Editor,
The Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act (APFRA), 1978 is now one of the most contentious issues in our state. While some see it as a tool to preserve culture, others see it as an anti-religious law. However, in all these discussions, we are weakening one of the most important instruments for preserving our disappearing indigenous culture – that is, our mother tongues or indigenous languages.
Our people frequently come to believe that learning our mother tongues is just as easy as learning any other advanced language, such as English or Hindi. Further, a woman was seen defending her decision to let her children learn Hindi without first teaching them their mother tongue in one social media (Facebook) video posts. She claimed that children could easily pick up their mother tongue later in life, and that it was her personal decision to teach her children any language.
Like this woman, we occasionally overlook how important our tribal language is in upholding cultural norms and values. Indigenous languages act as bearers of cultural history in communities where they are spoken, including myths, stories, and traditions that have been handed down through the ages.
By facilitating common communication and collective memory, our language promotes social cohesiveness throughout groups. Enabling people to communicate their ideas, feelings, and thoughts in a style that is consistent with their cultural background promotes inclusion. Community members’ sense of solidarity and belonging is reinforced by this common communication method. To prevent them from being marginalised by their own community members, we should educate our children in their mother tongues at a young age.
Since it is claimed that charity starts at home, we must talk to our children in our mother tongues to preserve the value of our languages, especially at home. We cannot just rely on schools and educational institutions to teach children the cultural and moral values of our society, which have been passed down to us for generations if we do not teach anything at home.
Yiri Kamcham,
Kamcham,
Lower Siang