Project Ol chiki

Project Ol chiki is a two folded project—the first part of it is to create a freely-licensed font for the Ol Chiki script that is used to write the Santali language and the second one is to create input tools and Open Educational Resources for users. This page works as a landing page to find all the work outputs that were created under the ambit of this project. If you have anything particular to discuss please share in the discussion page or reach out over email.

InScript input method for Ol chiki.

Sarjom baha, a phonetic input method.

Background

The project was discussed when the Centre for Internet and Society's Access to Knowledge (CIS-A2K) program collaborated with the Kalinga Institute of Social Science (KISS). It later was made into part of the annual work plan of CIS-A2K during July 2015-June 2016.

Outcomes

Font files

• Download the "Guru Gomke" font family
• Other font-related files, font manual

Input tools for different operating systems

• Browser-based and offline (Linux, macOS, Windows)
• Installable and offline (Windows only)

Keyboard layouts

• Sarjom baha, a phonetic input method
• InScript2, a standard modified InScript input method

Key people involved

Name	Affiliation	Work done in this project
Pooja Saxena	Independent type designer	Typeface designing
Jnanaranjan Sahu	Developer	Input method development
Nasim Ali	Developer	input method development
Damayanti Beshra	Advisor, All India Santal Semled (AISS), Lecturer, MPC College, Baripada, Odisha, India	Reviewing typeface
Malati and Mangat Murmu	Founders, Fagun (Santali magazine)	Reviewing typeface
Kuanra Murmu	Santali language expert, involved with Santhali language resource portal wesanthals.tripod.com	Reviewing typeface
Raj Narayan Marndi	Designer of several early software in Santali including an ASCII-based font	Reviewing typeface
Subhashish Panigrahi	Programme Officer, CIS-A2K	Overall project coordination

• We thank Achyuta Samanta, Founder of Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) and KIIT University; Surja Mohanty, Chief Operating Officer, KISS; Partho Sarothy Sengupta, Professor, KIIT School of Management; and our former Programme Director T. Vishnu Vardhan for their support in various levels.

Publications

• Saxena, Pooja. Changing the typographic landscape of a country: one letter at a time. Storyweaver (December 14, 2016)
• Panigrahi, Subhashish, Murray, Padmini Ray. "Rising Voices: Rising Voices: Indigenous Language Digital Activism". Digital Activism in Asia Reader. ISBN(Print):978-3-95796-050-4, ISBN(PDF):978-3-95796-051-1, ISBN(EPUB):978-3-95796-052-8, DOI:10.14619/013
• Panigrahi, Subhashish. Community digest: Konkani language speakers are separated by scripts but unite by Wikipedia; news in brief. Wikimedia Blog (4 August 2016)
• Panigrahi, Subhashish. Open source effort gives indigenous language an official typeface. Opensource.com (8 Jul 2016)
• Pooja, Saxena. Panigrahi, Subhashish. Bringing Ol Chiki to the digital world. Typoday 2016 (25 February 2016)
• କମ୍ପ୍ୟୁଟର ଯୁଗରେ ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଭାଷା. Suryaprava (22 February 2016)

Shoutouts

• Riechers, Angela. Guru Gomke is a Stylish Ol Chiki Typeface for India’s Santali Speakers. EyeOnDesign (29 November 2016)

Presentations at conferences

Presentation by Pooja Saxena and Subhashish Panigrahi at Typoday 2016, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.

• Pooja Saxena and Subhashish Panigrahi presented a talk titled "Bringing Ol Chiki to the digital world" at the Typoday 2016. (Slides)
• Subhashish Panigrahi presented about the idea of developing language tools in his talk "Rising Voices Spotlight: Indigenous Language Digital Activism" at the Global Voices Citizen Media Summit 2015, Cebu City, Philippines. An annotated piece based on the talk edited by Padmini Ray Muray was published in the book "Digital Activism in Asia Reader". (Recorded video, Slides)