Indigenous peoples have their own language and culture. However, the languages of most of the ethnic groups are disappearing day by day. They have lost their own language and alphabet due to the lack of writing and reading practice.
A survey of the International Mother Language Institute in 2018 has revealed that forty indigenous native languages are spoken in Bangladesh. Among them, Kanda, Kharia, Koda, Saura, Mundari, Kol, Malto, Khumi, Pankhwa, Rengmitcha, Chak, Khiang, Lushai, and Laleng, are threatened.
"We (people of the Manipuri community) speak our mother tongue at home. But we speak Bangla when we go outside. It can be seen that our new generation can speak Manipuri but cannot read and write. Therefore, there is a danger of gradual extinction of our mother tongue," said Lakshmikanta Singh, Executive Director at Ethnic Community Development Organization (ECDO).
The Jatiya Adivasi Parishad, the ethnic group's own organization, says that there are over 2.5 million people residing in thirty-six ethnic groups in sixteen districts of plains, including Naogaon. Changma is the language of the Chakma, Alchiki is the language of the Santhals, Uraods have their own language, Kurukh and Sadri, and Mahale have their own language, Mahanli. Since there is no written structure of these languages, these languages have been circulating orally for ages. Once the people of these communities spoke their own language, but now they have also started speaking Bangla. Their own language is at stake.
The National Curriculum and Textbook Board has published textbooks in their own languages for the children of five ethnic groups at the primary level from the academic year 2017. Accordingly, the government publishes pre-primary and primary books in six ethnic minority languages. These are Chakma, Marma, Tripura, Garo, Santal, and Sadri languages. However, as there are no teachers of those languages, these textbooks are of no use to children of ethnic groups.
There are sixty-two thousand people of seven ethnic groups in Sherpur, according to statistics. Most of them live in bordering Sribardi, Jhinaigati, and Nalitabari upazilas. Among them, the population of the Garo community is 34 thousand, 17 thousand Barman, 4,500 Hadi, 4,000 Koch, 1,200 Hajong, 1,200 Dalu, and 100 people of the Banai community. However, the number of ethnic minorities in the district is over 20,000, as per the government.
"Indigenous people must be allowed to use their mother tongue; otherwise, the initiative to preserve the mother tongue will not succeed. Most of the languages spoken by ethnic groups are unscripted. As a result, it is necessary to preserve the languages of the ethnic groups. Teachers should be appointed to teach it along with textbooks in schools. Although the previous governments have taken initiatives in that regard, the steps have not been successful due to lack of coordination," said Pavitra Chandra Barman, president of Sherpur District Barman Parishad.
"We cannot read and write the alphabet of the Chakma language. There is no opportunity to practice at home. Children forget what they have learned in school due to lack of practice. We need more trained teachers to reduce the problem," said Kalpana Chakma of Comilla University.
The 'indigenous' culture is being endangered in the name of urbanization and industrialization. The survival of an ethnic community is mainly involved in the practice and preservation of language. The government needs to come forward to preserve the languages of indigenous people. The government can provide adequate textbooks, train more teachers, establish more schools and cultural centers in different districts of the country, and provide support for regular research, discussion, and publication on indigenous language and literature to protect their own language and cultural diversity.
