Country's first national daily newspaper in Santhali language would hit the stand on December 22.
Surya Singh Besra who will be the chief editor of the proposed six-page daily told newsmen here today that process for completing the formalities was underway and the daily was targeted to be launched on December 22 to mark the Santhali Language day as on that day Santhali was recognised under the Eight schedule of the constitution in 2003.
At present, no national daily newspaper in Santhali languages was being published in the country, Besra who is the president of Jharkhand People's Party claimed adding a membership drive in this regard was launched here yesterday.
Initially, we will target readers in tribal-dominated states of Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal and expand it phase-wise, he said.
As the Santhali language was not as much popular in Jharkhand as it was in Odisha and Jharkhand, the Jharkhand edition would be in Devanagari script, while it would be in Ol-chiki (Santali script) for Odisha and West Bengal, Besra said.
Besra claimed that the Santhali language was spoken by over one crore people in the country.
The sole motive of the proposed daily newspaper was to promote Santhali language as well as to aware innocent tribals about the fast changing world scenario.
