Use Of Santali Language Has Increased: President Murmu

BHUBANESWAR, (IANS) – President Droupadi Murmu on November 20 said that the use of the Santali language in government and non-government sectors has increased after it was added to the Constitution as an official language in 2003.

She also remembered former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, during whose tenure Santali language was included in the Eighth Schedule.

President Murmu appreciated the role played by the All-India Santali Writers’ Association in promoting the language since it came into being in 1988.

Remembering the pioneering work of Pandit Raghunath Murmu, the President said that most of the Santali literature was available in the oral tradition till the invention of the Ol Chiki script by Raghunath Murmu. She noted that he not only invented the script but also enriched the language by composing plays like ‘Bidu Chandan’, ‘Kherwal Bir’, ‘Darege Dhan’, and ‘Sido- Kanhu – Santhal Hool’.

She said that it is a matter of pride that Damayanti Besra and Kali Pada Saren – popularly known as Kherwal Saren – have been honored with Padma Shri in 2020 and 2022 respectively for education and literature.

President Murmu further urged the writers to write about the lifestyles of tribal communities so that other people could know about the life values of tribal society.