Sikari Tisso: A visionary on a mission to document the Karbi language and build language bridges

Language is the significant element for the formation of an identity of a particular community. Language is intrinsic to the expression of a culture and critical to human cognition and meaning making. Human understanding of the world is based on language. Language is not simply identifying with words or voices, silence, signs, and symbols also constitute language. According to linguist Kari Gibson, ‘language is a fundamental aspect of a cultural identity. It is the means by which we convey our innermost self from generation to generation. It is through language that we transmit and express our culture and its values. Language-both code and content- is a complicated dance between internal and external interpretations of our identity.’¹

This is where the importance of the preservation of language lies for a community. It is in this context I have tried to write and make the readers familiar with the invincible spirit of Sikari Tisso from Karbi Anglong in Assam and would like to highlight his relentless journey towards documenting each Karbi word. For Tisso, having a language is not enough until it is documented, and the forgotten words of the community are preserved.

Journey of the thousand miles begins with a small step:

Northeast India is depository of rich cultural heritage, diverse languages and multiple dialects and its treasure enriched by the Karbi language spoken by the Karbis of Assam. It belongs to the Sino-Tibetan language family, based on the Roman script and also occasionally written in Assamese script. ‘In case of Karbi language there are two major dialect groups: one variety spoken in the hills and another one spoken in the plains. The hill varieties are spoken by a much higher percentage of the population living across Karbi Anglong and the Western Karbi Anglong Districts of Assam. However, the plain variety is spoken by Karbi people living in the plains of Assam and in the Assam-Meghalaya border area.’²

Sikari Tisso, a resident of Diphu, the headquarter town of Karbi Anglong district has started his sole journey of documenting the Karbi language since 2000. After his retirement as an employee of the Fishery Department of Assam in 2021, Tisso has engaged himself in this mission documenting each word of Karbi language with renewed vigour. He is also associated with the apex Karbi literary body Karbi Lammet Amei, or the Karbi Sahitya Sabha and has published two books, both on documentations of traditional lullabies and nursery rhymes in the Karbi language. “My dream of preserving Karbi words, its distinct characteristics, it different forms have attracted me to work for my language. Although I am not an academician, I seriously feel about the gradual loss of Karbi language and documenting its words and variation was my immediate concern and, I feel, this is the sole responsibility of my life,” says Sikari Tisso.

While being associated with Karbi Lammet Amei, Sikari Tisso got the opportunity to travel to different areas of Karbi Anglong, Nagaon, Lakhimpur, Biswanath Chariali, Cachar districts in Assam and to places in Meghalaya. These visits helped Tisso to identify the differences that exist among the Karbi speakers while speaking the language, its pronunciations, and other linguistic deviations.

“I feel that each language changes beyond 3km range. While travelling I could feel how the same language changes because of the changing socio, cultural and geographical contexts. It was the time I realize the need for having a Karbi Dictionary.” Since then, Sikari Tisso has been working on a Karbi trilingual dictionary having Karbi words in Assamese and in English translation.

Sikari Tisso has also got the opportunity to work with PhD researcher of University of Regensburg, Germany, Linda Konnerth in her dissertation on the Karbi language. They together worked on standardizing the language. Linda’s Konnerth’s dissertation A Grammar of Karbi was published in 2015, and it was Tisso who helped her in completing the dissertation. He helped Linda to understand the variety of genres, including folk stories, general narratives, procedural texts that were recorded through audio- video clips and also through interview/ conversation with Karbi people.

Currently, Tisso has been involved in another significant project of Stephie Yami, a researcher of the University of Munster, Germany. Her doctoral research is on ‘Socio-Linguistic Study of Karbi Society.’ Stephie Yami, when met in Diphu, narrated her experience of documenting Karbi language: “It is very exciting to learn about Karbi society, their language and it’s variations and their culture, I went to West Karbi Anglong and I am trying to understand how people communicate, how they are using languages in their everyday life and how does it vary from place to place and region to region. These dialectical variations are basically my concern. Of course, at the same time, I am enjoying every bit of their socio-cultural diversity, most importantly their warmth hospitality, love, and affection.”

Apart from these engagement, Sikari Tisso is also associated with the Indigenous Tribal Sahitya Sabha Assam (ITSSA). He is currently engaged in formulating a comprehensive multilingual dictionary project under ITSSA banner. Tisso is the chief editor of this ambitious project of compilation of multilingual dictionary of Karbi, Assamese, Bodo, Deori, Garo, Mising, Rabha, Tiwa and English languages.

Tisso has been both documenting the Karbi traditional language and developing the modern language through publication of books and articles, and audio/video-recordings of knowledgeable community members. He is also documenting the Karbi song language and traditional lullabies, while also focusing on Karbi lexicology. According to Sikari Tisso, “Karbi language has two dimensions- one is the ordinary spoken language and the other one is the song language. There are certain words which are used in conversation and there are particular words which are used in songs and religious chants. For example, rain is described as ‘Arve’ in the regular spoken Karbi language, but as ‘Ruve’ in the song language.”

“Although it is very difficult and rare, and so far, I have collected 500 words like that. There is variation and I am trying to document those words. In song languages, there are certain influences from Assamese and Khasi words. For example, ‘Bang Ahom Tangte-Asim Tangte Chap Dokok- Puthi Dokok,’- here in this sentence (Ahom-Asim/ Chap-Puthi= are the Assamese language). Similarly, one more sentence is, ‘Dengsim sitang chinghorking /Dengsim ka’um ri karting/ridam ripthu rithlingling,’ here the word Ka’um is from Khasi language. Although in NorthEast many such song languages exist, but in this aspect Karbi language is slowly declining,” he adds.

Sikari Tisso on 8th Schedule and Invisibilisation of Languages:

Language has been playing as an instrumental role in mobilizing and formulating of an identity of a community, similarly language is also a main factor for the ethnic assertion of different smaller communities against the dominance and hegemony of the dominant nationality. Assam is a land of diverse culture, ethnicity, and multiple languages. But because of the adoption of hegemonic policies by the dominant nationality in Assam have not only generated tension in different times but also created resentments among the ethnic groups which further led to the ethnic conflicts and identity politics among the different ethnic groups. Though in the post independent India constitution has come up with an elusive solution in the form of Eight Schedule to give recognition and constitutional protection to the languages it could not solve the language issues of the different smaller ethnic groups of the region.

Despite Karbis being one of the oldest tribes of Assam, Karbi language does not have the protection and constitutional recognition under the Eight Schedule. for written communication in Karbi language Roman script is used.

Asked for his comment on importance of the 8th Schedule in preserving and promoting languages of the smaller ethnic groups, Sikari Tisso has given his views on the deceptive role played by the Eight Schedule by including the powerful languages and neglecting host of other languages which led to the destruction of mother tongues or relegated to subordinate status. As multiple languages are being spoken by state population, an elusive solution came forth in the formation of the Eighth schedule. However, according to him “Inclusion of languages in the Eight Schedule is always a matter of political choice. Choices of language is always depending on the power matrix of the society. What I feel is that empowering some languages on the basis of the Eight Schedule and marginalizing the other is a matter of grave concern. However, promoting and developing one’s language is also the responsibility of the community. Until and unless we are serious in empowering our language no one else will do.”

It is not an unknown fact that many of the languages, mostly the indigenous languages are facing greater threat of extinction. North-east region in India has the highest concentration of linguistic diversity, but it is seen that gradually there is a steady decline in the languages spoken by various ethnic communities of the region. In one of his important articles, ‘Striking a blow against Assam’s inclusive ethos,’ social scientist Monuranjan Pegu has highlighted the gradual decline of speakers of tribal languages. He mentions how Mising tribe reported a rate of increase of 41.13% in the number of speakers in 2001 Census, by 2011 had declined to 15.79%. ‘In case of Deoris, only the Dibongiya clan now speak the language. ‘The Rabha community provides for a more curious case. The community reported an increase of 18.23% in the number of speakers in 2001 census. By 2011 the number of speakers had decreased to -15.04% almost completely obliterating the language. Speakers of other tribes such as the Sonowal-Kachari and Tiwas have almost completely lost their languages. Tribal communities since long have been demanding linguistic and territorial protection and attention from the state government.’³

Sharing his view on gradual invisibilisation of languages Tisso comments: “Most serious issue is our own lack of concern for our own language to develop and use language in everyday lives, we have to blame ourselves first then we can say about other factors’. However, we cannot deny the there is gradual imposition of Hindi through different means over the people of northeast, proliferation of English medium schools, simultaneously NEP2020 and its three-language formula may pose a threat to the indigenous tribal languages of North East India.” Much discussed Three Language Formula of New Education Policy 2020 has already created a bone of contentions among the different communities across the states of India. Because of the threat perception regarding the imposition of Hindi in non-Hindi speaking states through three language formula has generated lot of disagreements among the states in adopting the formula.

Tisso laments over the reluctance of people in using Karbi words in daily life, and explains, “For example, there is a Karbi word ‘nudeng’ which refers to the umbrella, but our children prefers to say umbrella, again they usually use blue, black, white , blue sky instead of naming the colour in Karbi words such as aki’ik(black), akilir(blue) kelok (white) sining kolir(blue sky). Moreover, there are many idioms such as ‘an chodet birik chopin’ which means “eat chilies after the meal.” We cannot eat chilies after finishing our meals. It has a symbolic meaning that a work must be done at its own time. In this way we have numerous such words and idioms, but saddest part is that we have stopped using all these words and phrases leading to the gradual death of a language.’

Assam is a land of diverse culture, ethnicity, and multiple languages. However, the adoption of hegemonic policies by the dominant nationality in Assam have not only generated tension in different times but also created resentments among the ethnic groups which further led to the ethnic conflicts and identity politics among the different ethnic groups. From the 1960 onwards, Assam has witnessed gradual emergence of linguistic demands on the part of different ethnic communities. It is widely argued that the Assam Official Languages Act, 1960 and medium movement of 1972 have widened the gulf between Assamese speaking people and different tribal groups of Assam. These tribal groups who had otherwise adopted Assamese as their lingua franca reacted sharply to the official language bill and medium movement and termed them as attempt to impose Assamese language and culture on them. Tisso argues: “Somehow the apex literary organization of Assam, ‘Asam Sahitya Sabha’ which was founded in 1917 was unable to evolve as an inclusive body for the development of all indigenous languages of Assam. If they had taken an active and positive role for the creative development of tribal languages, then why would different bodies such Bodo Sahitya Sabha or Karbi Sahitya Sabha etc. have emerged? Nevertheless, later Assam Sahitya Sabha has begun to work for the upliftment of tribal literatures and languages.”

Amidst all the challenges and concern towards Karbi language, Sikari Tisso is hopeful, and he has been painstakingly working for the promotion and development of the Karbi language. “Till my last breath I will work for it, and I am hopeful that after me, my legacy will be carried forward by the each and every concern Karbi of this land,” he adds, demonstrating conviction in his work. His indomitable spirit has earned him the prestigious international honour by the Linguistic Society of America’s Excellence in Community Linguistics Award in 2021. This award recognizes contributions of community members (typically outside the academic sphere of professional linguists) to language recovery. However, Sikari Tisso is never concerned for the awards and accolades, and only one thing which keeps him motivated and inspires to work is his love, dedication and determination towards his tribe, language, and society. Tisso only expects that people will soon realize the threat towards the identity of the language before its disappearance from the land and hopeful that collectively they can develop and promote Karbi language for the cause of the Karbi community.

Dr Phulmoni Das

Dr Phulmoni Das is an Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Government Model College, Deithor, Karbi Anglong. Views expressed in this article are the author’s own. She can be reached at [email protected]

References

1. Gibson Kari, ‘English only court cases involving the US workplace: the myth of languages and use and the homogenization of bilingual workers identities’, Second language Studies, Vol.22, No2, 2004.

2. Konnerth Linda and Sikari Tisso, ‘Karbi texts: A fully glossed corpus of different genres’, https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6t95236f

3. Pegu Monuranjan, ‘Striking a blow against Assam’s inclusive ethos’, https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/striking-a-blow-against-assams-inclusive-ethos/article31965577.ece