President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the centenary celebrations of the Ol Chiki script in New Delhi on February 16, 2026. The event was organised by the Ministry of Culture to mark 100 years of the Ol Chiki script, created in 1925 for the Santhali language. The President highlighted the importance of preserving the Santhali language and promoting the Ol Chiki script among younger generations. She also released a commemorative coin and postage stamp to celebrate this historic milestone for the Santal community.
Ol Chiki Script Centenary Celebrations Inaugurated by President Droupadi Murmu
- Ol Chiki script centenary celebrations were formally inaugurated by President Droupadi Murmu in New Delhi.
- The programme, organised by the Ministry of Culture, marked 100 years since the creation of the Ol Chiki script in 1925.
- The President praised the Santal community for preserving its unique language, literature and culture.
- She said the Ol Chiki script is not just a writing system but a powerful symbol of identity and unity.
- The Ol Chiki script has helped protect the originality of the Santhali language and strengthen cultural pride among Santals in India and abroad.
History of Ol Chiki Script and Contribution of Pandit Raghunath Murmu
- Ol Chiki script was invented in 1925 by Pandit Raghunath Murmu to give the Santhali language its own script.
- Earlier, the Santhali language was written using Roman, Devanagari, Oriya and Bengali scripts, which could not correctly represent its pronunciation.
- Members of the Santal community living in Nepal, Bhutan and Mauritius used different scripts based on local practices.
- The invention of the Ol Chiki script provided a standard system for writing Santhali accurately.
- Over the last 100 years, the Ol Chiki script has become central to Santal cultural identity and language preservation.
President’s Call to Promote Santhali Language Through Ol Chiki Script
- Ol Chiki script promotion was strongly emphasised by President Droupadi Murmu during her address.
- She said children may study in Hindi, English, Oriya, Bengali, or other languages, but they should also learn their mother tongue, Santhali, in the Ol Chiki script.
- The President highlighted that language and literature act as threads that maintain unity in society.
- She encouraged writers to enrich Santhali literature and inspire social awareness through their works.
- She also suggested translating Santhali literature into other languages to increase its reach and promote cultural exchange.
Commemorative Coin and Stamp Released for 100 Years of Ol Chiki
- Ol Chiki script centenary celebrations included the release of a commemorative coin and a special postage stamp by President Droupadi Murmu.
- These symbolic gestures recognize the cultural importance of the Ol Chiki script and its contribution to the Santhali language.
- On the occasion, the President also felicitated 10 achievers from the Santal community for promoting the widespread use of the Ol Chiki script.
- Such recognition highlights the government’s commitment to preserving tribal languages and strengthening India’s linguistic diversity.
Ol Chiki Script and Santali Language
Ol Chiki Script
- Invented in 1925 by Pandit Raghunath Murmu, a writer and teacher from Mayurbhanj State (now Odisha, India).
- Also called Ol Cemet’, Ol Ciki, Ol, or Santali alphabet.
- Created to promote Santali culture and preserve the language.
- Structure: 30 letters, fully phonetic each letter represents a distinct sound in Santali.
- First publicized in 1939 at the Mayurbhanj State exhibition.
- Pandit Murmu authored over 150 works in Santali using Ol Chiki, including novels, poetry, dramas, grammars, and dictionaries.
Santali Language
- Belongs to the Munda branch of the Austroasiatic language family, an ancient language family across South and Southeast Asia.
- Spoken primarily in Jharkhand and West Bengal in India, and also in northwestern Bangladesh, eastern Nepal, and Bhutan.
- Constitutional Recognition: Included in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution (2003), with Ol Chiki as the official script.
Significance
- Ol Chiki is uniquely suited for Santali phonetics.
- Played a vital role in preserving and promoting Santali literature and culture.
- Provides cultural identity and constitutional recognition for Santali speakers.
Question
Q. Who invented the Ol Chiki script?
A) Birsa Munda
B) Raghunath Murmu
C) Jaipal Singh Munda
D) Rabindranath Tagore