By Santosh K Kiro
Alarmed by their offsprings’ unfamiliarity about their own mother tongue, high placed government officials, professors, doctors, engineers and politicians belonging to Oraon tribe, have rushed to socially impose ‘mother tongue code’ in their society.
They have asked the parents to ‘teach’ their kids ‘Kuruk’, the mother tongue of the Oraons, the most upwardly mobile among the 32 tribes of Jharkhand. As the problem of not knowing one’s own mother tongue is more among the higher educated group among Oraons, they fears that they will have an ‘identity crisis’ in future if the Kuruk language is not revived at this stage.
“The State Government has initiated teaching of mother tongues (tribal languages) in schools. But mother tongue could be learnt best at mother’s lap—at home,” emphasised Rameshwar Oraon, MP.
“It is matter of concern as our children are not speaking their own mother tongue any more,” said REV Kujur, a retired IPS officer, talking to HT. Kujur, like several other officers—retired or serving, is a member of the Kuruk Unnati Samaj, Jharkhand. “We are advising parents to take this issue seriously and teach their wards the mother tongue,” he added.
The Oraon tribe in Jharkhand is the largest among 80-lakh tribal populations. Its members man crucial posts both in the Government and the Church. Luminaries from the tribe include Cardinal Telesphore P Toppo, a figure in the Roman Catholic Church, Bandhu Tirkey, Enos Ekka--both Ministers in the Jharkhand Government, Members of Parliament Rameshwar Oraon, MLA Niel Tirkey among others.
In some cases, Oraon children who receive education in posh schools, choose to converse with their parents in English, rather than the ‘traditional’ mother tongue.
In other States too, similar move by high Government officials like that of Jharkhand, is being made. “In Chattisgarh, Sunil Kujur, State Welfare Secretary and S. Minz, Principal Secretary, Forest along other their tribal colleagues, are busy reviving Kuruk language,” said Dr Karma Oraon, professor of Anthropology, Ranchi University. He said there are well over 35 IAS and IPS officers belonging the tribe. Interestingly, it is the children of the well-placed Government officers who have poor Kuruk literacy rate.
Alarmed by their offsprings’ unfamiliarity about their own mother tongue, high placed government officials, professors, doctors, engineers and politicians belonging to Oraon tribe, have rushed to socially impose ‘mother tongue code’ in their society.
They have asked the parents to ‘teach’ their kids ‘Kuruk’, the mother tongue of the Oraons, the most upwardly mobile among the 32 tribes of Jharkhand. As the problem of not knowing one’s own mother tongue is more among the higher educated group among Oraons, they fears that they will have an ‘identity crisis’ in future if the Kuruk language is not revived at this stage.
“The State Government has initiated teaching of mother tongues (tribal languages) in schools. But mother tongue could be learnt best at mother’s lap—at home,” emphasised Rameshwar Oraon, MP.
“It is matter of concern as our children are not speaking their own mother tongue any more,” said REV Kujur, a retired IPS officer, talking to HT. Kujur, like several other officers—retired or serving, is a member of the Kuruk Unnati Samaj, Jharkhand. “We are advising parents to take this issue seriously and teach their wards the mother tongue,” he added.
The Oraon tribe in Jharkhand is the largest among 80-lakh tribal populations. Its members man crucial posts both in the Government and the Church. Luminaries from the tribe include Cardinal Telesphore P Toppo, a figure in the Roman Catholic Church, Bandhu Tirkey, Enos Ekka--both Ministers in the Jharkhand Government, Members of Parliament Rameshwar Oraon, MLA Niel Tirkey among others.
In some cases, Oraon children who receive education in posh schools, choose to converse with their parents in English, rather than the ‘traditional’ mother tongue.
In other States too, similar move by high Government officials like that of Jharkhand, is being made. “In Chattisgarh, Sunil Kujur, State Welfare Secretary and S. Minz, Principal Secretary, Forest along other their tribal colleagues, are busy reviving Kuruk language,” said Dr Karma Oraon, professor of Anthropology, Ranchi University. He said there are well over 35 IAS and IPS officers belonging the tribe. Interestingly, it is the children of the well-placed Government officers who have poor Kuruk literacy rate.
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