Language as a Resource in India’s Decolonized Cultural Curriculum: A Case Study of the Santali Language

Language is the repository of community knowledge systems and the most prevalent medium through which data is transmitted over generations, both in oral and scripted form. In this study, we have tried to examine Santali as a language of the ‘indigenous’ in India that has a rich tradition of oral narratives and a unique script. If decolonization of the cultural curriculum can be construed as an effort towards pioneering new dimensions aimed at both preserving and enhancing the rich lineage of an ancient language, carving a niche of exclusivity away from the stereotypes of western discoveries, Santali and the ol-chiki script can be considered as the benchmarks of success. The growing popularity of the language in the regular curriculum of schools and higher education institutions alike provides enough justification for appreciating it as a resource base.