National Seminar on Tribal Language Preservation Highlights Role of Technology and Multilingualism.
Santiniketan:
The National Tribal Research Institute (NTRI) and the Centre for Endangered Languages (CFEL) at Visva-Bharati University hosted the “Aadi Vyakhyan 06: National Seminar on Preserving Tribal Languages Utilising Technology & Indian Multilingualism: Policy & Practices” on September 12 and 13, 2024, at Bhasha Bhavana, Santiniketan. The hybrid-mode event saw participation from over 40 presenters, including linguists, domain experts, field practitioners, scholars, and tribal community representatives.
The seminar was inaugurated by Vice Chancellor (Officiating) of Visva-Bharati, Prof. Binoy Kumar Saren, who emphasized the critical need to preserve tribal languages. He noted that the loss of a tribal language leads to the disappearance of valuable oral history, customs, and indigenous wisdom, stressing that language preservation fosters community empowerment and cultural continuity.
Prof. Nupur Tiwary, Special Director of NTRI, highlighted innovative initiatives aimed at preserving tribal languages and outlined the role of NTRI in stimulating academic discourse on the topic. She emphasized that language is vital for maintaining the culture, traditions, and heritage of tribal communities.
Prof. Manoranjan Pradhan, Chairperson of CFEL, introduced the activities of Visva-Bharati related to endangered languages and research, expressing confidence that the seminar would offer valuable insights and inspire new ideas to support multilingualism, particularly in the context of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Dr. Arimardan Kumar Tripathi from CFEL discussed the seminar’s objectives, focusing on leveraging digital mediums to maintain multilingualism, in line with the Digital India program. He also introduced a new web portal and Android application developed by CFEL, which provides language resources, including multilingual dictionaries and descriptions of endangered languages.
The seminar featured the release of two books on endangered tribal languages published by CFEL. The inaugural session included a performance of Udbodhini Sangit by students from Sangit Bhavana Visva-Bharati and a multilingual theater play titled “The Blind Opera,” directed by Mrityunjay Prabhakar, showcasing India’s linguistic diversity.
In the valedictory session, tribal resource persons Pravat Koraz and Santosh Tudu were honored for their contributions to translating tribal languages into English, Hindi, and Bangla. The seminar concluded with a vote of thanks and the distribution of certificates to the paper presenters.
