Internet usage in India has seen leap growth over the past few years. An estimated 61% of Indians used the internet in 2021. Pandemic being the major push behind getting India online. But other than pandemic, one very important driver of the digital change is access to resources in regional languages.
Ever wondered what it takes to get a new language on the internet or on our keyboards? While it is comparatively easier to work with commonly used languages, there are at least 100 Indian languages that do not have a digital presence.
One such language is ‘Ho’, used by over one million people in parts of Odisha, West Bengal and Jharkhand. In her original article written for Scroll India, Karishma Mehrotra, takes us through the efforts of some young Indians trying to bring the Adivasi language to the digital age.
The efforts behind ‘Ho’ are a step towards providing equal opportunities for education and work for the marginalized population. A joined work force of Digital language researchers, language enthusiasts, historians, linguists, programmers, graphic designers and many more is needed to make the digital technology available to the users of regional languages.