KHINJILI, 4 Oct: The Research Institute of World's Ancient Traditions, Cultures and Heritage (RIWATCH), in collaboration with the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), New Delhi, organized a two-day workshop on the implementation of the "From Voice to Script" project here in Lower Dibang Valley district on 3 and 4 October.
The workshop brought together community representatives of the Sajolang and Tagin tribes, linguists, academics, researchers and technical experts to develop practical strategies for documenting, preserving and strengthening the two tribal languages, the RIWATCH said in a release.
The workshop sought to move beyond documentation as an academic exercise and focus on community-led, technically sound and actionable language development.
The RIWATCH noted that the initiative is particularly important at a time when several indigenous languages of Arunachal Pradesh face growing challenges due to language shift, limited use in education, and the lack of adequate documentation and digital resources.
On the first day, books published by RIWATCH were launched.
The first, Decoding Avian Ethology: In Folklore of Northeast India, authored by Prof. Ajeya Jha, vice-chancellor of Arunachal University of Studies, Namsai, was launched by Prof Ramesh C. Gaur. The second publication, Interpreting Cultures and Traditions: Shifting the Lens, edited by Dr. M.S. Awan, centre head, RCML, and his team, was launched by Dr. K. Anil Kumar, head, Janapada Sampada Division and HoD, Kala Nidhi Division, IGNCA.
The discussions focused on identifying practical approaches to address the challenges faced by the two languages and ensuring that the project produces productive, measurable and community-relevant outcomes.
On the second day, the workshop focused on introducing technical skills related to language documentation, digital preservation and the long-term archiving of endangered-language materials. Participants also discussed the division of responsibilities, developed implementation strategies, and identified concrete actions for taking the project forward.
Faculty members from Rajiv Gandhi University, Arunachal University of Studies, IGNCA, New Delhi; RIWATCH and CoDIN attended the workshop.
The workshop received positive responses from community members, academicians and researchers and is expected to strengthen community engagement and create a conducive environment for the preservation, documentation and archiving of oral languages, while supporting their development into written and sustainable forms, the release added.
