Nagpuri dialect lovers now have a book to go through the poems and manuscripts of 1600 AD to 2000 AD. A 750 pages compiled book titled Nagpuri Kavi aur unka Kavya (Nagpuri poets and their poems) was launched by noted tribal language writer cum former professor of Ranchi University’s (RU) Tribal and Regional languages department (TRl) Dr BP Keshari on Saturday.
The 81-year-old scholar devoted 60 years of his life in collecting details of the poets popular in the time frame of mentioned 400 years. Keshari is the founder of this university’s TRl department in 1980 along with former RU vice-chancellor-cum-MP, Ram Dayal Munda, for running post graduate to doctorate degrees in nine regional languages.
“According to UNESCO, a language is dying after every 15 days. In this declining stage, it is important to preserve the traditional culture of local communities. My book symbolises the renaissance period of nagpuri language. It will certainly help family members of the old nagpuri culture in highlighting their identity,” he said.
In this book, Keshari has focused on the year 1899 when the tribal movement led by Birsa Munda was at peak. Keshari had himself sponsored his book and acclaims it relevant to the modern times since the tribals are losing their language identity because of social suppression.
He has written around 40-45 books including Hindi, English and Nagpuri languages. “Ranchi’s crown book depot is re-printing my only English written book named ‘Cultural Jharkhand-problems and prospects’ published in 2005,’ said the retired professor.
However, he expressed his grief towards the State Government for not giving considerable weightage to the native languages comprising Nagpuri, Bhojpuri, Ho, Mundari, Santhali, Khortha, Panchpargania and Kurmali.
He said, “We should learn from Bangladesh and West Bengal where Nagpuri languages are being promoted from the primary level and our own people are invited for guest lectures. The scripts are in Bengali. Jharkhand should learn from these states wherein our mother tongue is promoted for the sake of individual belonging to this region.”
Asked about this renowned scholar’s present life, he said, “I had been spending my life in teaching and studying besides involvement in politics for sometime. My life is all about studies.”A compiled edition on Nagpuri poems was also released by a prominent scholar N Mirdaha on this occasion.
