ITANAGAR, May 29: The Popi Sarmin Society (PSS) has requested the state government/education department to retain the modified Roman script used in the existing Apatani third language book approved by the state cabinet.
The Apatani language has already been introduced as the third language in the school curriculum with the first volume of book “Kiije Tanii Agun Chinsa” for class VI with cabinet approval in 2000, the PSS said.
“However, the Apatani Language Research and Development Committee (ALR&DC) constituted under NGO Tanw Supun Dukun (TSD) is announcing in the social media that the Directorate of Elementary Education, GoAP has
asked it to prepare a new third language book,” the PSS said in a letter to the Education Secretary.
Claiming that majority of the educated Apatanis prefer to use the 1997 script that has been used in the existing Apatani third language book but not the one that is being promoted by ALR&DC and TSD, the PSS urged the government for continuation of the book “Kiije Tanii Agun Chinsa”.
It said the government through a notification had already made it known to the general public and stakeholders that the Apatani, Nyishi, Adi and Galo languages have already been captured through Modified Roman Script (MRS).
“In case of Apatani, the MRS was adopted in the year 1997 under the initiative of Popi Sarmin Society and Apatani Cultural & Literary Society (ACLS),” the letter said.
Stating that the book has already been taught to 20 batches of students, the society urged the administration to accept the Apatani third language book materials by the PSS for necessary change and improvisation in accordance with NCERT syllabus format so that growing anxiety among youths and general public can be avoided.
The society said it had prepared and published the Apatani third language book “Kiije Tanii Agun Chinsa” for introduction of the Apatani language in the government schools of Ziro in 2000 after the government had entrusted the task to the society.
The second and third volumes of the book for Class-VII and Class-VIII were introduced in the following year 2001 and 2002 respectively.
However, the publication and supply of the 5th edition of the third language book discontinued due to non availability of fund as informed by the Director Elementary Education.”
Further, “as per Govt. notification and decisions taken in the meeting of State Language Development Committee, the Popi Sarmin Society have submitted the materials of the Apatani third language books for 5th edition and the 6th edition is also ready for publication,” the letter added.
