Recently, when this scribe saw a video of linguist Mark W Post addressing a gathering in chaste Galo, my respect for this ‘foreigner’ was immense not only for his command and for passion towards an alien language but also the fact that I, like so many others are barely able to communicate in our native tongue. This realisation brings with it foreboding about the loss of our cultural heritage.

Every time a language dies, it is a huge loss.  A language defines a community, a culture. Languages hold a world of knowledge. We lose knowledge and history and lose connection to a land when a language is lost.

Songs, stories, words and expressions — developed over many generations — are also lost. Each language is a unique way of talking to the world, about the world. Countries with the greatest linguistic diversity are usually also the ones with the most endangered languages.

 

The lack of a lingua franca has put Arunachal at an even greater dilemma as majority of its languages have fallen into disuse and are on the brink of extinction. As many as 82 tribal languages spoken in the state are on the verge of becoming extinct according to a survey.

The 2009 UNESCO Atlas of the World’s Languages in danger data, 26 languages of Arunachal Pradesh have been identified as endangered. In the list, smaller communities like Meyor and Bugun face the biggest threat. Even languages of largely populated tribal groups like Adi, Galo and Nyishi have been categorized as unsafe by UNESCO.

 

 

As the world turns increasingly globalised, it is impossible to thwart the penetration of world languages. The advent of English and Hindi has become a prerequisite for a better life and inclusion into mainstream society. Communities are continuously switching to politically and economically more powerful languages.

 

 

 

For long the need for a special wing to look after this aspect was felt and finally this has became a reality with the Arunachal Pradesh Cabinet on Friday giving approval for establishment of the Department of Indigenous Faith & Cultural Affairs (DIFCA). Creation of an independent department to look after preservation, protection and promotion of the rich indigenous cultural heritage of the state is a right step in a fast changing world.

 

 

According to UNESCO, a language is endangered when parents are no longer teaching it to their children and it is no longer being used in everyday life. A language is considered nearly extinct when it is spoken by only a few elderly native speakers. 

DIFCA must not be in name only and must reach out to the grassroots by connecting with community elders as they are the crux of Arunachalee indigenous society. Concerted efforts must be made to ensure that our indigenous culture does not meet the same fate as many other cultures globally.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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