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Murmu hails Ol Chiki, urges youth to reconnect with roots
“We must link up with our roots. The script of any language is not just a means for writing, but it is the soul, the symbol of dignity and cultural identity of any society. Similarly, Ol Chiki is the soul, dignity, and cultural identity of the Santhali society. Pandit Raghunath Murmu’s vision has given the Santhal community and the Santhali language a distinct identity on the global platform. When Pandit Raghunath Murmu developed the Ol Chiki script in 1925, he had actually written the future of several centuries to come,” Murmu said, addressing the centenary celebration of the Ol Chiki script at the Karandih Dishom Jaherthan in Jamshedpur on Monday.
President Droupadi Murmu on Monday called upon the people, particularly the youth of India, to reconnect with their roots, saying that the script of any language is not just a set of alphabets for writing, but is the soul, the symbol of dignity, and the cultural identity of any society.
“We must link up with our roots. The script of any language is not just a means for writing, but it is the soul, the symbol of dignity and cultural identity of any society. Similarly, Ol Chiki is the soul, dignity, and cultural identity of the Santhali society. Pandit Raghunath Murmu’s vision has given the Santhal community and the Santhali language a distinct identity on the global platform. When Pandit Raghunath Murmu developed the Ol Chiki script in 1925, he had actually written the future of several centuries to come,” Murmu said, addressing the centenary celebration of the Ol Chiki script at the Karandih Dishom Jaherthan in Jamshedpur on Monday.
She said that imparting education in the mother tongue is the core of the new education policy and is the most effective way to hone the talents of children.
“It is because of the Ol Chiki script that Santhali is no longer limited to wall writing and paper writing and has now been integrated into computer and mobile keyboards. I urge the Santhal society not to be limited to using the Santhali language and Ol Chiki script only in conversation and writing, but to use them in modern science and technology too. I urge the youth to establish our cultural heritage strongly in the digital world. We should be proud that our script has evolved out of natural sounds, which shows the deep relationship between mankind and nature,” said Murmu, adding that the Santhali translation of the Indian Constitution was unveiled on the centenary of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
President Murmu also said that the Jharkhand Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar’s House would now have ‘Lokbhawan’ written in the Santhali Ol Chiki script as well. “I have requested Governor Gangwar for this,” she said. Lokbhawan presently has it written only in Hindi and English.
Murmu delivered her entire speech in Santhali and even sang a Santhali song, ‘Jaher Aao’, striking an emotional chord with the people instantly. Governor Gangwar said that the Ol Chiki script is the strong base of the state’s cultural identity.
“It is not just a means of writing but a symbol of the self-respect, pride, and traditions of the Santhali society. The journey that Guru Gomke Pandit Raghunath Murmu started a century ago has now reached a historic milestone. In an era when resources were limited, Guru Gomke showed his vision by discovering a scientific and organised script like Ol Chiki. It shows his scholarship, social consciousness, and undeterred commitment to society,” the Governor said.
“Any society is known by its language and culture. When a language is developed, ideas, literature, and culture are secured automatically. President Droupadi Murmu has made this centenary celebration a historic event by her participation, and it is an honour for the entire tribal community that the person in the topmost post of the country represents this great legacy,” he added.
Meanwhile, Jharkhand chief minister (CM) Hemant Soren said that a society which does not have its own language and script dies a premature death.
“Ol Chiki is the basis of dignity and cultural identity of the Santhali society. Any society without its own language and script is doomed to a premature death. Ol Chiki is not a group of alphabets but a symbol of the soul, consciousness, and self-esteem. The seed sown a hundred years ago has now grown into a strong tree with deep roots and multiple branches. The Santhali society has set an example by protecting, preserving, and developing its language and script when many languages are dying,” said Soren.
The CM pledged that his government would do everything to ensure rightful honour and a place for every regional and tribal language in the state and directed officials to use Ol Chiki in official communication more and more.
“Education in Santhali and the Ol Chiki script in schools will be further strengthened so that the new generations become capable of reading and writing in their own mother tongue. I urge officials to use Ol Chiki in official communications, public relations, and information sharing more and more. It will boost interaction and relations between people and the administration and government, especially in rural and tribal areas. The real identity of Jharkhand lies in its tribal culture and rich linguistic heritage. I must praise the efforts put in by the Tata Steel Foundation and many other organisations working to preserve and promote languages and cultures,” said Soren.
Earlier, the national award-winning piper band of the Patamda Kasturba Gandhi Memorial Girls Residential School played the national anthem to welcome the President on stage after a tribal group sang the Sendra (tribal hunting) song as her cavalcade of 45 cars reached the 22nd Parsi Maha and Ol Chiki centenary celebrations at Karandih Dishom Jaherthan.
