Language Conflict in Nagaland
Adit Pame
Professor Hany Babu
MA English, Semester III
12th November, 2014
Language Conflict in Nagaland
Nagaland, the smallest hilly state in India lies in the North Eastern part of India. It belongs to the Himalayan region which consists of Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh and hills of Uttar Pradesh. The people of Nagaland commonly known as “Nagas” are sub-divided into several tribes chiefly dominated by the way they speak and also the culture which they inhabit. It has sixteen major tribes. These include: Angami, Ao, Chakhesang, Chang, Konyak, Lotha, Sema, Khiamniungan, Kachari, Phom, Rengma, Sangtam, Yimchunger, Kuki, Zeliang and Pochury.
How do we define language? The Oxford Dictionary defines language as “The system of communication in speech and writing that is used by a particular country or area.1” Naga language is a tone language. Each village has a separate tone language. It is also worth noting that the tribal languages of Nagaland have no script. Language is a means of thought and communication and can be arguably the most important component of culture. Language also acts as a marker of identity. Cultural differences are inextricably linked up with language. In a state like Nagaland where each tribe has their own system of language, it is the more dominant tribes which try to assert their power against the weaker tribes. The minority tribes on the other hand keep their language within themselves and converse with each other thereby keep their identity and culture intact.
A linguistically homogenous state has a sense of unity and coherence compared to the other where there is no homogeneity in language. Language difference is another major problem amongst the many social and political problems in Nagaland. The Naga languages belong to the Tibeto-Burman language family. The total number of languages claimed by the tribal communities as their mother tongue is about “200 and half of these belong to the
Professor Hany Babu
MA English, Semester III
12th November, 2014
Language Conflict in Nagaland
Nagaland, the smallest hilly state in India lies in the North Eastern part of India. It belongs to the Himalayan region which consists of Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh and hills of Uttar Pradesh. The people of Nagaland commonly known as “Nagas” are sub-divided into several tribes chiefly dominated by the way they speak and also the culture which they inhabit. It has sixteen major tribes. These include: Angami, Ao, Chakhesang, Chang, Konyak, Lotha, Sema, Khiamniungan, Kachari, Phom, Rengma, Sangtam, Yimchunger, Kuki, Zeliang and Pochury.
How do we define language? The Oxford Dictionary defines language as “The system of communication in speech and writing that is used by a particular country or area.1” Naga language is a tone language. Each village has a separate tone language. It is also worth noting that the tribal languages of Nagaland have no script. Language is a means of thought and communication and can be arguably the most important component of culture. Language also acts as a marker of identity. Cultural differences are inextricably linked up with language. In a state like Nagaland where each tribe has their own system of language, it is the more dominant tribes which try to assert their power against the weaker tribes. The minority tribes on the other hand keep their language within themselves and converse with each other thereby keep their identity and culture intact.
A linguistically homogenous state has a sense of unity and coherence compared to the other where there is no homogeneity in language. Language difference is another major problem amongst the many social and political problems in Nagaland. The Naga languages belong to the Tibeto-Burman language family. The total number of languages claimed by the tribal communities as their mother tongue is about “200 and half of these belong to the