Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Gangtok: Software engineer Bikram Rai officially handed over the copyright of the Magar digital font to the All Sikkim Magar Association on Saturday. The deal ends a 19-year wait for the community. ASMA now holds all legal rights to use, modify, and distribute the software developed in 2007.
Rai built the font shortly after finishing his engineering studies in Gangtok. He worked on the project after a successful push to digitize the Rai language. Former ASMA president Bishnu Rana Magar tasked him with the job. Rai also designed a font for the Tamang language, which required extra work to map characters missing from the standard Sambhota script.
Technical hurdles defined the early development. Internet access was scarce back then. Rai spent six months on the task with technical guidance from his mentors at IIT Powai, Mumbai. Architect Jigme Dorji Bhutia helped design the specific script characters using AutoCAD before they became digital files.
Reflecting on the transfer, Rai said, "My objective had always been to contribute to the preservation and promotion of indigenous languages rather than create legal disputes." He never hindered the community from using his work during his time as the legal owner.
ASMA president Reman Thapa called the deal a major milestone. The association paid an agreed fee to secure the assets. They plan to use the software to archive records and expand educational materials. The font already powers Magar-language textbooks and the community Herald publication. It now secures the future of the script.
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