MP: Kerala-born linguist translates New Testament of Bible into Bhili

It took PT Thomas more than 15 years to translate the New Testament into Bhili dialect and now he is working on the Old Testament for the past five years.

Published on: Mar 13, 2016, 18:46:03 IST

Hindustan Times | By Ritesh Mishra, Jhabua

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It took PT Thomas more than 15 years to translate the New Testament into Bhili dialect and now he is working on the Old Testament for the past five years.

Bhili language is wrtitten using a variation of Devnagiri script. (HT photo)

Thomas, 65, a Kerala-born linguist living in Jhabua for the past 20 years, learnt the dialect from Bhil tribes people in the district.

“I will complete the translation in the next two years,” said Thomas, who is also working on two bilingual dictionaries–Bhili to Hindi and Bhili to English.

Thomas was pursuing post-graduate degree in phonetics and linguistics when the idea of translating the Bible came to him. He came to Jhabua more than 20 years back and stayed on to learn the dialect. To translate the Bible, he adopted the Bhil tribes people’s lifestyle.

“I talked to three generations of tribes people to learn the language and went around villages in Jhabua to enrich my vocabulary…and at times I stayed in villages for weeks to learn more about the dialect,” Thomas told Hindustan Times.

He further said that the aim for translating the Bible into Bhili is to encourage and enrich the dialect.

In 2012, more than 2,000 copies of the New Testament in Bhili were published and became talk of the town.

“Since Bhili has no script, I chose to translate the Bible in the Devnagari script. I only give the translated Bible to the people, who I know will read the book…,” said Thomas, who left his job with Food Cooperation of India in 1970 and decided to study linguistics.

Thomas’s wife, Emma Valsa, who has been with her husband since he came to Jhabua, said she too learnt the dialect from the tribes people. “Thomas and I still visit villages every time we come across a new word or a concept.”

The Bhili is western Indo-Aryan language spoken in west-central India. The language is written using a variation of Devnagari script.

B Damor, a tribal activist working in the region, said the translated Bible will help promote the dialect in the other parts of the country where the Bhil tribes people live.

“Since there is no dictionary of Bhil and proper literature, scriptures of other religions should also be translated in Bhil,” he said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ritesh Mishra
Ritesh Mishra is the State Correspondent for Chhattisgarh with Hindustan Times. He reports on Maoism, internal security, politics, mining, governance, and major developments shaping the state. Based in Raipur, he has covered Chhattisgarh since 2016, reporting extensively from the Bastar region and other conflict-affected areas. With nearly two decades of experience in journalism, Ritesh has built a reputation for ground reporting from some of India's most challenging terrains. His coverage spans Left-Wing Extremism, counter-insurgency operations, elections, tribal affairs, environmental issues, infrastructure, mining, and socio-economic developments. He has reported on major security operations, policy initiatives, wildlife crime, and the changing dynamics of conflict and development in Central India. Before moving to Chhattisgarh, Ritesh spent eight years reporting from Madhya Pradesh, covering politics, administration, crime, development, and social issues. Throughout his career, he has reported on various forms of extremism in Central India, combining field reporting with in-depth analysis to produce accurate, balanced, and impactful journalism. Prior to joining Hindustan Times, Ritesh worked with The Pioneer and The Free Press Journal, where he covered a wide range of beats and honed his skills in political, investigative, and field reporting. His reporting is marked by exclusive stories, extensive fieldwork, and a commitment to factual, on-the-ground journalism that brings complex issues to a wider audience.Read More

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