GURU GOMKEY PANDIT RAGHUNATH MURMU
The birth of Pandit Raghunath Murmu, often attributed to incarnation of shining Sun of mother tongue (Parsi Sin Chando Bonga) as only son of village headman Nandalal Murmu, of Dahardi village, also known as Dandbos in Bamanghati subdivision of Mayurbhanj district. He was bornon full moon day of Baisakh. Marked with Guru Kunami which add miracle as a beaming light for Santal community that grappling in darkness of uncertainty about language and cultural identity under the influence of outsiders and due to lack of awareness as well as lack of education in mother tongue.
Raghunath Murmu, despite his reservations, continued his primary education in Haat Gamharia U.P. School, which is three kilometres from his village. His teacher was always chewing betel and spoke in a poor Odia accent. As his school environment hostile, he begged his father not to send him to school because the teacher did not teach in Santali. His father persuaded him to continue his studies only in Odia. Because there were no facilities or provisions for teaching in Santali's school. Since then, Raghunath Murmu has been thinking about how to create, learn and teach mother tongue “Santali”. He completed his ME and higher secondary education in Bahalda ME school and Baripada high school, respectively, after multiple failures.
In 1925, at the age of 20, he invented the "Ol Chiki" script for the Santali language while attending Baripada high school and lived in the Frazer hostel. After completing his schooling in 1928, he worked as an advocate's clerk at Rairangpur Court, then as a census clerk, then as an apprentice of a powerhouse in Baripada, then as a carpet maker in his village, where he rolled out very high-quality carpets, and finally as an instructor of the Industrial Institute in Baripada. However, due to a personnel issue, he was unable to continue. He stated his desire to leave his position, but the royal government did not want to lose such a skilled individual as Raghunath Murmu. As a result, he was appointed as a carpentry instructor at Badamtadia UP school, which is only 10 kilometres from his hometown of Dandbose. After that, Raghunath Murmu's aspirations and imaginations became a reality at Badamtadia UP school, thanks to mentor-cum distantly related uncle Sri Sauna Murmu, who was already a teacher, who gave him wholehearted support and collaboration. By founding the "Ol Samiti" organisation, he began to promote his invented Ol Chiki script among the population.
Samra Tudu (Bhutri village), Sunaram Soren (Hesla village), Sunder Mohan Hembram (Tarna Village), Sauna Murmu (Kandun Village), Badha Besra (Chunda Village), and Lakhan Majhi (Kaduani Village) became members of the "Ol Samittee" and began popularising the Ol Chiki script. The samittee then agreed to present a memorandum to the Maharaja requesting that Ol Chiki be recognised as a Santali language.
In the month of February 1939, Raghunath Murmu created a hand printing machine, which was shown at a Royal exhibition in Baripada and gained the attention of the than Maharaja of Mayurbhanj kingdom, Sir Pratap Chandra Bhanjdeo.
In order to communicate the message and system of communication to the ordinary people through the sign of writing, and to offer proof in support of his script if the King demanded it. In 1939, Raghunath wrote the play "Bidu-Chandan." This show became so famous that it spread like wildfire throughout Odisha, Bihar, and Bengal, creating a sensation and excitement among the public, leading to the conclusion that previously composed Santali songs can also be beautifully composed in genuine Santali language.
He invented the Ol Chiki script with the goal of providing education in Santal's native dialect and uniting Santals scattered over Bihar, Bengal, Odisha, and Assam. He is certain that the growth of the mother language will enable the preservation and promotion of culture and religion. He put in a lot of effort in the direction despite his professional obligations, but he ran into a lot of roadblocks, such as the CID filing a complaint against him for conducting meetings and gathering people in the name of displaying plays. However, with time, each hindrance on the route began to vanish on its own. Maharaja Pratap Chandra Bhanjdeo subsequently agreed to allow Olchiki-related activities to continue in the Kingdom without jeopardising Mayurbhanj's dignity.
In 1946, he was promoted from Badamtilia School to Rairangpur High School as Headmaster. He has done extensive research on the Santal community's religion and culture.
Raghunath Murmu, formerly known as Chunu, considers the mammoth challenge that lies ahead in completing the Olchiki mission. As a result, in February 1946, he took voluntary retirement. With the samitee, he began to strengthen Olchiki's efforts. At the Hatbaddra summit in 1946, the "Ol samitee" was renamed the "Adivasi cultural association."
MISSION OLCHIKI:
Raghunath Murmu set up a school in his village after retirement and began teaching "Olchiki" for three years straight. He then began travelling and promoting olchiki in Jamshedpur. He'd written numerous books over the course of a few years and was desperate to get them published. He was unable to produce any of his works due to a lack of a printing press. As a result, he appealed to Tata Company employees for financial assistance in purchasing a printing press. In Jamshedpur, he founded a group called "Kherwar Jarpa Samitee."
Finally, Mr Muniram Baskey and Sundar Mohan Hembram travelled to Culcutta to have the Olchiki Font moulded by the Swadeshi Foundry. From Culcutta, printing machines and types were delivered, and the "Chandan Press" was established in Karandi, Jamshedpur. Raghunath Murmu's first work, "Nel jong lagid ol," was published. Chandan Press has also begun publishing a monthly literary journal called "Sagen sakam." A primer book titled "Ol Chemed" was also printed in the press. The year 1946 is unmistakably associated with the printing industry in Olchiki.
Raghunath Murmu wanted to discover how the people of Odisha, West Bengal, and Bihar felt about the newly developed script. He visited a number of locations in Bihar and Bengal, seeking collaboration and assistance. People from all over the state came out to support Raghunath wholeheartedly after hearing him speak.
Raghunath felt the need to register an "Adivasi Cultural Association" when he returned to his hometown. As a result, the committee changed the by-laws and renamed the organisation "Adivasi Socio-Cultural and Educational Association," and the organisation was officially registered on June 1, 1964. Pir Pargana, Desh Pargana, and Ghat Pargana were elected by the association to ensure that societal norms and evidence were followed. As Parganas became a part of the organisation, its social and cultural value system was periodically revitalised by ASECA. Olchiki books were in high demand as the relationship grew stronger. To satisfy the demand, a new printing press called "Semled Press" was purchased.
Raghunath Murmu founded Olchiki School in 1965 to educate 50 students of all ages. As a result, the number of students interested in learning Olchiki grew year after year, and schools were formed in various regions of Mayurbhanj. Olchiki became popular in every household in Mayurbhanj as a result.
The branches of ASECA had been established in the state of Bihar and West Bengal and Social, cultural and educational activities through Olchiki was carried out.
His Contribution to Santali language and literature:
Raghunath Murmu was well aware that generating literature in a community's own language might help to protect and develop that language. Poems, short stories, dramas, grammar, and religious hymens were among his works. He spent his life working to improve the Santali language and literature. The following is a list of his published works.
1. Hor Sereng - poetry (1936) in Bengali script and further published in Ol Ciki – 1993
2. Bidu Chandan – Play (1942) in oriya, in Bengali – 1948, in Ol Chiki – 1987
3. Nel Jong Lagid Ol – 1946
4. Adivasi rag Andor – 1947
5. Kherwar Bir play written in 1952 (Bengali Script) and published in Ol Chiki – 1990
6. Dare Ge Dhon play written in 1950 and published in Ol Chiki -- 1985
7. Ol Chemed – 1946
8. Hital – 1893 religious’ hymens
9. Elkha – 1966 arithmetic
10. Ronol – 1976 grammer
11. Parsi Poha –
12. Parsi Opad – 1992
13. Sido-Kanhu Santal Hul – 1997 (Historical play)
14. Lacture sereng – poetry
15. Parsi Dare –
16. Parsi Gajar –
Awards Conferred
1. Mayurbhanj Adibasi Mahasabha crowned him with title of “Guru Gomke”
2. Mr. M.D. Julius Tigga, Education Minister of Bihar called him a great inventor and Dramatist
3. Dhumkuria, Ranchi conferred D.Lit in 1951
4. Jaypal Singh Munda called him “Pandit and great humanist”
5. Charulal Mukharjee, great anthropologist called him “Priest of Tribes”
6. Late Ranjeet Singh Bariah, Ex-minister of Odisha called Raghunath Murmu as a “Great Orator with Charming Voice”
7. Prof. Martin Oran of California University described him in his book “Santal, A Tribe in Search of Great Tradition”, as “Spiritual Guru”.
8. Adibasi Society revered him as “Parsi Sin Chando”
9. Odisha Sahitya Akdemy awarded him in 1978 with the title of “Founder of Language and Inventor of Ol Chiki”
After completing mission of spreading Ol Chiki successfully, Pandit Raghunath Murmu died on 01.02.1982.
