Santali Language

Inclusion of Santali language in VIIIth schedule of the Constitution of India – The Hype and The Reality
-Dr Santosh Besra

The inclusion of Santali language is merely a humble milestone in growth of the language, in my opinion. Salkhan Murmu is capitalizing on it but it is just a child’s toy and we are happy with it.

Pre-schedule status of Santali language in so far as recognition of language is concerned is as follows:

A. For use in Administration: 

1. The official recognition of Santali language started way back in late 19th century, took a peak after Simon Commission’s report was submitted. Consequently, Charan Murmu committee was constituted in 1944-45. The committee was to look into the scope of amendments in Santhal Parganas Regulation, 1872. It was mostly on revenue and land matters but the appeals and petitions were allowed in Santali language in the courts established under Santal Parganas Justice Regulation,1893 in Santal Parganas. These are courts of Deputy Commissioner, Sub-divisional Officer, Sub Deputy Collectors, etc.  That was the first step.

2. In the very next year, in 1946, judicial department of Government of Bihar ordered for any inquiry into the state of affairs in Santhal Parganas. In the report, W.G. Archer, who was Member Secretary of the committee submitted a report which was subsequently accepted, known as Santal Civil Rules.It was brought into force in 1946 as a Government order.  He wrote a book titled Civil Laws in Santals. It was pertaining to the justice administration in Santal Parganas but in it lies the allowance of petition, both verbal and written, in Santali language. The Santali language found the official place in judiciary. There were three duly registered translators in court constituted. This is the first step of Santali language being admitted in judiciary. WE ARE IGNORING IT.

3. The few executive orders by which the officials including the IAS officers posted had to pass a competence of Santali language.

B. In Education: 

4. The teaching of Santali language in the school level started in colonial period. The Bihar School Education Board used to take the examination till matric level from mid fifties last century.

5. In West Bengal in a place called Bhimpur, in Midnapore district, there was high school which started teaching Santali from 1925 up to the matric level. After Independence in 1948 when state education board was re-constituted, for the reason better known to then Government of West Bengal, the facility for conducting examination in Santali language in that school was withdrawn. We are not aware of it.

6. The commencement of teaching in Santali langauge in Vishwa Bharti in 1977, Bhagalpur University, then in Ranchi University in 1983, then, Sido-Kanhu University all are milestones of growth and recognition of Santali language.

C. Awards:

7. The awards conferred upon Santali writers from 1997 to Dr. Doman Sahu Sameer, significantly onwards to others.

D. State patronage in print media:

8. In the year 1955 the Government of West Bengal started publishing a periodical titled “Katha-Barta” in Santali which rechristened to “Pachhim Bangla” later on. 

9. From the year 1948 the Government of Bihar started publishing “Hor – Sombad” from B. Deoghar.

E. State Patronage in Radio Broadcast:

10. On 1st August in 1965 an inaugural programme in Santali was broadcast from Calcutta-B radio station. The inaugural broadcast was a speech of then Chief Minister of the state translated into Santali by Piyari Mohan Mukherjee.

11. From 15th August 1975, Calcutta-A Radio station started broadcasting in Santali language daily from 6:05 to 6:35 P.M.

12. In the month of November of the same year Hara Parasad Murmu was appointed as Newsreader in Santali for Calcutta-A Radio station.

13. From 1981 December, extra half-an-hour time was allotted for broadcasting Radio-drama in Santali language once in two week.

F. State Patronage in Television:

14. From 12 August, 1997 Doordarshan Calcutta started telecasting Santali programme, initially on twice a month subsequently the time was extended daily.

15. The left over jobs remain, constitution of a central body, like The Council for Promotion of Urdu language, which would – a. Regulate and help imparting training to the teachers from school to college level, b. Structure syllabii and recommend books for curriculum in state and central education boards, c. Monitor the teaching in Universities, d. Promote research in language and literature,

G.

16. The state Government of West Bengal recognized the language allegedly with Ol Chiki as its script in 1979. I am not sure of it. In the same year a Santali Academy was constituted. I don’t know what work it has done in three decades.

 

POST-SCHEDULE DEVELOPMENT:

17. I have heard that translation work of school curriculum is in progress by CIL, Mysore. In those translations a hell lot of errors have been noted.

18. UPSC has included Santali language as a subject.

19. The JPSC has also included the Santali language as a subject for examination.

20. In his memorandum submitted and course of action taken by Santali Bhasa Morcha led by him for inclusion of Santali language to highlight the international spread of language there is mention of Bangladesh, Nepal, Mauritius, Trinidad and Tobago vide the link:

http://www.allindiaaseca.org/bhasamorcha-memo.html

21. Follow up job: A FOLLOW-UP Bill should have been introduced to complete the process of inclusion of Santali language in the VIIIth schedule of Constitution of India for SETTING UP AN AUTONOMOUS COUNCIL FOR PROMOTION OF SANTLI LANGAUGE, LITERATURE AND CULTURE.

22. The Council so constituted by a statute of Parliament, not as Government of India as promoter of the Council registered under Societies Registration Act.

23. The mandate of Council should include:

I. For the purpose of education, – it should be mandated to -

a. Liaison with UGC, Central Institute of Indian Language to formulate syllabi for higher education in Universities.

b. Would have been mandated to oversee the language education at Higher secondary and Secondary Education Councils/ Boards and CBSE through Union Ministry of HRD and state Ministries of Education.

c. Should have been mandated for overseeing teachers’ training for schools, colleges and Universities. 

II. . For the purpose of research and Cultural relationship -

a. Mandated to work with Indian Council of Social Sciences Research for promotion of research on Language, literature and Culture.

b. Mandate for tie-up with Indian Council for Cultural Relation.

24. The Council set up through a follow-up legislation to 92nd amendment of the constitution of India could have strengthened the track-II diplomacy of people-to-people, read Santal to Santal, contact with neighbouring country. We have missed the opportunity for short-sightedness of the leaders of Santali Bhasa Morcha. We are missing to develop our trans-border relationship due to to such short-sightedness. 

 

In my opinion the hype of achievement that has been created for leadership to Santali language movement is for a work already done retrospectively and the inclusion in the schedule of the constitution is more of a posthumous work.