Never forget mother tongue, says President Murmu at Ol Chiki centenary celebrations

President Droupadi Murmu on Monday urged people to never forget their mother tongues, emphasising their importance in preserving culture, identity, and heritage, and called for collective efforts toward the betterment of society.

Addressing the 22nd Santali ‘Parsi Maha’ (language day) and the centenary celebrations of the Ol Chiki script at Dishom Jaherthan courtyard in Karandih on the outskirts of Jamshedpur, the President began her speech by singing a prayer to ‘Jaher Aayo’ , the tribal mother deity, in Santali.

“There is no harm in learning every language, but never forget your own mother tongue. When you speak with your own people, always try to converse in your mother tongue,” she said, delivering her address in Santali. Murmu highlighted that mother tongues are carriers of culture, tradition, and community values, and help strengthen cognitive skills, intergenerational communication, and self-expression.

The Ol Chiki script , created by Pandit Raghunath Murmu in 1925 , gave the Santali language its own writing system for the first time, enabling the development of literature, education, and cultural expression. The centenary celebrations mark 100 years of the Ol Chiki movement , celebrating its role in preserving and promoting Santali language and heritage.

The President noted that Ol Chiki is now available on digital platforms and should be actively used to promote the language. She also appreciated Tata Steel for its contribution to the promotion of Ol Chiki and stressed that collective efforts are necessary for societal development.

Highlighting government initiatives, Murmu said the Centre has released Rs 24,000 crore for the development of particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs) , aimed at improving education, health, livelihoods, and overall welfare.

At the event, the President felicitated 12 distinguished Santali individuals for their contributions to Santali literature. The programme was attended by Jharkhand Governor Santosh Gangwar, Chief Minister Hemant Soren, and TMC MP from Jhargram and Padma Shri awardee Kalipada Soren. Murmu also paid tribute to Pandit Raghunath Murmu by garlanding his bust.

The President arrived in Jharkhand on Sunday night for a three-day visit . She will also attend the 15th convocation of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Jamshedpur and is scheduled to visit Gumla on Tuesday to address the ‘Antarrajyiy Jansanskritik Samagam Samaroh–Kartik Jatra’, an interstate folk cultural gathering.