Mother Language Institute, international in ‘name only’

The International Mother Language Institute in Dhaka was established in 2010 to preserve, research and develop not just Bangla but also the native languages of other nations. It is still encountering challenges.

The institute has been unable to play any significant role in preserving the languages of the numerous ethnic groups existing in Bangladesh, let alone in other countries. Hence the mother tongues of many small ethnic groups are gradually becoming extinct. This contradicts the institute's stated mission of saving all of the world's mother tongues.

The organisation has not yet been able to accomplish any significant work due to a shortage of skilled workforce to do the enormous task, according to experts. After 13 years of existence, it has 38 people against 98 posts.

As it falls under the Ministry of Education, bureaucratic obstacles are also impeding the main work of the institute.

The organisation has no significant activities other than celebrating International Mother Language Day, organising seminars, publishing newsletters, launching memorabilia and presenting awards.

Although several journals, including mother language magazines, are supposed to be published regularly, they are not. According to those associated with the institute, the publication of the journals is infrequent because there need to be more regular research articles.

Some experts think it is unfortunate that the mother tongues of some ethnic groups living in a country with a Language Movement in the history of its independence are on the verge of extinction.

MOTHER TONGUES PERISHING SILENTLY

The Kora language is primarily a spoken language by the Kora tribe.

As they have regular contact with Bangla speakers and follow the Bangla curriculum for education, many Bangla words have infiltrated their language. Having no script of their own, like many other ethnic groups, they use the Bangla script to document their language and ensure its preservation.

Similarly, the Bishnupriya Manipuri community use their own language for communication within their community, but they are educated in Bangla and use the Bangla script in writing. However, the Meiteis among Manipuris still use their script in some cases, along with Bangla.

Shuvashis Sinha, a poet, playwright and organiser of Manipuri Theatre, said: "The Bishnupriya had their own script, which has been lost for various reasons. Now research is underway to recover their own script.”

In 2019, the government listed 50 ethnic groups in the gazette of the Small Ethnic Groups Cultural Organisation Act 2010. Of these, 41 languages are in use.

A 2010 anthropological study by the International Mother Language Institute estimates that 14 languages of the ethnic groups are dying out.

According to a linguistic survey that concluded in 2018, the endangered languages include Kondo, Kharia, Kora, Soura, Mundari, Kol, Malto, Khumi, Pangkhowa, Rengmitca, Chak, Khiang, Lushai and Laleng or Patra.

Preserving these languages has become challenging as these have no written form or alphabet. Furthermore, the number of people speaking these languages has decreased over time, and the younger generation of these communities needs to learn or use the language more frequently.

It is crucial to take action now to preserve endangered languages, said Sanjeeb Drong, general secretary of Bangladesh Adivasi Forum. “Many more languages will be lost otherwise.”

If the International Mother Language Institute is not strengthened, it will be international in “name only” without any significant impact on language preservation, said Sanjeeb.

RESEARCH

The only major work of the institute since its inception, the Ethno-Linguistic Survey of Bangladesh, remains unpublished years after its completion.

The survey aims to document the condition of the languages of small ethnic groups living in Bangladesh and the actual status of their linguistic communities.

Starting in 2013 and continuing till 2016, the survey cost the government around Tk 40 million. The plan was to publish 10 volumes in English and 10 in Bangla after the completion of the study. The first volume was printed in February 2018 in Bangla.

However, it has not been published yet.

Shourav Sikder, a professor of linguistics at Dhaka University who was associated with the survey as the research editor, said that the work had two parts: language and ethnicity. He was involved in the language part.

“We're supposed to do three parts. We have completed all three volumes and submitted them to the International Mother Language Institute. They published the first volume. I was the research editor, Kamal Chowdhury was the editor-in-chief. They also gave me a copy as a research editor. I have it with me. But they didn't make it public. The International Mother Language Institute can tell the reason.”

Asked about the details of the work, Md Alamgir, director of the institute's language, research and planning department, told bdnews24.com that he was new at the institute.

“The issue of the scientific study of ethnic languages has not yet come before me. I was basically in the planning ministry. It's been a month since I've been in charge here.”

Dhaka University Professor Hakim Arif, who took over as the director general in March last year, said: “We wanted to publish 10 volumes together, for which there is a delay. The work is ongoing. We will complete the work soon and publish it.”

Sanjeeb said, "The work of ethnolinguistic scientific survey has spread a kind of hope. I hope that through this work, there will be a way to protect the languages of Bangladesh.”