The review meeting in progress. Picture by Ashok Karan

Ranchi, Sept. 23: Close on the heels of a 100-minute abridged version of the Bible, released in Britain last week for time-starved people, tribals of Jharkhand, West Bengal and Orissa will soon get to read the book in their mother tongue.

According to sources in the Bible Society of India, the holy book would soon be available in five tribal dialects, such as Malto, Sadri and Kuvi.

The Mal Pahariyas speak Malto, more akin to the language spoken by the Kuruks residing in the south-western districts of the state, such as Gumla, Simdega and Ranchi.

Sadri is the lingua franca of the south Chhotanagpur region, which follows the Kaithi script, the original court language of the region, and the tribals in Sambalpur speak a local dialect called Kuvi.

However, the Bible in these languages will follow Devnagri script, because they do not have a developed script of their own.

An effort is underway to develop a separate script by the Kuruk and Oraon tribesmen called Tolongsiki. The only tribal script that has become popular is the Marangchipi script of the Santhal tribesmen. Incidentally, the Bible is already available in the Santhali language.

Stressing the need to get the holy book available to the tribals in their own mother tongue, Nirmal Minj of the GEL Church told The Telegraph this would be the first step to develop indigenous literature which the tribals can call their own.

Rev. Bimal Kujur, auxiliary secretary of the Bible Society of India, Ranchi, said the charm of the Bible, both in letter and spirit, would be preserved while translating it.

?Once we get the holy book translated into a languages, which the tribes speak at home, it would also help the development of the tribal languages,? Minj stressed.