President to felicitate 10 eminent Santhali scholars at Ol Chiki Centenary

Jamshedpur: The steel city has entered the final countdown mode as elaborate preparations are underway for the visit of President Droupadi Murmu on December 29 at Karandih. She is scheduled to attend the centenary celebrations of the Ol Chiki Lipi, the script that has shaped the Santhali language and identity for the past 100 years.

The President’s visit to Karandih is being hailed as a historic moment for the tribal community. According to the official itinerary, the President will spend one hour and ten minutes at the venue, marking a landmark recognition of the Ol Chiki script created by Pandit Raghunath Murmu in 1925.

To ensure flawless execution of the high-profile visit, the district administration has converted the Karandih area into a fortified security zone. East Singhbhum Deputy Commissioner Karn Satyarthi and Senior Superintendent of Police Piyush Pandey are personally supervising arrangements.

The general secretary, All India Santali Writers Association, Rabindra Nath Murmu, informed that several eminent dignitaries are expected to attend the ceremony, including the Governor of Jharkhand Santosh Gangwar, the Chief Minister of Jharkhand Hemant Soren

Senior officials confirmed that every minute of the President’s 70-minute schedule is being meticulously coordinated with Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The centenary celebrations are being organised jointly by the All India Santhali Writers Association and the Jaherthan Committee. During the programme, the President will honour 10 eminent Santhali litterateurs who have contributed to the preservation and propagation of the Ol Chiki script. Around 100 dignitaries are expected to be felicitated.

The celebrations are being viewed not merely as a formal function but as a tribute to a century-long journey of linguistic pride and cultural resilience. Adding to the cultural depth of the visit, the President is also expected to perform traditional rituals at the Karandih Jaherthan, a sacred grove of immense significance to the Santhal community.

In view of the VVIP movement, the administration has announced traffic diversions across key routes of the city. More than 1,000 police personnel, supported by magistrates, have been deployed to manage security and crowd control. The route from Sonari Airport to Karandih has been extensively beautified, with walls painted in vibrant tribal art and messages celebrating the legacy of the Ol Chiki script.