Manipuri dialects dying among the new generation (fwd)

[phil cash cash]

Manipuri dialects dying among the new generation
http://www.kanglaonline.com/index.php?template=kshow&kid=582

By: Most people find dialects intriguing. At the same time, they have
lots of questions about them and often have strong opinions as well.
Probably the most common question we encounter about the conditio

Most people find dialects intriguing. At the same time, they have lots
of questions about them and often have strong opinions as well.
Probably the most common question we encounter about the condition of
our indigenous dialects is, "Are Manipuri dialects dying, due to
television and the mobility of the English speaking population?"

Certainly, media, transportation, and technology have radically
compressed the geography of the Manipur State and altered Manipuri
lifestyles over the last century. So what effects do these significant
changes have on English language? What about Manipuri dialects as
English assumes a global role? It appears that the new generation of
today are unable to write our own mother-tongue, be it Meeitei or any
other tribal dialects. The effort to preserve the dying language will
be a serious blow to the future generation.

As a matter of fact, most of the new generation prefer to use English as
a means of communication and correspondence and as a result they are not
in a position to write dialects correctly. Perhaps, the young generation
are more concerned about their future, about how best they can survive
in a growing competitive environment and in pragmatic materialistic
world. Thus in view of the present circumstances, English language
still plays an important role in term of jobs security and global
market economics. Young people follow activities which will provide
them future security; reading and writing of fluent English is much
more important than upholding their own indigenous dialects.

As a major new means of global communication, the internet is bound to
have a great impact on language use. Probably the most feared result,
voiced most often in the internet's early years, was that the internet
would encourage global use of English to such a degree that other
languages would be crowded out. And indeed, in the mid-1990s, 80% of
international Web sites were reported to be in English. The spread of
world English, changes in employment patterns, and the emergence of new
technology are enforcing trends of the global informational economy.

>From a historical perspective, if a language is in distress and dying it
is a reflection of the state of the people who use it. Manipuri original
script cannot be treated in isolation; its development is tremendously
associated with the economic mayhem, educational paradigm and political
experiments. If our language is in crisis, perhaps, it is a reflection
of the dilemma in which the society and the people are currently
situated, after all a language is only as good as the people who use
it.

In the past Manipur made tremendous progress in developing Manipuri
language and literature, partly because there was a parallel
development in their economic and political pursuits.

It is also said that Manipuri is the most developed language of
Tibeto-Burman family of India, and Dr. Suniti Kumar Chatterjee also
emphatically said that Manipuri literature is one of the most advanced
languages of modern Indian literature (Kirata-Jana-Kirti, 1974:166).

As for the Hmar, the future is bleak and uncertain even at University
degree course level they can now offer Hmar as MIL. However, majority
of the students especially those who live outside the state cannot
write their dialect correctly. Even for the local students the Hmar as
an MIL can only be offered in three colleges like Churachandpur
College, Lamka College and Bethany Christian College due to shortage of
lecturers.

Thus, the new generation needs to be counselled to revive the decaying
of our indigenous scripts but not by force.

Unfortunately, the state government does little to support the
institutions and people dedicated to make our native dialects effective
and attractive. The average Manipuri especially who are living outside
the home state have little or no understanding and appreciation and the
importance of artists in the development of language. The most
interesting question is how many 'language patriots' buy Manipuri or
other books of tribal languages regularly and support the development
of our dying languages?

Language is like a living being; it needs to be constantly pruned and
fed to ensure its growth and development. The need of an hour are new
story tellers, new artists, new writers, and new movie makers, and at
the same time a purchaser of good market, eager to get through the
finished products. Globalization and free information on the internet
adds to the confusion. Given our small population, irrespective of our
backgrounds or how good our written or oral skills are, has a role to
play in ensuring our language survival. For a start, we need to rid of
ourselves of the one dimensional view of the 'language patriots'. Just
a reminder that we must not to expect divine intervention here. Even
Aramaic, one of the most ancient languages spoken by Christ himself,
was in the process of dying.

American English, Canadian English, Australian English, New Zealand
English, Caribbean English, Indian English, and Pidgin English are
among the many newer English dialects that have emerged since the
period of emigration from the British Isles during the expansion of the
British Empire. The English language spread as Britain expanded its
colonial empire from the 1600s on and established legal, military, and
educational systems in many countries along English lines. British
expansion ended after World War II (1939-1945), when many of its
colonies sought independence.

Since World War II American English has dominated as a world language,
largely because of U.S. economic and political influence and the
advance of technology, especially computing and the Internet. At the
turn of the 21st century, English prevailed as the most widely used
language internationally. At the same time as English became a world
language, the number of English speakers learning a second language
dropped substantially. Even more disturbingly, English was blamed for
the "death" of some minority languages, such as Gaelic and various
Australian aboriginal languages.

Various measures are needed to protect these smaller languages from
disappearing.