Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Madhya Pradesh Adivasi Lok Kala Evam Boli Vikas Academy has drawn up a plan to save from extinction the dialects spoken by the tribal and nomadic communities in the state. As part of the plan, ‘Talking Dictionaries’ of ten nomadic communities have been prepared.
Dictionaries of the dialects of five nomadic communities - Kanjar, Kalbeliya, Banchhada, Nat and Kalandar - are ready and would be unveiled on the Republic Day this year. ‘Talking dictionaries’ of dialects spoken by the Banjara, Gadia Lohar, Bedia and Kuchbandiya nomadic communities have been uploaded on the website of the Akademi.
Madhya Pradesh is home to 51 nomadic communities and 42 tribes. Nomadic groups include Nat, Bedia, Kalbeliya and Kuchbandiya while the major tribes are Gond, Bhil, Saharia, Baiga, Kol, Korku and Bharia.
Director of the Akademi Dharmendra Pare said only a few dictionaries of tribal dialects are available in the countries. Dictionaries of dialects spoken by nomadic communities are almost nonexistent. The Academy has opted for ‘Talking Dictionaries’ which allow the user to hear the pronunciation of any word by clicking it, besides their meaning in Hindi, said Pare.
