Magar grandmothers involved on waning quantity of new audio system in Dhankuta

Dhankuta / Gopimaya Magar, 81, is the oldest household member with six sons and two daughters at a village known as Majhuwa of Sangurigadhi Rural Municipality-6, Dhankuta. Having survived to see her children, grandchildren and tremendous grandchildren, octogenarian Magar is blissful on her life. The solely factor she regrets about is the loss of Magar tongue in her very own family.

”Magar humans solely inhabit Majhuwa for years. But, our new teens have commenced to forget about their very own language”, stated Kopimaya. She introduced whilst seating with her top notch grandson Rajan, ”My all six sons, two daughters and my grandchildren can communicate Magar. But, extraordinary grandchildren can’t talk properly.”

Rajan Magar, 9, the high-quality grandson of Kopimaya stated he solely is aware of few Magar words. ”Father is known as ‘Boi’ and mom is referred to as ‘Moi’ in our language”, chuckled smiling Rajan, adding, ”I solely understand few words.”

Similar is the woes of Krishnamaya Magar, 70, every other resident of Majhuwa. Krishnamaya stated she has two sons and one daughter and all of them can talk Magar language language fluently. However, her grandchildren can't talk their mom tongue as their ancestors did for centuries.

”The solely infant who can talk little Magar language is my granddaughter Anita who is the daughter on my solely daughter Puja”, stated Krishnamaya. She added, ”None of my different grandchildren from two sons and one daughter can talk Magar language.”

Kopimaya and Krishnamaya stated new generations ought to now not communicate their mom tongue broadly speaking on two reasons. One, they say, is the schools, each non-public and public, the place there is no use of Magar language. Second reason, they say, is television. The televisions do no longer air any application in their indigenous language.

”Our teenagers do now not like to communicate Magar like we did”, stated Kopimaya, ”They like to talk Nepali as this is spoken in college and television.” Krishnamaya Seconded Kopimaya and added, ”If faculties had used Magar language, they may want to have spoken like us.”

Magar: A robust but declining nearby and provincial language
Sangurigadhi Rural Municipality is unfold in 10 wards inside 166.4 rectangular kilometers of area. It has 21,536 populace primarily based on decennial census of 2011. The new census is in the offing in 2021.

Among the complete populace of the nearby government, Magar is the fourth greatest mom tongue in Sangurigadhi Rural Municipality. According to the facts compiled by means of Nepal Language Commission based totally on census of 2011, there are 1685 Magar audio system in the neighborhood authorities as mom tongue in the back of Bantawa (6671), Limbu (6028) and Nepali (2632).

Not solely in nearby government, Magar is amongst the pinnacle mom tongue in the complete State-1. Based on statistics of Nepal Language Commission, Magar is the sixth greatest language in the State-1. 146,252 humans communicate Magar as mom tongue in the State-1 which is simply in the back of 5 different languages like Nepali (19,53,396), Maithili (507,275), Limbu (331,685), Tharu (177,789) and Tamang (177,613).

Despite this sturdy lingual presence at each neighborhood tiers of Sangurigadhi Rural Municipality of Dhankuta and in the State-1, variety of Magar audio system is declining. Owing to this, Magar elders like Kopimaya and Krishnamaya are dejected.

”People in my village say that our Magar audio system are reducing but Nepali and English audio system are increasing. This is now not good. All small language like our Magar need to no longer decrease”, stated Kopimaya, ”We, illiterate people, can communicate our language however our skilled kids can't talk their language. This is now not good.”

The ward chairperson of Sangurigadhi-6, Yam Prashad Magar, additionally confessed there is no longer any concrete effort to hold and promote Magar language locally. ”We have our rights. However, there are now not any tries to instruct in Magar tongue as different communities do no longer recognize Magar language.”

Magar stated there are 5 fundamental colleges and one secondary college in the ward. However, none of these colleges teaches Magar language in the Magar-majority village.

”Language additionally has its lifespan, we have to defend it”
Professor Emeritus Dr. Tanka Neupane, additionally a acknowledged linguist in State-1, stated each and every language has its lifespan. ”Because of globalization and capitalization, human beings have a tendency to adopt and talk the language that has greater financial and job opportunities”, stated Neupane, ”That is the purpose English is taught extensively and currently even Japanese, Korean and Hebrew, amongst others, are taught privately in Nepal simply for higher job opportunities.”

Neupane, who did his doctorate diploma in an indigenous language of Aathpahariya Rai of Dhankuta district, stated language upkeep is should for saving human heritage. ”A language is no longer simply a property of a neighborhood or country. It does has world significance for humanity”, stated Neupane.

Neupane stated language in no longer immortal owing to quite a number factors. He added, ”Language additionally has its lifespan, we have to defend it from dying.” In order to defend any language like Magar from dying, Neupane opined, is to take possession each in neighborhood and kingdom level.
”State has to set up a language college for preservation, promotion, safety of all languages spoken in the country”, stated Neupane. He added, ”Community additionally ought to exercise their mom tongue irrespective of kingdom response to their mom tongue. There are instances, the place in spite of state’s neglect, many languages are nevertheless thriving in the world which is a end result of neighborhood possession and safety of the language.”