Visitors prints preamble of the Indian Constitution at RBANM’s High Sschool in Bengaluru on August 14, 2025.
| Photo Credit: ALLEN EGENUSE J
On November 26, Constitution Day, the Alternative Law Forum (ALF) announced the launch of a video series of translations of the Preamble in 16 languages prevalent in Karnataka
Apart from Kannada, video translations have been done in Aravu, Are Bhashe, Byari, Dakhani, Gosangi, Irula, Kodava, Konkani, Koracha, Koraga, Lambani, Malaame, Navaayath, Sanketi, Tulu and Waghri.
Familiarising preamble
“The main objective is to increase the awareness about the Constitution, or about the preamble at least,” says Ashwini Bodh, lecturer, activist and researcher at ALF.
“The Kannada preamble that is available today is very Sanskritised. Many people find it difficult to understand. There are several communities in Karnataka speaking various different languages. If the preamble is available to them in their own languages, they will probably try to read and understand it, use it during their programmes, and so on,” she hopes.
A collective effort
The initiative is part of a larger effort by ALF to promote Constitutional literacy in the State, and the translation efforts have been going on for about a year now.
It started with attempts to bring out text versions of the Preamble in different languages of the state.
“Efforts for the videos picked up steam in the three months. It all worked out like a chain reaction. People we contacted for certain languages told us about more languages and put us on to others who could help us with those languages. It was a collective work,” says Ms. Bodh.
Help was sought from native speakers as well as experts. It took the combined effort of more than 45 people who helped with new language suggestions, contacts, translation and verification for accuracy.
Ongoing project
While the videos have so far been produced in 17 languages of the State, more suggestions have been coming in, says Ms. Bodh.
“It is an ongoing process, and we have been getting more suggestions. It is a big bucket list.”
Efforts are on to bring out videos in languages spoken by Halakki Vokkaliga, Jenu Kuruba and Yerava communities.
Ms. Bodh adds, “Languages and dialects spoken by alemari samudaya (nomadic tribes) has been challenging. They are scattered and literacy levels are very low. Therefore, translation becomes very challenging. But reaching them has been one of our main objectives and we are continuing our efforts.”
Published – November 26, 2025 04:52 pm IST
