Observations on Culture, inclusivity and the Internet
Some time ago, a friend sent me a video uploaded on Youtube by a well-known vlogger. The vlogger, along with his companion, was visiting Kinnaur. In the video, two young girls from Kinnaur accompanied them on their Journey from Kalpa to Rakcham. At a certain point, one of the local girls informs the YouTuber about the practice of polyandry in Kinnaur, known as Common marriage amongst the locals. The Youtuber found it unusual and was unable to hide his bafflement. What alarmed me was the way in which the information was communicated in the video without giving any context or background knowledge to it. Later the Youtuber off-handedly remarks how women in the mountains do all the physical work while men waste away drinking alcohol.
It is a common understanding that little knowledge is a dangerous thing. This is particularly evident in the above case. Luckily that's not the only representation of the culture of Kinnaur you will encounter online. Though, there is a huge digital divide and questions of inclusivity persist when it comes to internet usage across different sections of society. But if we keep it momentarily aside, there are instances where people from traditionally underrepresented or misrepresented communities have been able to utilize the Internet to highlight their issues and concerns.
And in the case of Kinnaur too, many young content creators are painting a more nuanced picture of the region to their audience. Yes, there is much more to the region than beautiful landscapes and exotic culture centred around dancing, drinking and merrymaking.
Most of the content available online about Kinnaur is either on Youtube or on social media such as Facebook and Instagram. The reason why these platforms are preferred over others is due to two factors, first, their ease of accessibility and second, the audio-visual format that they offer.
Now going back to the question of inclusivity, there are multiple reasons why the Internet is not inclusive. Here is food for thought: The Inclusive Internet Index 2022, produced by Economist Impact ranks India 50th out of 98 countries that make up 99% of the world’s population. India ranks 12th among the 22 Asian countries surveyed.
Again, many factors limit the scope of the Internet. But here, the focus will be on the aspect of language. One can quickly note that out of the 7000 languages spoken all over the world, the usage of only a tiny fraction prevails on the Internet.
For instance, Kinnaur has up to 10 classified languages, but most of the content creators from the region choose Hindi to express themselves. Research by Harvinder Kumar Negi shows that all languages in the Kinnaur region are definitely endangered as per UNESCO's language vitality and endangerment parameters. This means that children no longer learn the language as a 'mother tongue' in their homes.
The people of Kinnaur, along with their native tongue, use Hindi to communicate. But slowly, Hindi has taken over Kinnauri languages in most domains of life. Most of the languages spoken in Kinnaur lack their own script. In olden times, Takri was used in the Court of Bushehr rulers and Bhoti was used for Buddhist scriptures. Both scripts had a limited scope and were known only to a minuscule population. Because of the absence of literary traditions in the region, it has a rich culture of oral traditions and folklore which is how knowledge and information are passed on. Similarly, one can observe that the younger generation also prefers to create and consume audio-visual content on the Internet rather than written publications.
And this is where in the case of Kinnauri languages(and I am assuming many others), the Internet can most effectively be used to promote language diversity. Audio-Visual media and the participatory nature of social media are effective instruments that can open doors for the revitalization of endangered languages across the world. Before we move to explore how the Internet can be an ally in this quest, first, let us explore the linguistic reality across the region.
Languages in Kinnaur
Kinnaur is one of the twelve administrative districts of Himachal Pradesh. Its neighboring regions include Tibet, Shimla and Spiti. Kinnaur has a rich linguistic diversity. The region is home to varieties of Tibetan, West Himalayish and Indo-Aryan languages.
In the upper Kinnaur, Pooh region Bhoti Kinnauri or Nyamkat is spoken. Irish Linguist George Abraham Grierson published a study of the language in his Linguistic Survey of India 1903-1928. Nyamkat means 'the nyam speech,' which translates to 'the language of the equals.' The dialect is also known under other names, such as bodhkad, i.e., the dialect of the Buddhists. Bhoti Kinnauri reflects some variations across the sub-region. The main variety of it is spoken in Poo, Hangrang and Nako villages. It is classified as belonging to the Sino-Tibetan language family.
In the region comprising the three villages of Kanam, Spillo and Labrang of Upper Kinnaur, Shumcho is spoken by people of all castes. The same language is also spoken in Shyaso, Rushkalang and Taling of Ropa Valley by all castes. It is spoken by the members of the Scheduled caste community in Sunnam and the Jangram region. The so-called upper caste in the Jangram region, which comprises the villages Jangi, Lippa and Asrang speak Jangrami or Jangshung. While Sunnam Kinnauri is spoken by the upper caste in Sunnam.All of them are classified by Linguists as West Himalayish Languages under the larger category of Tibeto-Burman languages.
An important West Himalayish Language across the region is Popular Kinnauri. From "Chora" village, which is Kinnaur's entry point along NH5, to certain villages in the Pooh division, Kinnauri is widely spoken across villages. The estimated number of Kinnauri speakers is the highest among all the languages spoken across the region. The Scheduled Caste community in the lower and middle Kinnaur (including tehsils of Nichar, Kalpa, Sangla, and Moorang) speak Pahari Kinnauri, an Indo-Aryan language.
Linguists classify that the villages of Nesang and Kunnu- Charang in the upper Kinnaur division speak the language Chhoyuli. It is a Tibetic language and is regarded as a variation of Bhoti Kinnauri. But it exhibits sufficient traits to be characterized as a language on its own. In the villages of Chitkul and Rakchham in the Baspa Valley, Chitkuli Kinnauri is spoken.
The reason for the endangerment of the Kinnauri languages, as listed by HK Negi includes the poor transmission from parents to their children, a low number of speakers, the dominant position of Hindi promoted through schooling, employment opportunities and more, shifting domains of language use, for example, new languages being used in new domains/ media, lack of literary tradition, government apathy, and very little or no documentation. The influence of English is also slowly growing, particularly among the younger generation.
Can the Internet revitalize endangered languages?
The importance of online media in modern communication is undeniable. Further, its ever-evolving nature and ongoing innovation by linguists, experts and language activists may have positive implications for the effective growth of focused languages. Many web-based platforms have been working in collaboration with local communities to research and document endangered languages. For instance, The Living Tongue Institute for Endangered Languages has launched talking dictionaries for 27 endangered languages across India. Additionally, fluent speakers can volunteer with open source platforms such as Wikimedia, Tatoeba, Common voice, Mozilla’s Pontoon etc., to increase the visibility of their language. Audio-visual records can be made of a variety of cultural practices, including folklore, folk music, other tales, culinary, local festival celebrations, performing arts, and so forth. Pada project is one such effort to document folk music across India. At Zed.tells you can listen to Audio and read translations of Kinnauri folktales. Our participatory platform allows users to generate and submit content.
Community involvement is the most important factor for the long-term success of any project, including ours. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his 59th edition of Mann ki Baat appreciated Uttarkhand's Rung community for their efforts to promote their language by making use of social networking platforms. Runglo language spoken by members of Rung community does not have a script. People were saddened by the younger generation's reluctance to speak the language, so they joined hands and created groups on WhatsApp to ensure their culture was passed on, one voice note at a time. Consequently, individuals began sharing music, poems, and stories. With everyone acting as both a student and a teacher simultaneously, WhatsApp effectively transformed into a form of the classroom.
Although Kinnauri languages are still used today, it seems unlikely that the younger generation would adopt them as their preferred language of communication. One can see that the Kinnauri songs created today are heavily influenced by Hindi vocabulary. If the linguistic diversity of the region is to be sustained, it is imperative that each generation comes together and work towards it. Our language is the essence of our unique culture.
As UNESCO quotes, "Language diversity is essential to the human heritage. Each and every language embodies the unique cultural wisdom of a people. The loss of any language is thus a loss for all humanity".
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