OL CHIKI SCRIPT: SANTHALI LINGUISTIC DIGNITY

For centuries, knowledge and cultural memory were transmitted through speech rather than writing.

- TDG NETWORK

The President was happy to note that many writers are enriching Santhali literature through their works. She advised them to awaken people through their writings.

Rooted in rich traditions of folklore, songs, rituals, and storytelling, the Santhali language sustained its continuity through a vibrant oral heritage that preserved identity across generations.

The Ol Chiki is the official script of the Santhali language, one of India's prominent tribal languages spoken widely across Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Assam, and Bihar. Belonging to the Austroasiatic language family, Santhali has historically thrived through these oral traditions. However, while this strength ensured cultural continuity, the absence of a standardised script posed significant challenges for documentation, formal education, and literary development.

Marking the start of the Ol Chiki script centenary celebrations, the inaugural event brings together key dignitaries and commemorative initiatives to honour its legacy.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Prior to the 20th century, Santhali was transcribed using various borrowed scripts, including Roman, Bengali, Odia, and Devanagari. These scripts facilitated limited written expression, and hence, were not specifically designed to accurately represent the distinctive phonetic features of Santhali. The language includes unique sounds, such as glottal stops and specific vowel patterns, which have been difficult to accurately represent using external writing systems. Consequently, this often led to distortions in pronunciation and meaning, thereby creating obstacles in educational contexts and hampering systematic linguistic development preservation.

At the heart of the Ol Chiki movement stands the visionary who transformed Santhali from an oral tradition into a written legacy.

PANDIT RAGHUNATH MURMU: ARCHITECT OF OL CHIKI