New Delhi, Dec, 10: Dr. Sasmita Patra, BJD MP, has demanded in the Rajya Sabha the inclusion of five tribal languages — Ho, Mundari, Bhumij, Sora, and Kui — in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
On Wednesday, through a special mention, Dr. Patra raised the issue of granting constitutional recognition to these five tribal languages. She stated that tribal communities in Odisha, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana use these languages. The Odisha government has already recommended including these five tribal languages in the Indian Constitution.
The BJD has consistently been advocating for constitutional recognition of these languages. Dr. Patra emphasized that if the central government grants constitutional status to these tribal languages, it will fulfill regional aspirations and benefit millions of tribal people.