Golden era of Santhal tribe in India now, say community leaders

The Santhal community is in the spotlight after the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) nominated one of its leaders, Droupadi Murmu, for the election to the highest Constitutional post of India.

Santhal community

• Santhal is the third largest Scheduled Tribe community in the country after Gond and Bhil.
• The Santhal population is mostly distributed in Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
• Mayurbhanj, has one of the largest concentrations of the tribe. In Odisha, Santhals are found in Keonjhar and Balasore, other than in Mayurbhanj district.
• The word Santhal is derived from two words: santha meaning calm and peaceful and ala meaning man.
• In the past, the Santhals had led a nomadic life. Gradually, they came to settle down on the Chota Nagpur plateau.
• Towards the end of the 18th century, they migrated to the Santhal Parganas of Bihar and then they came to Odisha.
• Community leaders say it is a golden era now for Santhals in the country.
• Ms. Murmu will be the first tribal woman President of India.
• Their literacy rate is very high compared with that of other tribes in Odisha.
• Santhals speak Santhali which has its own script called Ol Chiki invented by Pandit Raghunath Murmu.
• Santhali in the Ol Chiki script has been included in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution. Ol-Chiki is the medium of instruction in many schools across the State.

Prelims Takeaway

• Santhal and other tribal groups
• Eighth Schedule