Book on tribal languages released
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, May 12 2012:
A book entitled 'State Apathy of Tribal Languages in Manipur' written by Ragongning Gangmei was released at Manipur Press Club today.
The book intents to create awareness about the 'safeguards for Linguistic minorities' among the people, political communities, the social elites and state's authorities so that the State Government is prepared to implement them and the linguistic minorities in the state enjoy the privileges due to them.
The book releasing function which was organized by Council of Tribal Languages and Literature Societies Manipur (CTLLSM) was graced by A Mobi, President, All Manipur Working Journalist Union (AMWJU), Satyajit Usham, Editor, Hueiyen Lanpao, English edition and S Mangi, former Academic Officer, BOSEM as Chief Guest, President and Special Invitee respectively.
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Speaking on the occasion, A Mobi said that, no matter how much the government tries to develop a particular language, it cannot be developed if the people speaking that language do not have a love for their own language.
He further stated that in Manipur a number of people consider themselves to be highly educated if they speak English language at various occasions.
Under such conditions, it would be quite difficult to develop our own language.
Delivering the Presidential speech, Satyajit Usham said that it is high time we all strive to promote and develop our own languages regardless of whether the government is doing anything in this regard or not, because disappearance languages would amount to lose of cultural wealth and ancestral knowledge embedded in these indigenous languages.
He also suggested that linguistic minorities in Manipur should also form associations to work for development of their respective ethnic languages and literatures just as Meeteis are doing for the cause of popularizing Manipuri language and literatures.
Earlier delivering the welcome address, Rangonging Gangmei lamented that the Government of Manipur spend crores of rupees even for animals in Iroisemba zoo and Keibul Lamjao but it has no fund for development of the tribal languages in the state.
Observing that the diversity in language and culture is the beauty of Manipur which has 38 communities out of which 35 are tribals, Gangmei decried the apathy of the government towards the linguistic minorities in the state.
He alleged that the government has no fund for printing tribal language books for students, but it has fund for printing English, Hindi and Manipuri books.
Tribal language books for school students are printed mostly by the concerned tribal literature societies at their own expenses, he informed.