IMPHAL, March 7: A National level Workshop on Tribal and Endangered Languages of North Eastern States jointly organized by the Research centre for tribal and endangered language (RCTEL), Guwahati; Central Institute of Indian Language, Mysore; and Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India was inaugurated today at the Manipur Press Club.
Delivering the key-note address Dr Th Chandramani Singh, Project Director RCTEL said the local people are the bedrock of language preservation and revitalization. The responsibilities of the minority communities must realize and prepare to undertake the task to save their language without falling back on alien models that distort their language and culture heritage, he said.
He further said the local people must realize that destruction of human culture and language will be bring in devastating results in the long run of and expressed concern that the destruction of languages is occurring in an unprecedented and disastrous rate.
He continued that as per the list of endangered languages of North East as extracted from the World Atlas 2009, the languages of Manipur are unsafe and are nearl to extinction.
Speaking at the function Saratchand Thiyam, Writer said that Manipur gas 33 recognized distinct languages. The management of linguistic, cultural pluralism and other diversity has become the focus of attention because of the increasing endangered of languages, he said and added that the indigenous languages around the world are under attack subject to seemingly irresistible social and political changes.
He further said “the language disappears or a language loses its vitality is not only because it is dominated by another but also and perhaps above all people attitude towards their languages”.
He further said if any particular community language goes extinct, then their culture, tradition, costume will also extinct slowly.