Nishat Sharmin
Indigenous people estimated 370 million, across the globe demonstrate a rich cultural heritage, linguistic diversity and a history of traditions and values. Therefore, preservation of their languages, as a vehicle to move forward their cultural integrity and linguistic identity is paramount. However indigenous languages are disappearing fast, due to the lack of local government initiatives.
Bangladesh, a land of 148,460 square kilometers houses 50 indigenous communities as enlisted on the gazette of “Small Ethnic Groups Cultural Institutes Act of 2010”. The indigenous communities as Chakma, Marma, Garo, Khasi, Rakhaine, Santal and others have a distinct language, cultural heritage, and history to nurture. According to a recent survey by Kapaeeng Foundation with the International Labour Organization, 92 percent of indigenous community respondents agreed that their language is in a vulnerable state, 4 percent agreed their language is critically endangered while 4 percent agreed their language is already extinct. Their children have limited access to quality education as their mother tongue is not integrated in the mainstream education. Hence it is crucial to take necessary steps for the preservation and learning of the alphabets of their respective languages.
Bangladesh, once fought for its sovereignty and mother tongue is yet to properly address the state of indigenous languages residing in the country. 21 February is observed as the International Mother Language Day as a tribute by UNESCO to the Bangladeshi people’s sacrifice for their Language Movement. However, they are yet to recognize the rights of indigenous people of the country.
As a solution to the existing situation, Bangladesh might adopt language policies that ensure the peaceful coexistence of the ‘mother tongue’ of the tribal people and ‘national language’ and thus appreciate the linguistically minoritized subjects’ identity, and their contribution to the social, cultural, historical, and economic significance to the independent Bangladesh. Establishing ethnolects could be an effective way of accommodating linguistic rights of the ethnic communities.
References:
Sultana, S. (2021). Indigenous ethnic languages in Bangladesh: Paradoxes of the multilingual ecology. Ethnicities, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/14687968211021520
Van Herk, Gerard. (2018). What is sociolinguistics? 2e Chichester, West Sussex, UK: Wiley-Blackwell.
Question:
How would you feel if you were a member of any indigenous community? What kind of personal or collective initiatives you might consider for exhibiting your language, culture and values to the global audience?https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/news/state-our-indigenous-languages-1783657
