Calcutta University’s initiative aims to protect endangered languages, Pg 12

Key Highlights:

• Six-day Calcutta University-led event focuses on preserving Lodha and Toto, two endangered tribal languages of West Bengal.
• Event includes a translation workshop, performances, and exhibitions featuring indigenous cultural forms.
• About 40 participants from Lodha and Toto groups will attend; these are the only tribal languages in the State receiving Central funding.
• Initiative forms part of a community partnership-based research project supported by ICSSR and UNESCO priorities.
• Lodha and Toto belong to Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs); only three of India’s 75 PVTGs are in West Bengal.
• Research outcomes will be shared with communities to ensure transparency and collaborative goal-setting.
• Bengali-language participants will help translate indigenous texts into English and Bengali, enhancing accessibility.

Detailed Insights:

• Purpose and significance:
  • Many tribal languages face extinction due to shrinking speaker populations and lack of institutional support.
  • Translation workshops help preserve oral traditions, create bilingual archives, and promote intergenerational transmission.
• Community-led approach:
  • Designed as a participatory model where Lodha and Toto community members actively shape content.
  • Supported by ICSSR and ICSSR–Eastern Regional Centre, focusing on sustainable language preservation.
• Cultural revitalisation:
  • Event includes Lodha theatre performances, exhibitions, and showcasing texts composed by community members.
  • Aims to strengthen cultural identity, reduce marginalisation, and enhance cultural pride.
• Policy and funding context:
  • India has 75 PVTGs, facing acute socio-economic vulnerabilities and language loss.
  • ICSSR funds 34 such projects annually; this is the only one from West Bengal this year.
  • Aligns with national efforts under Tribal Affairs Ministry and international frameworks promoting linguistic diversity.
• Long-term implications:
  • Documentation and translation create linguistic resources for researchers and educators.
  • May encourage inclusion of tribal languages in curricula, digital archives, and local governance.

Scientific/Technical Concepts Involved:

• Endangered Language: A language at risk of falling out of use as its speakers shift to more dominant languages.
• PVTG (Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group): Subset of STs with pre-agricultural technology, small populations, and low literacy.
• Language Documentation: Systematic recording of vocabulary, grammar, literature, and oral traditions for preservation.
• Translation Studies: Academic field examining techniques of cross-cultural linguistic transfer.