Amani Kok : Mother Tongue
By:Binota Moy Dhamai, Category: General, Posted on:2010-02-21 20:14:09
 Khulumka! Juh Juh!!
21 February is the International Mother Language Day proclaimed by the UNESCO in November 1999. It has been observed yearly since 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity. It is a good sign to revive, restore, and respect the language and culture of different indigenous communities or indigenous peoples (we say "Borok/Adivasi"). According to UNESCO, 6,700 languages that have been spooking are in danger of disappearing before the century ends.
Thinking that I wonder myself, what will happen to our "Kokborok" language after 50, 70 or 100 years. We have a rich chapter historically near around one million populations in India and Bangladesh have been living since immemorial times, witnessed more than thousand years building up Kokborok speaking society, structure of the community, exist a rich culture and tradition, folklore, literature, and most importantly a witness of growing and evolve the civilization. The language also relates with our song, dance, music, expressions, traditional knowledge, oral traditions, oral story, ritual, festive, mother earth etc that transmit from generation to generation, from elder to younger, from grandpa- grandma to grandson-granddaughter.
We introduce with this beautiful world through Mother - when we were baby during breastfeeding, starts a communication with Mother through smiling and looking, establish contact eye to eye with each other. These views of expression are with full love, adore, caring, warmth and affection. Slowly we become familiar with the language calling our mother-father, brother-sister, ant-uncle and mama-mami etc through our own dialect. We feel comfortable to introduce and have conversation in our own language. That help us easily express of our thoughts, ideas, opinions, sharing, beliefs, judgments etc. we easily understand and catch up the subject, sentence structure, and its patterns.
At a stage we introduce in different languages, particularly when you are in the school; the educational curriculums start with different language which is new and unknown. We have seen many of our Borok students faced difficulties to catch up that new language as beginner, and then drop out from the school finding no alternative way. Whether or not you agree with me, it is true that all those apply in view of language and cultural aggression, by political means it is very deep and deeper, a far sighted vision by the dominant group. That makes cause danger to language slowly due to negligence.
Most importantly, language is the primary vehicle of cultural expressions both in tangible and intangible heritage, identity of individual and community. The intangible heritage includes; oral traditions and expressions, traditional music, dance, theatre, social practices, rituals and festive events, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe. We need to think and have to think about how to keep alive our language in home and abroad from different avenue. Research, study, literature, documentary (such as Yarwng), music that can help in this regard.
Just an opinion, personally I am pretty much impressed by the Kokborok songs from Tripura state, and comparatively far advance from Bangladesh in terms of facilities and opportunities. Unfortunately, Bangladesh Kokborok speaking peoples have been in backward situation than Tripura state, very less scope and opportunity as well. The singers are from Tripura like Biswanath, Sourobhee, Sanjita, Manashi, Usha, Bimal, Jayanta etc are best, and they are all talent, creative, initiative and innovative. In future the juxtaposition should be done with traditional music and folksongs by those popular singers that impact into the community and help in practices of language in rural and urban through the familiarity by that song.
However, it is our Kokborok song and we love it. Most importantly, unity is the best way to development in any means to moving forward. That's required for us. No matter what, if we lose our language, then we will lose all those entire mentioned subjects (tangible and intangible) which are related to the language. And a language lost means a civilization died from the world.
Kokborok is my mother tongue; I have the right to speak and learn into the school/ educational system/institution without fear and threaten. It is government's responsibility to provide me that facilities and opportunities. These rights are recognized and asserted by the international human rights laws and instruments including UNESCO. The national laws are also recognized using the term of "equality" without any discrimination. But in practical applications, we are helpless under the power of state, rulers and the policy makers. Even though Bangladesh and India both countries ratified the ILO Convention 107 of Indigenous and Tribal Populations but this law yet to consideration for implementation.
The deep concern is that we do mix our language with other mainstreams language. For example, among ourselves when we do share something or exchange views, or do conversation - we mixed up some words whatever this are in English, Bangla or Hindi. So, the original characteristic of the language then become threaten slowly, words replacing/ occupying from original to mainstreaming, and we are not aware and notice it.
Last not least, it is a quotation from "Global Language Viability Causes, Symtoms and Cures for Endangered Languages" By Barbara F. Grimes, Ethnologue Editor 1971-2000
"A language dying hits even closer to us; it means that a unique creation of human beings is gone from the world. Each language has grown up with its society, and is an expression of the facets of that society's culture. Each is an intricate system of words, phrases, clauses, and discourse patterns showing contrasts and agreements that its speakers use to describe their world and the customs they use in relating to each other. They use the language to tell their stories, recount their past, express their plans for the future, recite their poetry, and pass on their way of life".
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