DIMAPUR — Sütsa,
the mother tongue of the Sümi community, falls under the ‘definitely
endangered’ category, going by UNESCO’s classification of endangered languages.
This means that while adults still speak the language, fewer children are speaking
Sütsa at home due to several factors, said Dr. H Hotokhü Chishi, vice-chairman
of the Sümi Literature Board (SLB).
Highlighting this concern at the International Mother
Language Day event, organised by the SLB on Friday at Valley View Sümi Baptist
Church, Dimapur, he said that this trend is becoming a threat to the survival
of Sütsa. To prevent escalation to other stages of endangerment, he underscored
the need for families to speak mother tongue at home and for elders to pass on
the language to the younger generation.
Chishi, who was presenting a paper on the ‘Evolution of Sümi
dialect and its endangerment,’ suggested increased efforts to use Sütsa during
community-based events and church gatherings. Student bodies can also conduct
literary sessions using the mother language during their conferences and other
events, he said.
He also noted the role of churches and suggested the
formulation of a policy that will encourage the clergy and other church workers
to use Sütsa, in addition to making it the medium on instruction in Sunday
schools. Chishi also highlighted the need for more qualified linguists to be
involved in the SLB for language development.
Speaking at the event, SLB chairman, Vihoshe Mürü,
emphasised that the responsibility of preserving and developing the mother
language lies not only with the SLB but the entire community. Citing the
Ethnologue guide, he said there are 7,139 officially known languages in the
world, out of which an estimated 40 per cent including Sütsa are likely to go
extinct by the end of the century. In order to stop this from happening, he
appealed for more support—for Sütsa literature and its preservation and
transmission.
Further elaborating on the formation and functioning of the
board, Mürü noted that 119 years have passed since Sütsa was put in ‘black and
white,’ starting with the translation of church hymns. Though under a different
nomenclature, the foundation for SLB was set in 1947 and the board commemorated
its golden jubilee in 1997 by introducing Sütsa at the Pre-University level.
At present, the SLB has approached the Higher Education
department to introduce the language at the undergraduate level and once the
approval comes, the matter will be taken up with Nagaland University (NU), he
said.
In this connection, Prof. H John Sema, who heads the
department of Political Science at NU, noted that universities have certain
criteria to fulfill in order for a subject to be introduced. Factors including
how many students are taking the subject at the primary, elementary and higher
secondary levels have to be considered before Sütsa is introduced, he informed.
Even if it is introduced at the BA level, if there are no
takers for the subject, the university will derecognise the subject and that
will be a cause for embarrassment to the entire community, he cautioned.
Inavi Jimo, chairman of Nagaland State Agricultural Produce
and Livestock Marketing Board, urged for more support for SLB’s work, stating
that any language without a strong foundation would eventually collapse.
He said that in the context of Sümis and the Naga people in
general, “we are only in the third or fourth generation of ‘literate’ or
‘educated’ people and we have a long way to go but almost every Naga speaks at
least three languages— mother tongue, English, Nagamese. And while there is a
general tendency to label those who speak only in their mother language as
‘aphulomi (villager),’ this mindset has to go,” he said.
Jimo further stated that there is so much division in
society in various aspects and the mother language is the only collective
heritage that society agrees upon. He called upon to learn and carry the
language and knowledge forward.
Felicitation and book launch
During the event, the SLB recognised and felicitated four
Sümi elders namely Ihezhe Zhimo, Dr. HS Rotokha, Dr. I Lozhevi Sema, and Dr.
Hokishe Yeputhomi— as ‘Living Heritage’ and awarded a certificate of ‘lifetime
contribution’ to Dr. Kiyexu Assumi.
Citations and awards were also given out to Sütsa language
toppers in the 2024 high school, higher secondary examinations as well as Sütsa
Academy toppers.
A total of ten books including the BA honours syllabus were
also launched to mark the occasion.
Meanwhile, Hoto Yepthomi, convenor of the SLB resolution
committee, informed that the board has adopted six resolutions including the
reaffirmation of Point 3 of its platinum jubilee resolution making the SLB the
governing body on all matters related to Sütsa.
The SLB will also have the final say in all and any
conflicts arising on this matter and any individual or organisation coining new
words in Sütsa or retranslating words will have to seek approval of the board
before publication.
It resolved that the SLB will coordinate with Sütsa
academies to develop a ‘crash course’ for working professionals, church workers
or anyone interested in learning the language. It also said that the collection
of INR 10 from every Sümi individual to fund the writing of Sütsa text books
would continue in 2025.
Further, it called for public support to ensure that Sümi
Kukuputsa, the only Sutsa vernacular newspaper continues to flourish.
