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Internet: Bishnupriya Manipuri's New Domain

By RK Rishikesh Sinha

The UNESCO paper Language Vitality and Endangerment identifies many factors to characterize a language’s overall situation. The one factor among it that is the Response to New Domains and Media is very interesting at the present moment for the Bishnupriya Manipuris to vitalize the language. Since Internet as a new domain for engagement has recently come up frenziedly; and other probable new domains like school, media, and new work environments that the paper mentions has not being created yet. The only new domain that has been participated vigorously is Internet.



According to recent Google’s search report, a tsunami of Bishnupriya Manipuris have reached the Internet shores and they have googled “Bishnupriya Manipuri” in the search engine. The “Bishnupriya Manipuri” search term starts appearing from February 2010 onwards and reached its peak in December 2011. Before 2010, the volume of search (people searching the term “Bishnupriya Manipuri”) was not enough for Google to show results. But post 2010, there has been consistent and steady growth. A piece of good news which has got many ramifications!

Going by the UNESCO paper, the degree of endangerment for Bishnupriya Manipuri language probably falls in the bracket of “coping” language i.e., the language is used in some new domains. Here the new domains could be movies, songs, and peoples’ engagement in the Internet.

We could very well use the Internet domain and mold it to bring vitality to the Bishnupriya Manipuri language by creating — web media, language tutorial, a platform of discussion and debate, a storehouse of music, films, and literature — and also by launching Bishnupriya Manipuri-centric products and utilities; henceforth bringing more active and passive “Bishnupriya Manipuri” interaction among the netizens.

The paper cites, “A language is in danger when its speakers cease to use it, use it in an increasingly reduced number of communicative domains, and cease to pass it on from one generation to the next.” Presently, when there is a huge Bishnupriya Manipuri diaspora all over the world and in various states of India, creating and maintaining a robust Bishnupriya Manipuri communicative domain is the pressing need of the time. Since Bishnupriya Manipuri language “embodies the unique cultural wisdom” of us. Its loss is “a loss for all humanity”. Though there is no lurking danger of its extinction, enrichment of the language with extensive use is important. 

Announcement:

In this initiative, Learn Bishnupriya Manipuri Language Online is public now. It will help to learn Bishnupriya Manipuri language through English, Hindi, Bengali and Assamese and vice versa. Besides, it creates a repository of Bishnupriya Manipuri words and phrases.

Bisarei-The Bishnupriya Manipuri Search Engine- has collated news and information related to Late Tripura Health Minister Bimal Sinha.
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Comments

  1. Ranjit Sinha2 April 2012 at 18:35

    Good piece, thanks

    ReplyDelete
  2. Rebati3 April 2012 at 17:46

    Now, there shouldn't be any doubt, whether the Bishnupriya Manipuri language is under the category of "Language vitality" or not.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Rebati3 April 2012 at 17:48

    Now, there shouldn't be any doubt, whether the Bishnupriya Manipuri language is under the category of "Language vitality" or not.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Admin4 April 2012 at 09:32

    Ramlal Sinha
    Given the current language policy in Assam and Tripura, and the trend prevalent in a
    section urban dwellers of the community, especially the yuppie generation,
    Bishnupriya Manipuri is still an endangered language. Of course, the internet boom
    in the recent years has started a decisive fight and lessened the vulnerability of
    the language to an extent. We need to thank Bishnupriya Manipuri online for such a
    step, hope that the blog will continue to do it in the days to come. Thanks, Rishi.

    ReplyDelete
  5. pradip singha Advocate9 April 2012 at 23:42

    Thanks R.sinha 4Th april article its facts all dispute ends after S.C.judgement but its also truth that behind this legal fighat one of organisation i.e.sahitosabha contribution is remarkable & one of original Defendat of S.C.Case.And further it also incloude one of first sahid name i.e.Rajbabu singha history always tells the actual facts&figure but not to supressaed truth. [ pradip singha] masughat.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Rebati13 April 2012 at 20:11

    First of all, one must know that a language spoken by more than 10 lakh,more than 10 thousnd and below 1000,are called scheduled,non-scheduled and endangered languages respectiely. As per our census 2001 and 2010-11, BM language was categorised as non-scheduled languge, placed at serial 4 of table (iii).

    One should not be hypochondriac about the urbaneness,especially the yuppie generation. Before pointing at some one, we must know that rest of the fingers pointing towards us. Why to blame the state govt.of Assam and Tripura for the languge policy? Did any of our BM organisations ever try to visit any of the schools to find out how the languge being taught? Do we have any language policy
    within ourselves vis a vis, did Mahasabha or sahitya sabha ever called a meeting in this regards? Nay!never.

    Our languge was never be in danger and will not be.

    ReplyDelete

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