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Jharkhand professor gets Padma Shri for preservation of tribal language Ho
Professor Janum Singh Soy said lots need to be done on the part of the government as well as society to preserve the regional languages of different tribal groups
In a mark of appreciation for his work towards preserving and promoting his mother tongue, Ho language, the Union government on Wednesday conferred Professor Janum Singh Soy, the retired head of the Hindi department at Kolhan University, Chaibasa, Jharkhand, with the prestigious Padma Shri award.
Speaking on phone from his residence at Ghatshila in East Singhbhum district, the 72-year-old professor expressed hope that the award would bring back focus on preservation of the tribal Ho language.
Ho language is spoken among the Ho tribe, which largely inhabits in the Singhbhum area of Jharkhand which is also known as Kolhan.
“I got a sense that something was happening related to my work, because some departmental inquiry was being done in the past few weeks. But I did not expect this. It’s an honour and I thank all officials concerned, both at Centre and state, and the jury members for this award,” said Soy.
Soy, who retired from the university in 2012, said, though he was a student and later a teacher of Hindi, he picked interest in the mother tongue of his tribe when he was doing his doctorate.
“My topic of research was ‘Ho Lokgeet Ka Sahityik Aur Sanskritik Adhyayan’. I got drawn to the language beyond my work and later started writing in the language regularly. Gradually I wrote in both verse and prose, and in the process authored a few books besides editing a novel in the language that is named Adhunik Ho Sishta Kavya,” he added.
Speaking on the status of the language, Soy said lots need to be done on part of the government as well as society to preserve the regional languages of different tribal groups.
“The tribal language research department in Kolhan University does not have a full time head of department of Ho language. We have one professor while the rest are on contract. All such vacancies should be filled. There should be regular language teachers in schools as well,” said Soy.
The Padma Shri awardee also suggested the youth of his tribe to write regularly in their mother tongue. “Learn Hindi, English or any other popular language, but do write regularly in Ho, be it verse or prose. But writing regularly would be the best way in preserving our ancient language,” he added.
