-Dr. Hano  Hailang

A book on Apatani Language titled “The Quintessence of Apatani Language (Prelude)” was launched by Hon’ble Minister for Power, Forest, Environment and Parliamentary Affairs, Setong Sena on Dree, July 5 last at Ziro.

The Book is authored by Nending Ommo, a young Linguist serving as Assistant Professor at Rang–Frah Government College, Changlang. He has two Masters of Arts in English and Linguistics and an MPhil in English. He is registered for PhD at Deccan College Post Graduate & Research Institute, Pune.

Hon’ble Minister for Power, Forestry, Environment and Parliamentary Affairs, Setong Sena releasing the book on the occasion of Dree

The book underscores on the importance of preserving Apatani language, talks on the linguistic affiliation of Tani Languages, spotlights on the dialectal variations in Apatani, highlights on the provisional phonetics of Apatani language, accentuates on the exigency to standardize orthography, discusses the limitations of Tani Lipi with regards to Apatani etc.
The writing of the book is sociolinguistic in nature and it challenges the readers to contemplate on saving of one’s mother tongue. The copies of books are now available in all leading book stands in Arunachal.

All Photographs copyrighted to the author.

And it was quite a hectic week for team AG Design as it was giving final touches to the official site of Popi Sarmin Society before handing it over to the society for it’s official launch yesterday.

The Popi Sarmin Society’s official site was launched by Chief Guest Padi Richo, Hon’ble MLA and Parliamentary Secretary for Land Management & Labour and Employment in a special function held at Hotel Arun Subansiri, Itanagar yesterday.

Below are some of the photos of the event mailed by Popi Sarmin Society.

According to UN’s cultural agency UNESCO’s Atlas of the World Languages in Danger 2009, all the languages of Arunachal Pradesh are endangered of which Apatani language is obviously one of them. Apatani is listed as ‘vulnerable’ in degree of transmission as per the factor of Intergenerational Language Transmission.

Nending Ommo

Understanding the gravity of this situation, Nending Ommo is publishing a book on the sound systems of Apatani language titled “Quintessential of Apatani Phonetics” this Dree 2011. According to him, cultural change or dynamism and language assimilations and endangerment at this age of modernisation are inevitable. But the least as a sentient Linguist and a responsible Apatani, he feels he can contribute to the society is to document this endangered language. He opines that language is the epicentre of any culture and he hopes to bestow something meaningful to the logic of the axiom ‘Loss of Culture, Loss of identity’ in Apatani community context.

Ommo indubitably feels the need to preserve and save Apatani language and Apatani culture as the culture is as vulnerable as the language. The pressing need of the hour he feels is to document Apatani language, as preserving or saving language and culture are steps beyond initial documentation. If one’s language is lost it would be irreparable loss of cultural heritage as language is the source of the speakers’ identity and reflects a unique worldview and culture complex, mirroring the manner in which a speech community has resolved its problems in dealing with the world and has formulated its thinking, its system of philosophy and understanding of the world around it.

The proposed book “Quintessential of Apatani Phonetics” is an extended work of Ommo’s MA dissertation thesis titled “Phonology of Apatani” which was submitted under the guidance of Dr. Sonal Kulkarni- Joshi to Deccan College Post Graduate and Research Institute, Pune; the third oldest educational Institute of India. More meticulous field trips, solemn research works, exhaustive acoustic phonetic analysis and minute cross checking has been supplemented to his thesis. This book would be the first of the series; he plans to publish more books on Apatani language. Books on morphology and then syntax of Apatani language are in offing next in near future.

Mr. Nending Ommo, basically a Linguist, is working as Assistant Professor in English Department at Rang-Frah Government College, Changlang. Apart from his MA (English) and MPhil (English), he has his second MA in Linguistics. Previously, for two years he worked as Field Investigator on the project “Sociolinguistics study of Apatani as an endangered language” under North Eastern Language Development (NELD) at Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), Mysore, Ministry of Human Resource, Government of India.

Well, the wait is over. Google Earth has finally uploaded the high resolution image of Ziro (see the screenshot below).

High Resolution Satellite Image of Ziro-Hapoli Township

Now denizens of Ziro, go find your home.

(Information via FB friend)

Never before had I seen organizations condoning condemning the mob act similar to November 3^rd outburst at Ziro after similar murder incident. Take for instance, the July 15^th death of Late Jumchi (Tachi) Nguso in police custody where students’ body tried to bury the dead body inside the police station premise or another instance where an old man Late Miti Mepo died due to high handedness of IRBn personnel on August 2^nd and subsequent ransacking of Deputy Commissioners office, SP office etc at Roing. In both the instance, various organizations just condemned the murder of innocent citizen and not the resultant act by the public. And they demanded that the culprit of the crime be brought to book and there  was never any demand for arrest of those involved in the mob act.

Why? Why the mob act was not condemned that time? Why arrests of those involved in vandalism in the above instance not demanded? Was it because in both the instance the perpetrator of the act was the man in uniform and it was seen as a fight against failing system? But then, wasn’t the mob act at Ziro on November 3^rd also a resultant of failing district administration? Or was there any other reason? I’ve been told that there has been cold blooded murder since the past few years in this otherwise peaceful and eventless Ziro Valley and the administration was not able to contain the crimes. Also, it has been told that while dealing with the sensitive issue like murder, the approach of the district administration was callous. So, was this callous attitude of the administration that led to public outburst on November 3^rd at Ziro? Only impartial magisterial inquiry as demanded by ZCD (Ziro Development Committee) would reveal the exact cause that led to November 3rd public outburst. But then, is the government ready to institute such impartial inquiry to unearth the real cause and penalize those in authority if found at fault?

Well, having said that, I’m not trying to glorify or justify the act of vandalism of public property on November 3^rd, but instead do condemn the act of Vandalism of November 3^rd, or for that matter, any act of vandalism on public property by anyone in severest of terms. It’s just that we should shun this double standardness and hypocrisy while condemning any act.

Is this some kind of a racial attack on Apatani? Three cold blooded murders in three years in Ziro, the home of Apatanis! Two outside Ziro this year itself. List is long when we talk of last three, four years. The people of Ziro have been feeling the pain for long. They have been waiting for law to take its own course and found that laws are not equal to all. They took out peaceful procession praying for justice and security of life in many occassions but their cries fell on deaf ears. Non-violence used to be a sign of strength but to them it appears to be a sign of weakness. Tolerance is virtue of brave heart but it made them appear to be chicken hearted.

Aggrieved by the murder of an unsuspecting school boy, walking on the road, for no reason, a group of concerned citizen of Ziro along with friends and well wisher of the deceased‘s family call on Deputy Commissioner with same old strategy of prayer and petition but they found that she was only as good as when she was absent. Her fleeing the scene in such fragile law and order situation is on every body’s lips (misplaced belief or real, whatever). Moreover, Deputy Commissioner is quoted to have made an escapist remark. “What can district administration do as long as the people of the valley brew wine in their home?”

Well, dozen of registered wine shops are doing businesses in Hapoli even as curfew has been clamped on to defuse the tension.

Having got the spark that was needed to ignite the fire, thing changed for good or for bad on the day of November 3. Unarmed and non-violent group of people turn into a mob. Stones, sticks and wooden logs lying on roadsides become their tool. DC office, Police Station and DC’s residence were ransacked. One car was burnt and some others damaged. There was no visible resistance from police and security personals. “Indeed!” The mob said “if District Administration can’t do anything for its citizen what’s the use of office buildings and police station.”

Unfortunate! Citizen took the law in their hand. A condemnable act in strongest term .

What worried me is the reaction of the people in general towards this act of misdeed. Wave of satisfaction spread across the valley on news of ransacking of DC Office Complex and Police Station.This is an eye opener, I’m told by hundreds of them. It’s horrible! This is not the Apatanis I know. It never happened in history of Ziro. I hardly see any regret shown by ordinary Apatanis for what the mob has done. What used to be a proper thing became improper and improper thing became proper. Who is to blame?

A week passed by but their anger has not died yet.There is total public distrust towards district administration. Some sort of examplery punishment to the murderers only would give some healing touch.

Amidst all these chaos there was one good news: anger was vented against district administration but no single word of communal tone was heard.

Importantly, this episode has exposed the state of policing in one of the most populous and happening town of Arunachal Pradesh. Around two hours of mayhem but police were nowhere controlling the mob. One can guage from this as to how crime can be controlled in the town.

It is a difficult time for people as well as district administration. Damages have been made to the public properties and to the psyche of the people. But a line from P.B Shelley’s poem worth a quote “If winter has come, would spring be far behind.”

The Chief Guest, Shri Setong Sena, Hon’ble Finance Minister of the State while giving away the prizes showered his appreciation to the Forum for encouraging the young students in pursuit of their academic career.

The details of the award winners can be found here.

It is information to general public of Raga & Yachuli Constituency that there will be meeting on 03-04-10 at Hotel Arun Subansiri, Itanagar, Time 10 a.m. onwards to discuss about Hapoli township. NES, ANSU, AYSU, ARASU, intellectual, senior leaders etc. with panchayat leaders also present. All are requested to attend positively.

-Signed, President L.S.Y.O

What’s up? When you are calling a meeting to discuss about Hapoli Township, why invitation only for NES, ANSU, AYSU, ARASU intellectuals, senior leaders, panchayat leaders of only one community? Why have you forgotten to invite the residents of Hapoli Township?

BTW who’s this LSYO? If I’m getting it right LSYO stands for Lower Subansiri Youth Organization. If yes then, when you are inviting ANSU, AYSU and ARASU why didn’t you invited the students’ and youth organisation of Lower Subansiri District like ALSSU or ASU or AYA? And moreover, when you are discussing about Hapoli Township, why conduct meeting at Itanagar and not Hapoli? Is Itanagar closer in distance to Hapoli Town for public of Raga & Yachuli Constituency? Or is there any ulterior motive? Only those who attended the said meeting today would be able to tell what’s up?

Below is the circular as published in The Arunachal Times.

P.S. Those who attended the said meeting today, do please tell us what’s up?

I know I’ve been bit late in wishing you all. Infact, I’d have forgotten that it’s Myoko time had I not called Cho yesterday. When asked what’s up, he said, “well, I’m preparing myself with my friends to go all out at Hong Village”. I couldn’t make out what he meant immediately, but then I realized, it’s Myoko time and he along with his friends are preparing courtesy visit to ‘Hong’ friends for a bout of ‘O’ (rice beer). I said,”Enjoy”. Did you asked, what about me? Well, I wouldn’t be able to make it to Myoko this time. Poor me

But, don’t you dare miss ‘Myoko’. Wish you happy wining and dining again.

While at Arunachal Diary, you may like to read earlier posts on ‘Myoko’. Follow the link below:

1. Myoko-A Perspective
2. Myoko Celebration of Apatani’s-A Photo Feature
3. Construction of Lapang and Erection of Babo in Apatani Community – A Photo Feature