Arunachal: Books, documentary film on Kaasik culture and language released
KHONSA- Two books and a documentary film on the culture and language of Kaasik were released on 28 Feb, 2022 at Noksa Village, Tirap District, Arunachal Pradesh. Dr. Ripi Doni, Circle officer, and Wiram Matey, Zila Parishad Member Kapu Anchal block of Longo circle graced the function as Chief Guest and Guest of Honour respectively in the presence of Dungwang Lowang, Chief and the natives of Noksa Village.
The book titled “The Language and Ethnography of the Kaasiks of Arunachal Pradesh” authored by Lienjang Zeite, Kaling Dabi, Kombong Darang, Rebeka Borang, Chera Devi and Rumi Deuri. The dictionary titled “Kaasik-English Dictionary” compiled by Mechek Sampar Awan.
The documentary film ‘The Songs We Sing, The Drums We Beat’ directed by Kombong Darang and produced by Centre for Endangered Languages (CFEL), Arunachal Institute of Tribal Studies, Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU) was also released and screened during the program.
Dr. Doni congratulated the CFEL-AITS research team for successful completion of the project. She also further urged the Kaasik community to preserve their language and culture.
Matey extended her gratitude to the research team for their effort in preserving the Kaasik language. She also stressed upon the importance of education and urged the community members to send their wards to schools.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Wanglit Mongchan expressed his gratitude to the community members for their cooperation in carrying out this research. He further stated that these research outputs will be very much useful as a teaching material for the schools while implementing the new education policy. He also expressed his gratitude to Prof. Saket Kushwaha, Vice Chancellor, Rajiv Gandhi University, and Prof. Jumyir Basar, Director, AITS, RGU Director for the support to carry out research and documentation on lesser known tribal communities of Arunachal Pradesh.
The Centre for Endangered Languages (CFEL), Arunachal Institute of Tribal Studies (AITS), Rajiv Gandhi University is a research Centre sponsored by UGC. The Centre has been actively functioning since 2016. The main purpose of the Centre is to carry out multidisciplinary study and documentation on the languages and cultures of Arunachal Pradesh.
The research team of CFEL carried out extensive study and documentation on the Kaasik community for about 3 years since 2017 and produced an ethnographic film and two books whish was realeased today. The Kaasik is one of the speech varieties of the Nocte tribe which is known as Khapa. The domain of the Kaasik language is confined to Noksa, Pullung, Old Tupi and New Tupi. It is a highly endangered language classified under ethnolinguistics cluster of Arunachal Pradesh. According to the 2011 census, Kaasiks speakers are only 1215.
The program was organized by CFEL in collaboration with the native speakers of Noksa village. Prof. S. Simon John, Coordinator, CFEL and the Executive Editor of the books, Tailyang Nampi (PhD scholar) along with the research team participated in the program.
