Rabi Mohan Karbong, a representative of an endangered ethno-linguistic tribal group in the state Tripura, was felicitated by the state government on International Mother Language Day. The government also announced steps to rename different places in indigenous tribal dialects as a sign of respect and recognition to the communities. 

Chief Minister Biplab Deb, speaking at an event at Rabindra Shatabarshiki Bhavan in state capital Agartala, announced commitments to give equal importance and recognition to all indigenous communities. He said that he can truly express his emotions in his mother tongue, Bengali while he speaks many other languages.

“We speak different languages but can’t connect with all of them. Only our mother tongue can bind us to our roots. We should protect our mother tongue as it represents emotion, accent, clarity, non-verbal body language and most of all, who we are,” the CM said, that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stressed on learning in one’s mother tongue till the fifth standard through the Centre’s New Education Policy.

Deb said the country was under the occupation of foreign invaders for centuries and their languages subsumed in traditional Indian languages over time. “He said the traditional dialects that were steeped in native soil were often ignored as foreign languages took precedence,” the CM added that it was an attempt to impose a foreign language on natives that led to the ‘Bhasha Andolan’ (movement to establish the primacy of Bengali language) in present-day Bangladesh, in 1952. That struggle paved the way for the International Mother Language Day, he further said.

“We believe in working on the ground as opposed to talking big. In the coming days, we shall rename different places of Tripura in tribal languages to respect and acknowledge our linguistic identities,” Deb said. His administration already renamed one of Tripura’s hill ranges, Baramura, as Hatai Kotor, which means big mountain in the local Korborok dialect.

Tripura is home to 19 tribal communities, including the ancient Tripuri clans and those of the Halam community,  of which only a few are left who speak their native language.

Korbong, which was recognized on Sunday as an endangered linguistic community of Tripura, is one among few other groups such as Chaimar and Bongcher where a handful are around who speak their local dialect. 

As per a government estimate, 8,14,375 people from Tripura, Reang, Jamatia, Noatia, Kalai, Rupini, Murasing and Uchoi communities speak the Kokborok language in Tripura, the lingua franca for the majority of the state’s indigenous groups or people.