By IANS
Ranchi : The Jharkhand government will soon open a tribal university in the state to promote tribal languages.
Jharkhand Human Resources Development (HRD) minister Bandhu Tirkey said," The ministry has prepared the proposal and draft for opening up of the tribal university in the state. The draft will be placed soon in cabinet meeting to get the approval".
"After the state cabinet clears the proposal it will be sent to central government for final approval. There should be one tribal university in the state to promote the tribal languages of the state," said Tirkey.
The minister pointed out that a tribal university has been opened in Madhaya Pradesh and the Jharkhand government had sought the draft of that university.
Tribal inhabitants constitute 27 per cent of the total 27 million population of Jharkhand. There are 9 tribal languages and dialects of the state. They are Santhali, Oraon, Kharia, Ho, Mundari, Kurukh, Panchapargania, Nagpuri and Kurmali.
The state government has already issued a directive to its employees to learn one of the languages within 18 months. It has also decided to introduce tribal languages in the primary schools from the next academic year.
Tribal scholars are happy with the state government's move to promote tribal languages. "It is indeed a matter of pride that the state government is planning to promote tribal languages which has been neglected for centuries. If tribal languages will not be promoted then it will become extinct," said Dukha Oraon, a schoolteacher.