Santali Sahitya Sabha bats for Roman script, rejects Ol Chiki in Assam schools
The Ol Chiki script is quite new to the Santali students and the literate people of the community, the Sabha leaders pointed out.
A file image of school students in Assam
Bongaigaon, Aug 30: The Assam Santali Sahitya Sabha has opposed the introduction of Santali language textbooks published in the Ol Chiki script in schools of the State.
The Sabha leaders addressed a press meet at the Greater Bongaigaon Press Club on Thursday and spoke in favour of the Roman script which, according to them, has been in use in the State since 1948.
The Ol Chiki script is quite new to the Santali students and the literate people of the community, the Sabha leaders pointed out.
“The Ol Chiki script comprises fewer letters than the Roman script. Therefore, the Santali school students will definitely face problems in writing meaningful sentences if they have to use the Ol Chiki script,” said the Sabha’s general secretary, Jonathan Murmu.
The Sabha leaders had attended two meetings called by government representatives to discuss the script issue in 2023 and 2024, but the issue remained unresolved, Murmu said. As such, when Assam’s Education Minister Dr Ranoj Pegu released Santali textbooks in the Ol Chiki script for pre-primary and primary classes in Udalguri district on August 22 last, the Sabha leaders were shocked and could only infer that it was the manifestation of the government’s ‘secret plan’ to implement the Ol Chiki script in the State, Murmu told the media.
The Sabha leaders have decided to continue their campaign against the unilateral decision of the government to implement the Ol Chiki script over the Roman script in textbooks of the Santali language in the State.
The Sabha’s assistant general secretary, Simon Kisku, Santali Language Teachers’ Association president Sahajan Hasda, and All Santali Women Association president Renuka Kisku were also present at the press meet, among others.
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