Kohima, April 24 (MExN): The Association of Nagaland Literature Boards (ANLBs) has termed the Governor of Nagaland, PB Acharya’s interest in promoting the tribal languages of the North East India, particularly Nagaland, as a great encouragement for those who are still lagging behind in the study of mother tongue as a language subject in the schools of Nagaland.
In a press release, the association’s president Dr. Ditsolo Kapfo cited some facts about the position of Nagaland on tribal languages. There are 17 tribal languages approved by the Government of Nagaland since long ago; but out of these, only 4 languages have developed their language courses beyond matriculation, while the rest 13 have not, simply because permission to study these languages in secondary level has not been given till today citing an assortment of reasons, he pointed out.
The ‘Advanced Tribal Languages’, he listed, are Tenyimia (Angami), Ao, Lotha, and Sema. Stating that they have all gone beyond matriculation a long time back, the association requested them to “help their brethren who have dropped behind.”
Meanwhile, the 13 tribes which are not permitted to go beyond Class VIII are: Chang, Chokri, Khiamniungan, Konyak, Kuki, Kuzha, Liangmai, Pochury, Phom, Rengma, Sangtam, Yimchunger, and Zeme. “This shows the Government’s apathy to the promotion and welfare of the other Tribal Languages, which is discriminatory,” the release maintained.
It further noted that the respective literature boards pursued hard and some managed to introduce their language studies till Class VIII in the year 2013, “but when we tried to go for Class IX of language courses in our Mother Tongue, much to our surprise, we were not allowed, stating that Government order was first required, an instruction of which kind was never given to us before.”
“And since our children had studied their mother tongue as a language subject till Class VIII, to take up a new language abruptly in Class IX & X was an impossible task and these poor students faced untold hardships. This has discouraged our students to take up subjects in their own mother tongue,” the association highlighted.
In pursuance of this matter, it said, the literature boards went to the Education Department for permission to introduce their mother tongues in secondary level but were denied permission. “So we, the 13 Tribal Literature Boards, met and set up an Association and decided to pursue the matter together.”
Subsequently, the association met the officers concerned and the matter was placed in a cabinet meeting. “But even the Cabinet did not approve our demand, and instead asked all the Primary level schools to study mother tongue in Primary Schools w.e.f. 2018. This is a good step, but our request was still not granted,” the ANLBs lamented.
“As ordered by Government, all the Primary Schools will study their mother tongue, but unless the permission (to study the language in) secondary level is given, the children will be apprehensive to study their mother tongue as they may face another dilemma, as their seniors had faced back in 2013, when they had finished their Class VIII level,” it added.
With the Governor’s encouragement to promote mother tongues, the association hoped that this time “we may get permission from the Government in letter and spirit, that we may not be discouraged as witnessed in the recent past. With the permission granted our children will be encouraged to study their own mother tongue with confidence.”
