Save Our Languages: Act Now!

Abstract

Are we in a process to have a world with one international understandable language English for all of us or should we have a unique world with our own voices and languages, a world encompassing the marvels of all dialects, and languages of different communities and nationalities? Languages are an essential part of the cultural diversity of our planet. Languages and dialects are not only expressions of the human culture and the human mind, they are also the means by which we communicate with others and seek ways of explaining the world we live in. At the same time, languages are a very vulnerable part of our cultural heritage. Language diversity is one of humanity's most precious commodities. The paper raises some of issues relating to the preservation of indigenous languages of India, the way we practice them, the compulsions and frustrations of saving our identity and culture with our local languages and, what we may offer as recourse to this dying languages. It also features the linguistic setting of NE states of India, uniquely distinct for their tribal culture, customs and dialects. The foremost drive to write this paper to ignite the ‘language teaching fraternity’ to take it up seriously and stir a movement to save their local languages through academic discourse and with proper implementation of action plan involving local people and administration. The challenge is huge but should be and can be articulated, understood and addressed from the perspectives of sustainable planet.