SHUBHANGI SHIFA
Ranchi, June 30: The Department of Tribal and Regional Languages at the Ranchi University seems to be facing the issue of a lack of teachers that can read the script of regional dialects. This issue was revealed recently when a PhD student submitted her dissertation in the Vaharang script of the Ho. This has also pointed out the limited number of educators for the regional dialects that are still being developed.
Explaining in this regard, coordinator Prof Hari Oraon of the TRL department said, “Of the nine regional dialects, only three have their own scripts. One is for Ho, named Vaharang; the other is Santhali, the script for which is known as Olchiki, and the third is Kurukh, with its script known as Tulungsiki.
“Teachers knowing these scripts are in very limited numbers. The researchers in the field expect that the future may reveal others who will be able to properly read the scripts, as they are still developing,” Prof Oraon added.
Notably, Shakuntala Haiburu, a student in the PG 4th semester, had submitted her dissertation in her own script. However, the faculty of the department and the acting HOD said that the examiner or expert evaluating the dissertation does not know how to read the script.
When questioned regarding the number of teachers able to read such scripts and if there were indeed enough teachers for the department, Prof Oraon said, “Such teachers are with the Ranchi University on a contract basis. We have even given applications to JPSC for hiring teachers. However, if the student did submit a paper in Vaharang script, and an external had to go through it, it is the responsibility of the respective department to arrange for an expert who may read it.”
When asked if other guest teachers may be available to read the dissertation in Vaharang itself, the prof answered in the affirmative, however, mentioned that such educators may well be limited in number.
As per reports, Haiburu had submitted her dissertation in Vaharang. The department had, on the other hand, asked the student to submit the report in the Devanagari script.
Haiburu, as a result, wrote to the newly appointed VC A K Sinha, Governor Ramesh Bais and Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
Meanwhile, as per Dr Mary S Soreng, Acting HOD, Ho department claims that the Dean Prof. T N Sahu and co-ordinator Dr Hari Oraon were informed about the whole matter. Dean had notably asked to submit the dissertation in the Devanagari language. Dean Sahu said, “A dissertation written in the Ho language’s own script is accepted. However, the expert did not know it, so it has been sought in Devanagari.”
On the other hand, with regard to the hiring of teachers in the Mundari language, Dr Oraon said, “The JPSC has only taken out the results for the exam. The list of the students that have cleared the exam will be sent to the university, then the syndicate will meet over this and decide on the hiring of said teachers. After a decision is made, teachers will be hired for the department.”
