Bhubaneswar: A Santali expert committee has urged the state govt to accord minority language status to Santali and introduce it as a subject in schools under the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020.A delegation, including Padma Shri author Damayanti Besra, Central Sahitya Akademi coordinator Chaitanya Majhi, former Baisinga MLA Kandra Soren, former IAS officer Dhananjay Hembram and former IRS officer Udayanath Majhi, met chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday and submitted a memorandum outlining measures for promotion and preservation of the language.Majhi told the delegation that the state govt was committed to the preservation of tribal languages and literature. “The govt will take appropriate measures based on the recommendations of the expert committee and for the overall development of the Santali community,” Majhi said. He added the fact that the country’s highest constitutional office was occupied by President Droupadi Murmu was a matter of pride for the Santali community and the nation. This had also enhanced the visibility of the Santali language, culture and tribal identity, he said.The delegation sought the introduction of Santali as a Modern Indian Language and an elective subject from classes I to the higher secondary level under the three-language formula of NEP-2020. It also sought the recruitment of Santali teachers and dedicated BEd seats at teachers’ education colleges in Baripada, Balasore and Anandapur.
