Classical Status to Odia Language Odisha Review

Language and Identity with Special Reference to the Tribal People in Odisha

Dr. Chitrasen Pasayat

Language is extensively accepted as one of the natural process which is more rapid in this age of major factors, which creates boundedness or ‘we industrialization and urbanization; it is more feeling’. It offers a bond of solidarity; it provides expected in this era of mass media and internet. a common cultural identity among those who share The process of homogenization is viewed in a a common language. positive sense and is acceptable for the unity and In 1905, a strong language movement integrity of a state like Odisha. One such example was noticed in Sambalpur and politics based on is the linguistic reorganization of the Indian states Odia language brought some areas of western enforced after independence in 1956. It was Odisha like Sambalpur into Odisha. On the basis based on the language identity of the dominant of language, possibly, Odisha was the first state groups. In this endeavour, the political boundary carved out in the year 1936 that too during British of a state like Odisha has incorporated more than regime. These days, Odia is the dominant and one culture area in terms of language. On the other official language of our state. In course of time, hand, culture-area on the basis of language is however, we have realized that it is difficult to vivisected across administrative and political units build an authentic Odia nation-state by establishing i.e. states. the dominance of Odia language and culture. We have miserably failed particularly in the field of For example, Santhali speaking area is tribal literacy. As a result of this, we have now apportioned between Odisha, West Bengal and concentrated on imparting primary education to Jharkhand. Accordingly, Santhali speaking people the tribal pupils in their mother languages. At the are also speaking Bengali in West Bengal, Hindi initial stage, State Government under DPEP has in Jharkhand and Odia in Odisha. Similarly, the taken all necessary steps to prepare primers in Gonds are a Dravidian speaking tribal group, who ten tribal languages. In this sense, it would not be are largely scattered in Chhattisgarh, Andhra out of context to mention that we should have a Pradesh and Odisha. Their language Gondi has nation-state with multiple language centres. virtually no literary life and the Gondi speaking Of course, we cannot reject and refute people are no longer a compact block. the existence of forces which work together to Everywhere, they acquire and accept the promote cultural homogenization among different languages of the dominant neighbouring people, linguistic groups in a state like Odisha. It is a like Odia, Hindi and Telugu.

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Odisha is a polity. It has a common mother tongues in Indian Census. The Census economic and political framework. After enumerators simply list mother tongues as reported independence, we have conceived of a common by the respondents. Another source of confusion economic and political mainstream. We have also is the census reports that record a large number tried to conceive of a cultural mainstream. of languages which are, in fact, not languages, but Nevertheless, it has been difficult to conceive of expressions of socio-cultural affinities. For a cultural mainstream based on Odia language instance, Reddy, Bhasa, Muslim Pahari, Ahiri reducing other tribal languages of the State to the Hindi, Rajputi, Islami, Christian and so on. status of marginal. In view of this, plural identity However, there is no denying the fact that of a tribal person in Odisha may be suggested, the tribal languages were forced into a corner. which become manifested in different situations Not a single language of vast tribal people in India and contexts. Language has a tremendous power had been accorded official status till 2004. Only to raise communication barrier between various Santhali language has been recognized very linguistic groups. Linguism and linguistic recently. Tribal languages like Gondi, Oraon/ chauvinism are phenomena, which have received Kurukh with more than millions of speakers are a great deal of attention from social scientists for not yet scheduled in the Constitution of India. the reason that it has the potential to generate Historically and culturally, the tribal people in India tension and accentuate cleavages in a multi-lingual and Odisha in particular have been playing state like Odisha with 62 officially recognized important roles. Some of these tribal languages tribal communities with as many as languages. In have more numerical strength than some of those this context, mention may be made of the Santhali mentioned in the Eighth Schedule of the language movement in Odisha, Jharkhand and Constitution. For instance, besides Santhali, the West Bengal. Recently, Santhali has got official number of speakers of Gondi and Oraon/Kurukh status. Sahitya Akademi has instituted awards for languages is more than the speakers of Sanskrit the Santhali writers. Interestingly, some more tribal and Kashmiri and Sindhi. communities with substantial numerical and speaker strength are demanding official Odia is the official language in Odisha as recognition to their languages. In sum, the linguistic stated earlier. But, linguistically defined, a number factor can act as a force both for the cohesion as of independent tribal languages are spoken within well as for disintegration too. the boundaries of modern Odisha. In our state, there are two Government institutions namely More than eighty years back, George Academy of Tribal Dialects and Culture (ATDC) Grierson undertook the Linguistic Survey of India and ST and SC Research-cum-Training Institute in 1927. At that time he mentioned about 179 under the Welfare Department which are languages and 544 dialects. Subsequently, the specifically looking into tribal issues. As it has been 1931 Census, the last enumeration done by the mentioned earlier, there are 62 tribal groups British, listed more than 2000 languages. The officially recognized in Odisha. They constitute figures of mother tongues reported in different about 23 per cent of the total population of the Censuses of Independent India too varied: 1951 (782), 1961 (1652), 1971 (1019). There may State. be two probable sources of these confusions. One However, it may be noted here that the is the procedure followed in identification of the tribe and the tribal language are not coterminous.

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For instance, the population strength of Juang is encouraging developments towards language more than the number of speakers of Juang identity of the tribal people in Odisha. language. The reverse may occur as well. In case TABLE-I of Koya tribe, their population is less than the speakers of Koya language. It means that tribe Tribal Languages of Odisha on the Basis of their and language population do not go hand in hand. Independent Linguistic Status and Speaker And this need not be a case of erroneous Strength as per 1971 Census - enumeration either. Table-I suggests us to believe Sr.No. Tribe Population Language Speakers that people speaking tribal languages have long 1. Bhumij 146978 Bhumij 28208 been enumerated most probably as Odia 2 Gadaba 46594 Gadaba 9211 speakers. Does it mean that tribal people in 3 Gond 499276 Gondi 16249 Odisha have really undergone long process of 4 Ho 31916 Ho 213871 intense linguistic acculturation and given up their 5 Juang 24384 Juang 12172 6 Kharia 120483 Kharia 49915 languages partially ? 7 Khond 869965 Khond 195913 Last but not the least, there are four written 8 - - Kui 350924 tribal languages found in modern Odisha. These 9 Kisan 80025 Kisan 72528 are Santhali, Saura, Kui and Ho. Written literature 10 Koya 59168 Koya 73716 11 Munda 222117 Munda/Koi 154132 in these tribal languages are also available at the 12 Mundari 17813 Mundari 117802 present time. Sahitya Akademi has started giving 13 Oraon 164619 Kurukh/ 59179 awards to the Santhali writers. Attempts are being Oraon made to impart primary education to the tribal 14 Santhal 452953 Santhali 378130 pupils in their languages. These are some 15 Saora 342757 Saora 157989

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