalize indigenous knowledge through education reform, class integration, and linguistic justice. It emphasizes the need to save and promote Odia as an artistic and epistemological resource central to erecting flexible and inclusive models of sustainable development governance in Odisha.

Keywords: Odia language; Cultural heritage; Sustainable development governance; Indigenous knowledge; Community engagement; Odisha (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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DOI: 10.1007/978-981-95-4200-0_3

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