Separate budget for Tribal Languages demanded
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 13 2018:
Council of Tribal Languages and Literature Societies, Manipur (CTLLSM) has demanded a separate 'tribal languages State budget' from the State Government.
Speaking to media persons today, Ragongning Gangmei, chairman of CTLLSM said that the issue of tribal languages is not 'tribal exclusive'.
Ragongning said that it is for the common good of Manipur.
According to Ragoning Gangmei, there are 35 tribal languages in Manipur of which 18 languages have been approved for introduction in school education system as Modern Indian Language Subjects (MILS).
He said that the approved languages are Anal, Gangte, Hmar, Kom, Liangmai, Mao, Maram, Maring, Mizo, Paite, Poumei, Ruangmei, Simte, Tangkhul, Thadou-Kuki, Vaiphei, Zeme and Zou.
However, Ragongning said that "unfortunately" there is no fund earmarked for these approved languages.
According to him, approval of a language for education system is supposed to entail necessary fund allocation for development of textbooks and their production.
He added that fund should be allocated under plan and non-plan with both recurring and non-recurring expenditures for continuity of the language.
The chairman of CTLLSM said that there is no fund earmarked for tribal languages in the State's budgets BOSEM, COHSEM and SCERT.
"Therefore, tribal language groups are facing harsh situations in the face of the State's apathy towards tribal languages in our own land", Ragongning lamented.
The chairman of CTLLSM said that the fund requirement for tribal languages is "not a question of Rs 100 crore." He said that they just need Rs 3.20 crore for all the 35 tribal languages of Manipur.
"If the State Government has the will it can be done," asserted Ragongning Gangmei.
The CTLISM chairman pointed outthat, as of now, there is no State policy, no support, no fund at all for tribal languages in the State.
"Therefore, all the 35 tribal languages in Manipur, both approved and unapproved, have now become endangered languages due to the absence of State's patronage", he added.
Ragongning expressed concern that if there is no fund at all for the tribal language education in the State then tribal students are going to face serious shortage of school textbooks in the years to come.
"Now, the literature societies of tribal languages are caught in a dilemma on whether to continue tribal languages in the school education system in Manipur or to stop them at once from learning in the schools, because the literature societies alone cannot support their languages in the school education system without State patronage", the CTLLSM chairman maintained.
According to Ragongning, the Tribal Research Institute, Imphal (TRI), Government of Manipur, used to extend some sort of financial assistance for printing approved tribal language school textbooks some years back.
He stated that, during the regime of the previous State Government, there was TRI's fund for printing school text books of tribal languages "to the tune of Rs 16 lakh and it proposed Rs 20 lakh in the TRI budget of 2017-2018 at 50:50 Centre and State shares".
But even this meager fund has also been totally cut with the coming of the new State Government in 2017", he alleged.
"Again, the budget of Manipur 2018-2019 has also sidelined the tribal languages of the State.
It seems the State Government is going to uproot the tribal languages from the school education system and thereby ultimately from the soil of Manip\ir", Ragongning Gangmai felt.
According to him, the State Government has been, "not only neglecting but always sidelining" the tribal languages and playing with the sentiments of the tribal people in the State.
"In fact, it is a serious damage to the emotional integrity of the State and an assault to the common future of all communities in Manipur", the CTLLSM chairman added.
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