Problems of Dialects in Nagaland

Nagaland, the smallest hilly state in India lies in the North Eastern part of India. It belongs to the Himalayan region which consists of Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh and hills of Uttar Pradesh. The people of Nagaland commonly known as “Nagas” are sub-divided into several tribes chiefly dominated by the way they speak and also the culture which they inhabit. It has sixteen major tribes. These include: Angami, Ao, Chakhesang, Chang, Konyak, Lotha, Sema, Khiamniungan, Kachari, Phom, Rengma, Sangtam, Yimchunger, Kuki, Zeliang and Pochury.

How do we define language? The Oxford Dictionary defines language as “The system of communication in speech and writing that is used by a particular country or area.[1]” Naga language is a tone language. Each village has a separate tone language. It is also worth noting that the tribal languages of Nagaland have no script. Language is a means of thought and communication and can be arguably the most important component of culture. Language also acts as a marker of identity.  Cultural differences are inextricably linked up with language. In a state like Nagaland where each tribe has their own system of language, it is the more dominant tribes which try to assert their power against the weaker tribes. The minority tribes on the other hand keep their language within themselves and converse with each other thereby keep their identity and culture intact.

A linguistically homogenous state has a sense of unity and coherence compared to the other where there is no homogeneity in language. Language difference is another major problem amongst the many social and political problems in Nagaland. The Naga languages belong to the Tibeto-Burman language family. The total number of languages claimed by the tribal communities as their mother tongue are about “200 and half of these belong to the Tibeto-Burman family.”[2] The tribal languages are those spoken natively by the tribal people, which are scheduled as per “Article 342 of the Constitution by the President and Parliament.”

The conflict which arises is deeply engendered in the area of language. Conflict arises when any social groups or the government try to solve language differences by promoting one language over the other. This has been a recurring factor in the Naga society. Yasir Suleiman in his book A War of Words: Language and Conflict in the Middle East talks about how powerful language can be. He says: “Language can be seen as a form of cultural practice and as an inevitable site of ideological contestation involving asymmetrical power relations between groups and individuals.”[3] Various political parties work along the paradigm of language favouring one community or the other for political purposes. In fact it has become a custom.


Language acts as a mechanism which connects the members of a community or group to each other endowing a sense of identity and belongingness. Yasir Suleiman also goes onto say that:

“Although communication is served through language, language itself often serves as the subject of communication in ways that exploit its capacity to signal ideological positions of various kinds. Most importantly, language serves as a marker of group identity and as a boundary-setter between the in-group (ourselves) and the out-group (others).”[4]

 

There is a conscious fear that language diversity will lead to the outbreak of violence and political war amongst the people of Nagaland itself. There is a belief that one common language can calm down the tension of language conflict. Therefore, English language has been made as the official language of Nagaland and also to serve as the voice of the state. More impact is yet to be seen in villages as hundreds of villages still dwell in jungles with no means of education and mass media. The total number of villages amount to more than 1286 with majority of the villages still backward.[5] Nagamese a mixture Assamese and Hindi is more dominant than English as many people especially in villages can grapple with it. But Nagamese as a language is not officially recognised as it is only a pidgin language. Language is a marker of identity and thereby language assumes greater importance than usual in situations of conflict. Language bonds its speaker internally and bounds them externally.

Nagaland is a place inhabited with issues of dialectical confrontation where each tribe have been asserting privileges for their own respective languages in education, administration and public media.  Joshua Fishman in his book Sociology of Language talks about how language is not just a means of communication but something far more than that:

Language is not merely a means of interpersonal communication and influence. It is not merely a carrier of content, whether latent or manifest. Language itself is content, a referent for loyalties and animosities, an indicator of social statuses and personal relationships, a marker of situations and topics as well as of  the societal goals and the large-scale value-laden arenas of interaction that typify every speech community.[6]

Despite the fact that Nagaland has many tribal languages it is merely seen as a means of communication. Tribal languages are also linguistically perceived as “a speech without grammar.” Tribal languages are thereby conceived as just tribal dialects. By that it does not mean that tribal languages do not have a script or a grammar book. There is a saying which says that the Naga literature was inscribed on a piece of hide but was eaten up by a dog and since then no script has been made again but there is no clear evidence as to whether it is true or not.

Tribes like Zeliang and Chakhesang have more than two languages from their own tribe. For example, Zeliang has two tribal languages viz., Zeme and Liangmai. The complication here is that people who speak Zeme cannot understand Liangmai even though both belong to the same tribe. Similarly Chakhesang also has the same problem. Chakhesang is again subdivided into Chakru, Kheza and Sangtam. So Chakhesang has three sets of languages which are totally different. The policy of linguistic unification becomes impossible because of the massive diversities in language.


To function peacefully as a group or community, common language is a must and is of vital importance. The steps to execute work will be hindered if a community does not share one common language. This has been the case in a tribe like Zeliang. Differences persist itself in one tribe. For example, in a Zeliang community, one single church is impossible to represent a Zeliang tribe. Christianity amounts to almost 90% of the entire population.[7] The point is that, a Zeme and a Liangmai which is part of Zeliang cannot form a single church and collaborate because of language difference. Of course I'm not denying that it is completely impossible as there are some churches where Zeme and Liangmai worship together. A Zeme community has their own translation of the Bible and so is Liangmai. Conflict arises when the two come together and promote as which language should be used. In a church where Zeme and Liangmai worship together, they are divided between the groups based on language. The groups cannot come to terms with each other and one can see separate Liangmai churches and Zeme churches everywhere in Nagaland.  

Each tribe holds their own language with pride and also showcases it as their root or identity. Despite the fact that it is not officially popular outside the domain of their own tribe they truly hold their tribal language with full respect. Language is also seen as a symbol of the community and plays a crucial role in the political and social spheres. David Crystal rightly says:

“…so much of their culture is expressed in language that it is not possible to be a member of their community if one does not speak its language. The outcome is that people or who have never spoken it are excluded from the culture, even if on other grounds they believe themselves to be part of it.”[8]

It is difficult to settle in with other tribes especially if one does not know their language. A sense of mutual respect only comes if one tries to learn their languages and show equal respect. The Sema tribe commonly known as “Sumis” is territorially divided into Northern and Southern part with a little difference in their languages. The Ao tribe also has different languages. Before Christianity the official language of the Ao tribe was Mongsen. With the spread of Christianity Chungli was made the official language. Villages from Ao tribe such as Ungma, Longsa, Longsima and Changki have different languages despite the fact that these villages belong to Ao tribe.

The Rongmei tribe which is part of Zeliang is now an indigenous tribe of Nagaland. Various social and political factors contributed to the separation. Among them, language incompatibility was a major factor which led to the separation. Such is the complication of language and how powerful it can be. This has been the recurring factor from times immemorial. One can see the confusions and complexities when the whole tribes of Nagaland come together for any events. I have witnessed many a times when Rongmeis and Liangmais argue as to which language should come first in any occasions like when presenting a speech or song performances from tribal languages etc. These are of course very silly but small issues lead to larger problems.

The conflict of language also intensifies because of the rich tribal culture and tradition. Language has become an obligatory component to be part of a community and also to feel a sense of belonging. There are instances where people are excluded from their culture if they are ignorant about their language even if they believe or feel themselves to be a part of it.

People are defined by the languages they speak wherever they go. Non speakers of the dominant tribes are made fun of and even deprived of certain rights and freedom. The Sumis are the most dominant tribe in Nagaland. Some immigrants try to learn their language so that they feel a sense of being associated with the Sema tribe and thereby avoid tortures and hardships. There is a joke which goes around all the time. Once inside the theatre, the electricity went off. A guy started shouting “Kiu shi ani kya?” (Sema language) meaning “What is going on?” When the light was restored, it turns out that the guy was a Bangladeshi immigrant. It is funny at the same time it is also a desperate attempt to be part of the dominant group or community.

In some cases a person unable to speak or make himself intelligible to certain dominant language faces extreme tortures. In a situation like that a person is easily made a target of mob violence. Recently on15th October 2014, a Manipuri man who was an engineering student was reportedly attacked by some thugs for not speaking Kannada language in Bangalore. Michael was quoted as saying: “They hit me with stones because I was speaking in Thadou language (tribal language).”[9] Thadou language is a minority language in Manipur like tribal languages in Nagaland. The attack can also be because of the fact that Thadou is a minority language and therefore looked down upon. Surely a person speaking English language wouldn’t have faced such consequence despite the fact that it is not an Indian language. Such is the impact of language. Language incompatibility also becomes a barrier to make friends or marry someone outside the language group.


The conflict of language also intensifies when each tribe asserts privileges for respective languages whether in public media such as radio station and education. For example separate time allotment is given for each tribe in All India Radio station for tribal news. The Angami tribe have also come up with the idea of clustering some tribes like Zeliang, Chakhesang, Angami, Rengma and Phom under the name Tenyidi which means the “people of Tenye.” Dr. Shurhozielie have published a book of the Tenye people.

Tribes identified with Chokri, Kheza and Sangtam languages in and around the Kohima district are also welding a common identity under one tribe which is Chakhesang.

Despite huge efforts, Tenyidi is just another name of the Angami language. The Angami no doubt have tried all means to let other tribes embrace the Tenyidi language but the idea is far-fetched and impossible realistically.

Language cannot be termed as the main cause of conflict. But it certainly has a role to play in that. Paul A Clinton goes as much to say that “The decision to mobilise military force can only be executed through the verbal activity of political elites who possess the legitimacy to issue mobilisation orders. A declaration of war is a linguistic act.” He goes on to say that “Military operations themselves can be set in motion and continued by verbal activity.”[10] This is no different in Nagaland. There are many situations where leaders try to exploit people through the use of language. A group identifies and distinguishes itself with bonds like religion, language and race.

The conflict of language is as serious as the conflict of religion. Both are very much rooted in the mindset of the people and are a big setback for unity to flourish. With more than two hundred tribal languages, the government’s effort to work for a common cause is always hindered. Therefore responsibilities also lie within the people itself.  The government along with tribal leaders should work together and attempt to outline the problem as it exists, and then suggest ways to calm down the tension of language conflict. Each tribe has different language and culture and people should learn the value of paying equal respect to it inasmuch as they have for their own. The battle for supremacy in language needs to be avoided. People should embrace language as a gift and understand the true value of it. Each language is equal and should be used to reach out and learn more about other people rather than a fight for supremacy. The most important message is to have a broad mindset with a view to establish a sense of identity and unity. Without this the people themselves will be the authors of their own downfall.