In a significant move to honour the cultural heritage of the Santali community, BJP MLAs Bhadav Hansdah and Jalen Naik have called for a state-level celebration of the Santali language’s centenary in the Odisha Assembly.
The Santali language, invented by Pandit Raghunath Murmu in 1925, will complete 100 years in 2025.
During the Assembly session on Thursday, Hansdah highlighted the historical importance of the Santali language, which was included in the eighth schedule of the Constitution in 2003 by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He urged the government to commemorate this milestone with state-level celebrations and to incorporate the teaching of Santali from primary schools to universities.
Echoing this sentiment, MLA Jalen Naik emphasized the need to celebrate the centenary on May 5, 2025. He also acknowledged the efforts of the current government, led by Chief Minister Mohan Majhi, to implement the Alichiki language at the primary school level. Naik recommended that the state assembly propose to the central government to honour Raghunath Murmu, the creator of the Alichiki script.
The call for celebrating the Santali language’s centenary reflects a broader recognition of its cultural and historical significance in the state of Odisha.
