PRESIDENT RELEASES CONSTITUTION IN SANTHALI LANGUAGE
Why In News :
- Droupadi Murmu released the Constitution of India in the Santhali language.
- The event was held on December 25, 2025, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi.
- The Constitution has been published in Santhali language using the Ol Chiki script.
KEY STATEMENTS BY THE PRESIDENT
- The President said this is a moment of pride and happiness for the Santhali-speaking people.
- She said the translated Constitution will help people read and understand the Constitution in their own language.
- This step will strengthen inclusion, awareness, and constitutional values among tribal communities.
ROLE OF UNION GOVT.
- The President appreciated Arjun Ram Meghwal, Union Minister of Law and Justice.
- She also praised his team for publishing the Constitution in Ol Chiki script.
- The release was done during the centenary year related celebrations of the Constitution.
ABOUT SANTHALI LANGUAGE
1. Constitutional Status
- Santhali was included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
- This was done through the 92nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003.
2. Geographical Spread
- Santhali is spoken mainly in Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, and Bihar.
- It is also spoken in Nepal and Bangladesh.
- In India, around 7 million people speak Santhali.
3. Community Association
- The language is primarily used by the Santhal tribal community.
- It plays an important role in preserving tribal culture, traditions, and identity.
4. Language Family
- Santhali belongs to the Munda branch of the Austroasiatic language family.
- This language family is very ancient and spread across South and Southeast Asia.
- Santhali is different from the Indo-European languages spoken in most parts of India.
- It is closely related to Ho, Mundari, and Korku
5. Linguistic Features
- Santhali is an agglutinative language, where words are formed by joining smaller units.
- It also uses tones, which affect meaning.
- The language has a rich oral tradition, including folk songs, stories, and rituals.
6. Ol Chiki Script
- Santhali is written in the Ol Chiki script.
- The script was developed in 1925 by Raghunath Murmu, a Santhali scholar and writer.
- Ol Chiki is unique and specially designed to suit the sounds and structure of Santhali.
SIGNIFICANCE (WHY THIS MATTERS?)
- Promotes linguistic diversity and inclusion.
- Helps tribal communities connect better with constitutional rights and duties.
- Strengthens the idea of constitutional democracy at the grassroots level.
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