President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday released the Constitution of India in the Santhali language at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, marking a significant step towards linguistic inclusion for one of the country’s oldest living tribal languages.
The Santhali version of the Constitution has been published in the Ol Chiki script, enabling speakers of the language to read and understand the founding document in their own mother tongue. Santhali was included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution through the 92nd Amendment Act, 2003.
Santhali is spoken by a substantial tribal population across Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal and Bihar, and holds a distinctive place in India’s linguistic and cultural heritage.
Also read: G RAM G Bill gets President Droupadi Murmu's assent
Addressing the gathering, the President described the occasion as a moment of collective pride for the Santhali community. “It is a matter of pride and joy for all the Santhali people that the Constitution of India is now available in the Santhali language, written in the Ol Chiki script,” Murmu said.
She said the initiative would empower Santhali speakers by allowing them to engage directly with the Constitution in their own language. “It will make them able to read and understand the Constitution in their own language,” she added.
Murmu also commended Union Minister for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal and his team for preparing the Santhali version of the Constitution in its centenary year.
Vice President C P Radhakrishnan, Meghwal and other dignitaries were present at the function.
Follow us
