Utkal Sammilani
Indian social and cultural organization
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Utkala Sammilani (Odia: ଉତ୍କଳ ସମ୍ମିଳନୀ) The Utkala Sabha Sammilani was a welfare organization formed on August 16, 1882, in Cuttack, Odisha primarily meant for the unification of Odia (Oriya)-speaking tracts and promotion of elected local self- Government. It is an Indian social and cultural organization. It was founded in Cuttack, Odisha by Madhusudan Das and continues in present times.[citation needed]
History
Utkal Sammilani was founded by Madhusudan Das.[1] Its first meeting was held in Rambha in 1903 and included 62 "permanent members".[2] The organization's first objective was to campaign for the unification of the state of Odisha, known as the Oriya Movement.[3][4]
A conference was held in 1920 in Chakradharpur and the organization decided to join the non-cooperation movement that had recently been endorsed by the Indian National Congress.[5] It elected a new president, Basanta Kumar Panigrahi, in 2002.[6]
Utkal Sammilani was a key player in the transformation of the state of Orissa to its modern-day status as Odisha and it opposed Andhra Pradesh's Polavaram project in 2010.[7]