The arts — be they music, dance or painting — have given artists the ability to express themselves freely across borders since eons. But speaking a common language is perhaps the easiest way for people to communicate and to understand one another. I could not imagine getting by living in Gujarat without knowing Gujarati. While it is not as frowned upon as not knowing French in France, speaking in the local language is a form of respect to the local heritage.
India has a cornucopia of regional languages and dialects, an integral part of each region's cultural heritage. And while the nation's linguistic heritage is impressively diverse enough that no national language has ever been declared, it is also tragically poorly documented with the result that several regional languages are either endangered or totally extinct today.
In an effort to document the languages of Nagaland, the Nagaland University organised a two-day intensive convention focusing on the preservation and promotion of the region's languages. The state is perhaps the most linguistically diverse and rich state in India comprising 19 languages and 16 tribes. Each language celebrates that particular area's local attire, cuisine, dance and music. If proper documentation is not done, an eminent aspect of the community's identity would be forgotten and lost.
Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of being part of a conversation on global exchanges between the East and West. The three acclaimed academicians and professors on the panel discussion brought up integral aspects on language, colonisation and the impact it can have on a region's culture, traditions and rituals. For example, the Kazakh language is not as commonly spoken as Russian in Kazakhstan due to the political and military supremacy Russia has over Kazakhstan.
Similarly in India, the British may have brought us English but we have now made it our own. Indian English authors such as Salman Rushdie and Arundhati Roy are well-known Booker Prize winners. This should however, not stand in the way of accepting, acknowledging and learning the regional language. Earlier this month, Union Minister, Kishan Reddy emphasised the need to integrate regional dialects, an effort, which is also being undertaken by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The NEP encourages learning the mother tongue, which is not only important in connecting a person to their family roots but is also key in understanding the repository of local heritage, tales and traditions, passed down from generation to generation.
A few months ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke on the importance of Pali, recognising it as a classical language given Lord Buddha’s teachings have been originally preserved in Pali. Much is lost in translation and for any scholar studying Buddhism it would be irresponsible and foolhardy to not take up the challenge of learning Pali. Similarly, the Upanishads, the sacred texts, which convey the teachings of Hinduism were written in Sanskrit but rarely do any of the political advocates of Hindutva know how to speak the language.
With over 200 languages and dialects already forgotten, it is imperative to document the linguistic heritage of India. One of the oldest languages of the world, Aka-Bo, was once a popular language of the indigenous people of the Andaman Islands. The last fluent speaker of Aka-Bo, Boa Senior passed away in 2010, taking with her a wealth of knowledge.
Manish Pushkale’s installation, ‘To Whom The Bird Should Speak’, was a tribute to the language, which was also known as the ‘language of the birds.’ The exhibition by the self-taught artist, which concluded earlier this year at the Musée Guimet in Paris celebrates the intangible heritage, mourning the loss of the language in the ever evolving and changing world. While change is inevitable, documenting fading, seldom used languages can also shed light on past communities and cultures. For example, we would perhaps know much more about the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation had we been able to read their script.
Technology is developing in leaps and bounds with artificial intelligence, the newest path breaker, being able to translate languages. Dutch challenger Bunq’s application helps users break language barriers and translate thirty languages. But in a country as geographically vast and culturally rich as India, the onus is on the people to protect, preserve and promote this invaluable part of our cultural heritage.