IMPHAL, Dec 2: Society for Upliftment of Rural Enterprise (SURE) under the sponsorship of Tribal Research Institute, Government of Manipur has organized the valedictory function of the four day workshop programme on Poula Glossary/Dictionary/Phonetic/Accent of the Poumai Language today at Purul Village Authority hall which started on November 29.
The first three days of the four day long workshop imparted trainings on Poula Glossary/Dictionary/Phonetic/Accent of the Poumai Language to the Poumai community people of the state. The workshop was held with the main objective of preservation of the tribal language and culture of the state.
K Lunkim, deputy director, TRI Manipur in her speech as the chief guest of the function endorsing the main objective of the programme stated that language being an important aspect of the people and society need to be preserved and work towards the betterment of language in order to bring development to the society.
Maintaining that every language have certain words which have the same spelling with a little difference in their phonic sound though with different meanings and as such she has elaborated the need to identify such words and put certain marks on the letters to identify the differences in their sounds.
Encouraging the development of a writing script of the Poula (Poumai language), she appealed to the Churches to act as a main organizer in developing the language.
While adding that state government has so far approved only 10 tribal languages and that the Poumai language is yet to be approved, she appealed to the concerned literary societies of the community to help the language get government approval so that it may be added to the state educational curriculum which will eventually spread and develop the Poula.
Further speaking at the function, she mentioned that the TRI with the main aim of developing the various state tribal languages has already formed a council of literary society an umbrella society of the various tribal language societies under the TRI.
K Lunkim, who was filling in for the absent chief guest C Hangshing director TD, further mentioned that the said council has already started appealing to the state government to sanction a separate budget for tribal languages of the state in order to promote them.
PD Shelly, chairman Purul King Union, maintained that youth and elder people of the community have to work together to bring development and for the development of the Poumai language he has added that the youths of the community should take the guidance and help from the older generation in order to preserve and develop the language.
Th Solomon, president SURE presided over the function while DR L Sarbajit, Linguistic department MU spoke as a resource person.
The other highlights of the day include distribution of certificates to 54 trainees of the workshop.