ITANAGAR, Feb 22: State Assembly Speaker Pasang Dorjee Sona has made a clarion call to the people of the State especially the youths to preserve and protect their mother language which is under “serious threat” due to changing situations.
“Mother language is the route map of our culture because it tells us who we are, where we have come from, and where we are heading to,” the Speaker said while addressing a function organized by Arunachal Pradesh Literary Society (APLS) in collaboration with Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalaya, Chimpu here today to mark the International Mother Language Day.
Citing the popular adage “Loss of culture is loss of identity”, Sona said, “Similarly loss of language is the greatest loss any society can suffer” and stressed on the importance of preservation of one’s mother language.
“Learning other languages is good as it connects the people, but one should never forget their own mother language as it is our identity,” he further added.
Stating that since the world is becoming a global village as people from different races are coming together, owing to which mother languages are at stake, the Speaker called upon the people of the State particularly parents/elders to ensure that their kids learn their own language.
“Until and unless you know your own language or dialect you won’t be able to follow your culture,” he said while adding that language is directly connected to one’s culture and identity.
The Speaker also pitched for documentation of mother language for future generations.
While asserting that reading habit is a very important activity to enrich one’s knowledge, the Speaker exhorted the students to inculcate the habit of reading. In order to encourage the students toward reading habit, the Speaker announced to provide some funds for buying books for the school library and also vowed free membership at the Arunachal Assembly’s library.
APLS executive president Batem Pertin, in his speech, dwelt at length about the challenges, consequences and other issues pertaining to mother language in the State. Expressing concern over the prevailing situations where most of the younger generations stopped learning their own mother language, Pertin called for collective steps from elders to safeguard the mother languages from being extinct.
Among others, Chayangtajo MLA Hayeng Mangfi was also present on the occasion. The day-long programme was marked with a slew of events including storytelling competition in different dialects and colourful cultural presentations from the school students. Later, prizes were distributed to the winners of the storytelling contest.
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