Social media rescues dying Indian languages (fwd link)

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Social media rescues dying Indian languages
The Internet and mobile communication are doing the most unexpected -
resurrecting hoary languages given up for lost.
Bijoyeta Das <http://www.aljazeera.com/profile/bijoyeta-das.html> Last
updated: 29 Dec 2013 12:53

In the language of the Bhatu Kolhati, a remote nomadic tribe in India’s
western Maharashtra state, *tatti *means tea and *gulle* is meat*. *But,
Kuldeep Musale, 30, who belongs to this tribe barely remembers his mother
tongue. Well educated and having studied in boarding schools since he was
six, Musale instead uses the dominant languages – Hindi, Marathi and
English.

His ancestors were traditional folk artists and dancers, but not Musale. He
works like any other professional in Pune city, 150km from the provincial
capital, Mumbai.

"When you don't hear a language you forget," he says.

The mobile phone is a blessing as that enables him to communicate with his
parents who still live in his ancestral village. This has helped him keep
in touch with his mother tongue. Not just that, Musale is consciously
relearning his language which is on the endangered list. Whenever he goes
home on vacation, he makes it a point to record songs and voices of elders
on his smart phone.

Access full article below:
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2013/11/social-media-rescues-dying-indian-languages-201311277047252312.html
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