Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu reaffirms Ura Academy’s commitment to promoting Tenyidie

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• Dr Shürhozelie Liezietsu addressing the valedictory programme of the 55th Annual Tenyidie Seminar at Ura Academy Hall, Kohima, on Friday. (EM Images)

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• KOHIMA — President of Ura Academy, Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu, on Friday reaffirmed the academy’s commitment to preserving and promoting Tenyidie language, stressing that without one's language, identity is incomplete.
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• He was addressing the valedictory programme of the three-day 55th Annual Tenyidie Seminar organised by Ura Academy in collaboration with the Department of Tenyidie, Nagaland University, at Ura Academy Hall, Kohima.
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• He recalled how the American missionaries established a school and Tenyidie was taught, enabling the growth of Tenyidie among learners.
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• Yet, modern education has overshadowed it, and in that backdrop, Ura Academy has been propagating and promoting the Tenyidie language, he said and added that not knowing one’s language would be a mockery.

Dr Shürhozelie Liezietsu, Thejao Vihienuo, Vezuhu Keyho, Kevileno Angami and other dignitaries during the valedictory function of the 55th Annual Tenyidie Seminar at Ura Academy Hall, Kohima. (EM Images)

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• Pointing out that Ura Academy had, during the ongoing seminar on May 28, organised a seminar and discussion with all literature boards of sub-dialects in the backdrop of the new National Education Policy (NEP), he reiterated the stand of Ura Academy that it wants these literature boards to develop their mother tongue with all seriousness, on a proper footing, and use it in schools as the 'first language' according to the three-language formula at the elementary level.
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• In this regard, he highlighted that Tenyidie is a modern Indian language available for Tenyimia students up to the Ph.D. level. As such, it will be in the interest of the students if Tenyidie is introduced as the second language in schools to enable students to learn Tenyidie next to their mother tongue.

Also read: Ura Academy's Annual Tenyidie Seminar begins in Kohima

• “A living language should continue to develop all the time,” Liezietsu said and emphasised that Ura Academy wants all sub-languages to play their role with a positive attitude by contributing new words from their languages to Tenyidie, particularly those not currently available in the dictionary.
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• Highlighting that 64 Naga tribes inhabit the states, as recorded by Rev. VK Nuh in his book ‘The Naga Chronicle,’ the academy president opined that there could be more than 70 Naga languages.
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• He said poetry and drama are the pillars for literature, and he expressed hope that there will be more books in Tenyidie by the end of this year. He also highlighted that music and songs are also vehicles for promoting a language.
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• Ura Academy's annual event is a non-political platform but discusses rich heritage, culture and traditions, he said and further called for more participation from different professionals of all age groups to pass on the knowledge and legacy.
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• President of the Chakhesang Public Organisation (CPO), Vezuhu Keyho, in his speech, hailed the Ura Academy for promoting and propagating the Tenyidie language to date and urged them to continue the same.
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• Asserting that the Tenyimi Union Nagaland (TUN) was formed to foster better understanding among the Tenyimi tribes inhabiting Nagaland, he said the Tenyimi community is not by choice but by blood, and added the need for better coordination through love and unity.
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• He also suggested establishing a Tenyimi village as a model village for the Tenyimi community wherein Tenyidie would be the official language.
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• President of the Angami Public Organisation (APO), Thejao Vihienuo, said language not only connects and communicates but is an identity for the people. As such, he acknowledged the work of Ura Academy and the leadership of its president, Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu, in promoting the Tenyidie language.
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• To further develop the Tenyidie language, Vihienuo called for respect for one’s language. To enrich the language and increase the number of speakers, he said it needs to be simplified and should include more common words.
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• He also mooted organising more Tenyimi festivals to uphold heritage and traditions in order to remain rooted.
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• Earlier, the Ura Academy Rüpfhünuo programme was held with Asano Sekhose, Retd. Chairperson, NBSE, and Dr. Hovithal Sothu, Director, TaFMA, GoN, as speakers in the first session. Later in the afternoon, a ‘Discussion on the usage of the Tenyidie Language in educational institutions’ was held.