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Koya tribals celebrate Gondi Language Day

Koya tribals celebrate Gondi Language Day

The Hindu4 days ago
The Koya tribals celebrated Gondi Language Day, observed on July 21, in their habitations currently facing displacement due to the Polavaram irrigation project in Alluri Sitarama Raju district.
Near Chintoor, the Koya tribal writers under the banner of Koitur Bata, a non-governmental organisation, marked the occassion by reciting poems and emphasised the importance of conserving the Koya language.
Tribal writers Tellam Krishna and Ms. Bheemamma interacted with young Koya tribals and shared their journey in the field of literature.
In Yetapaka Mandal on the Andhra Pradesh-Telangana border, teachers and youth under the banner of Adivasi Samkshema Parishad (ASP), led by treasurer Ummala Durga Reddi demanded the government teach the Koya language in government primary schools.
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Moment of linguistic pride: Wedding invite in Koya
Moment of linguistic pride: Wedding invite in Koya

New Indian Express

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  • New Indian Express

Moment of linguistic pride: Wedding invite in Koya

KHAMMAM: For the first time, a wedding invitation in the Koya language has been printed and distributed. The development is being seen not just as a wedding announcement but as a milestone for Telangana's tribal communities that has given a spoken identity a written form. The invitation celebrates the upcoming marriage of Kanna Raju from Palvanch village and Pune Lakshmi Sharanya from Jagadish Colony in Bhadrachalam, scheduled for August 3. Unlike past tribal ceremonies where Telugu served as the medium for written communication, this card is in Koya, a language spoken by nearly 16 lakh people across nine districts in the state. The invitation contains traditional Koya terms for each element of the wedding, from pandir muhurtham (auspicious wedding eve) and pelli muhurtham (main wedding ceremony) to ma sonta nar (our own people), kabur (feast) and karanganur iyal (ceremony venue). Carefully composed and printed using the Telugu script, which has been adopted for writing Koya, the invitation carries the full imprint of local customs, making it not only functional but also symbolic. At the top, a line reads, 'Wedding invitation in Koya language'. This quiet affirmation signals the beginning of a new chapter for a language long confined to oral tradition. The card was formally released on Monday by Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) project officer B Rahul at the ITDA office in Bhadrachalam. The date coincides with Koya Language Day. 'This is a welcome moment,' said Rahul. 'The availability of a script for the tribal mother tongue deserves praise.' He hailed the effort that had gone into transforming the spoken Koya language into a written one, in the initiative led by ITDA Bhadrachalam. Until recently, the lack of a standard script had kept Koya largely oral, with Telugu filling the gap for written needs.

Koya tribals celebrate Gondi Language Day
Koya tribals celebrate Gondi Language Day

The Hindu

time4 days ago

  • The Hindu

Koya tribals celebrate Gondi Language Day

The Koya tribals celebrated Gondi Language Day, observed on July 21, in their habitations currently facing displacement due to the Polavaram irrigation project in Alluri Sitarama Raju district. Near Chintoor, the Koya tribal writers under the banner of Koitur Bata, a non-governmental organisation, marked the occassion by reciting poems and emphasised the importance of conserving the Koya language. Tribal writers Tellam Krishna and Ms. Bheemamma interacted with young Koya tribals and shared their journey in the field of literature. In Yetapaka Mandal on the Andhra Pradesh-Telangana border, teachers and youth under the banner of Adivasi Samkshema Parishad (ASP), led by treasurer Ummala Durga Reddi demanded the government teach the Koya language in government primary schools.

Andhra Pradesh set to depute native language speakers for Koya, Muria tribes along Sabari, Godavari rivers
Andhra Pradesh set to depute native language speakers for Koya, Muria tribes along Sabari, Godavari rivers

The Hindu

time5 days ago

  • The Hindu

Andhra Pradesh set to depute native language speakers for Koya, Muria tribes along Sabari, Godavari rivers

The Andhra Pradesh State Tribal Welfare Department has directed the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), Chintoor, to appoint native language speakers in the selected government primary schools for teaching in the Koya language in Alluri Sitarama Raju district. At least 15 native language speakers will be deputed in 12 government primary schools along the stretch of river Sabari and Godavari rivers. In V.R. Puram Mandal, where river Sabari flows, six primary schools will get seven native language speakers. Another seven will be deployed in Yetapaka Mandal, where Godavari flows. One native speaker will be sent to Vegithota primary school in Chintoor Mandal. The Muria tribals, who migrated from Chhattisgarh State, will also benefit from the initiative as they speak Koya language. Recruitment In a communication, dated July 18, 2025, to the respective Mandal Education Officers respective, Chintoor ITDA Project Officer has directed them to recruit the native language speakers for the period of ten months with effect from July 2025. The native language speaker should be a local of the Gram Panchayat and aged between 21 and 50. The 12 schools selected for the deployment of native language speaker are Buruguwada, Chokkanapalle, Gurrampeta, Jediguppa, Koppalle, Nehru colony, Buruguvai, Pandurangapuram, Pattucheera, Tuniki Cheruvu, Vinayakpuram and Vegithota.

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