BHUBANESWAR: The Academy of Tribal Languages and Culture (ATLC) of ST & SC Development department will soon have a state-of-art complex for furthering research on tribal language and literature, art, craft and culture. Besides, it will come up with comprehensive dictionaries for all the 21 tribal languages of the state.
The decisions were taken at the 44th governing body meeting of the ATLC, held in the presence of ST & SC Development Minister Jagannath Saraka and Commission-cum-Secretary Roopa Roshan Sahoo, on Monday.
In a bid to strengthen the ATLC, the department has decided to initiate a project called ‘Reimagining ATLC’ under which, the art complex would come up in Bhubaneswar for carrying out research on tribal heritage, art, language and culture.
It was decided that the state government will be requested to allot 5 acre of land for the complex in the capital city. This complex will also have a digital repository of tribal folk media including folk dances, songs, and stories, besides tribal history and culture. Existing publications of ATLC will also be digitised here.
Similarly, the department has decided to come out with comprehensive dictionaries for all the 21 tribal languages being used in the state. While work on creating a dictionary for the Santali language is currently underway, that for the 20 other languages would start soon. This apart, comparative dictionaries on tribal languages and dialects would be created.
For making tribal students aware of their own culture and literature, the department has proposed to set up small ‘living museums’ in 100 tribal high schools in the first phase where information on performing arts, cultural roots, and crafts will be provided to the children.
The department will submit a proposal to the state government in this regard. Official sources said the ATLC as a publishing house will especially focus on promoting literature by tribals and tribal life.
The meeting discussed the approval of the budget for the financial year 2023-24 including restructuring of the academy. Among others, SCSTRTI director Indramani Tripathi and National Commission for Scheduled Tribes director Jayant Janardan Sharad attended.
WHAT’S IN OFFING
Language labs in all blocks
Living museums in schools
Dictionaries of tribal languages
Digital repository on tribal culture