Tribal language preservation project gets positive response

The tribal language preservation project, launched by Tata Steel's Tribal Cultural Society four years ago, has not only received overwhelming response, but produced over 1000 tribal teachers in Jharkhand.
"We have started the project to preserve Santali script 'Ol-chiki' and Ho script 'Warang Chiti' with nine and six centres respectively in tribal-populated Kolhan region comprising East and West Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharswan districts four years ago on experimental basis," said Biren Bhuta, Chief of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Tata Steel.
On getting positive response from the tribals, the number of centres for each language has increased to 150 in the current fiscal.

The project is being run in coordination with some tribal organisations such as 'Ete Pitka Turtung Akhara', Jhinkpani (West Singhbhum) and 'Adivasi Ho Mahasabha,' he said.
The project has so far produced over 1,000 teachers who are ready to impart education in tribal languages in a state starved of quality tribal teachers.
Bhuta said the centres had also generated employment opportunity for the tribals as the Society itself had appointed one teacher and one assistant teacher for each centre.

The Society renovated the ancient house of Loko Bodra, founder of Ho script 'Warang Chiti' and converted it as a museum two years ago, while it has a plan to preserve the burial place of Pt Raghunath Murmu, founder 'Ol-chiki' script at Danbosi village in Mayurbhanj district of Odisha.

The construction work is going on and it is expected to be completed by March next, Bhuta said.
The Society has also taken initiative to revive the traditional tribal sports such as Sekkor, Kati, Bahu-chor and Chhur.
It is all set to launch a centre at Jajpur in Odisha soon following a request from a tribal group of the state, he said.