Language is not just a means of communication—it is the heartbeat of a community’s identity. For the Kandha (Khond) tribal community in Odisha, Kui is that lifeline. Spoken by nearly 1 million people—precisely 941,488, as recorded in the 1991 Census—Kui is a South-Central Dravidian language that carries the oral traditions, wisdom, and lived experiences of one of Odisha’s largest tribal populations.

Predominantly spoken in Odisha’s Kandhamal district, where Kandhas form more than half the population, Kui has also found speakers in parts of Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Despite its regional spread and cultural richness, Kui today stands at a crucial crossroads. According to UNESCO, the language is classified as “potentially vulnerable,” meaning it is at risk unless efforts are made to preserve and promote it—especially among the younger generation.

A Cultural and Linguistic Heritage

The Kandhas, recognized as a Scheduled Tribe, have preserved the Kui language for centuries through oral transmission. Their folklore, songs, rituals, and traditional knowledge systems are all embedded in this language. With no original script for centuries, Kui survived through speech—passed down in households, forests, and village gatherings.

Unlike dominant languages with well-established scripts and state support, Kui’s lack of a written form made it difficult for tribal children to relate to formal education, which was mostly imparted in Odia or English. This linguistic disconnect led to lower literacy levels and a growing fear that the language could fade into obscurity.

Kui Lipi: A Turning Point in Preservation

The turning point came in 1982, when Dayanidhi Mallick, a resident of Betikhala village in Kandhamal, invented a script for Kui—now known as Kui Lipi. With only upper primary education, Mallick was moved by the fact that Kui-speaking children could not follow school lessons in Odia. He believed that the absence of a native script was a barrier not just to education, but to cultural pride.

Inspired by a dream, Mallick developed the script using human body parts as visual metaphors—starting with the eye for the first letter. The script consists of 6 vowels and 23 consonants, written left to right, tailored to the phonetic needs of Kui. His creation was not a copy of other tribal scripts like Santal or Saora—it was a unique expression, born from the soul of his community.

Over the years, the script was refined with the help of his disciple Lankeswar Kanhar and support from community leaders like Bhaskar Pradhan and Bhimsenn Pradhan of the Nikhil Utkal Kui Samaj. Kanhar has since developed a typing keyboard for Kui Lipi and is actively working on correcting and publishing educational material in the script.

Behera, L. & Dash, J. (2024). The Invention and Development of Kui Script: A Dravidian Language of Tribal Odisha, Society and Culture Development in India.

In a landmark decision, the Odisha Cabinet recently recommended the inclusion of Kui in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution. If approved, this move would grant Kui official language status, opening the door to its inclusion in school curricula, government communication, and media. It would also serve as a major validation of the Kandha community’s linguistic and cultural identity.

This recognition is not just symbolic—it is practical. It means better educational resources, more inclusive governance, and stronger efforts toward preserving a language that has long survived on the margins.

Community and the Future of Kui

The response from the Kandha community has been overwhelmingly positive. They see Kui not only as a language, but as a way to reclaim their identity in a rapidly changing world. Parents believe that teaching children in Kui will make education more relatable and enjoyable. Elders see it as a way to preserve oral traditions that risk being lost.

Despite the enthusiasm, challenges remain. Books in Kui Lipi are yet to be officially included in schools, partly due to the need for standardisation and approval. But efforts led by individuals like LankeswarKanhar are steadily bridging that gap. By correcting older texts and writing new ones, he is ensuring that Kui continues to evolve—just as any living language should.

Why Kui Matters

Languages like Kui carry with them centuries of accumulated knowledge, especially about local ecosystems, medicinal plants, and sustainable living practices. Losing such a language would mean losing a worldview—an irreplaceable perspective on life and nature. Preserving Kui is, therefore, not just about saving words—it is about safeguarding wisdom.

With community effort, state support, and cultural pride, Kui is being revived—not as a relic of the past, but as a living language of the present and future.