Silchar: Twenty-three priests and nuns working in different parts of Tripura used the summer holiday season to gain proficiency in Kokborok, the local language of the northeastern Indian state.
The participants said the May 27-June 10 course provided them a working knowledge of the language that would considerably enhance the quality of their service.
Kokborok is one of the two official languages of Tripura and is spoken by large groups of its tribes. Within Tripura, approximately 800,000 tribesmen speak the language. Kokborok is spoken by tribes spread across the hill ranges of neighboring Bangladesh.
The “Intensive Kokborok Learning Course for Priests and Religious” was held at Don Bosco Peace Centre Agartala, the state capital.
The diocese of Agartala covers the entire state and knowledge of Kokborok became necessary for Church workers after a shift in the diocese’s language policy. Earlier, Bengali was used as the medium of liturgy even among Kokborok speaking tribes. Today, however, Kokborok has become the norm in liturgy in all Kokborok speaking areas. As a result, many church personnel now can fluently converse in Kokborok and officiate at Church services in that language.
The language course is among several annual programs conducted by the Peace Centre. Its objective is to familiarize the basics of the Kokborok language to new comers to the state. This year, five priests and 18 nuns attended the course.
The dawn to dusk Intensive course has been specially designed to suit the needs of Church personnel who need to interact with people in the villages on a variety of topics and matters. The teaching methods adopted gave a great deal of emphasis on language used in realistic situations and on making the learners aware of how the language works, reports donboscoindia.com.
In addition to basic grammar, the text of the New Testament, the Mass and various prayers became resource material for students to pick up new vocabulary and usages.
Bishop Lumen Monteiro of Agartala, who opened the course, called it an “absolutely significant and relevant initiative” and urged the participants to try their best to learn the language, which. he predicted, would help them in future.
The highlight of each day was a “speech” each student made in Kokborok. The exercise, according to a participant, helped her to “overcome inhibition” and “feel more confident“ in talking Kokborok.
The faculty consisted of Rajesh Debbarma, Meena Debbarma, Fathes Sunny Palamthattel and Joseph Pulinthanath.
Sister Cecilia, one of the participants, said priests and nuns now evince greater interest in getting intimately involved in the lives and issues of local people. “It is not possible without being able to converse in their own language,“ said the member of the Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Christians.