The ‘Byari’ story: “Your mother tongue matters”

According to UNESCO’s list of endangered languages, 2473 out of 6700 languages spoken worldwide are facing the threat of extinction. And India tops the list with 197 languages that are dying out and fast disappearing. With the passage of a few more generations, by the end of the century, nearly half of the languages spoken today are estimated to become extinct!

Think about the splendor of your own mother tongue and imagine the situation wherein it is no more spoken, a few generations down the line. Well, the very thought of it sends a shiver down my spine. It is not a serious issue to many even now. Because to many, a language is only a means of communicating one’s ideas and emotions. Very few can read between the lines to understand the whole issue from a different perspective – to infer that the extinction of a language is symbolic of loss of cultural diversity.

Language, a significant aspect of human civilization is something that instantaneously configures a beautiful connection that bonds our hearts, minds and souls. A language is so intricately interwoven with culture that the question, “ Which came first? Culture or Language” sounds similar to the unsolved ‘hen and egg’ puzzle! And India being a home to diverse cultures, regions and religions, ‘languages’ are naturally abundant in nature, so much so that, in-spite of globalization, one can sometimes find four-five different languages in a single region. Adding to this are the many variations and styles within a language. And what could be a better example than the coastal Karnataka – home to Tulu, Konkani and Byari languages that are unique to this area along with the widely spoken Kannada language? Here is a story from my journey – the story of ‘Byari’ – the story of how a language that could have faced the threat of ‘endangered’ is slowly taking a new rise with combined efforts of government, thinkers, community and the youth.

Every language is unique in its identity, history, dialect and phonetics. Some fickle minded individuals have considered their language to be superior or prestigious to others – then and even now. Mr. Umarabba was on the receiving end of this shameful thought when he was a school student. And the reason - he spoke ‘Byari’,then considered a so-called low language by the others in the society. Earlier, people used to hesitate to identify themselves as speakers of Byari. However, things have changed now and with time, the Byari people underwent development, majorly in terms of education. They started rediscovering their roots – the achievements of the earlier generations, their struggles, values, history and rich culture. And now, people proudly prefer to keep their surnames as ‘Byari’.

A detailed conversation with Mr. Umarabba was an experience of warmth and cordiality, symbolic of Byari culture. Once a teacher in high school and then in pre-university, he is now the Registrar of Karnataka Byari Sahitya Academy, an organization started in 2009 by the Government Of Karnataka with an aim to preserve and promote the art, literature and culture of Byari people.

Byari language has a rich legacy of more than 1400 years. The Byaris are considered to be the descendants of the local inhabitants of the then Tulunadu and the early Arab traders who came to India for the purpose of business. The term Byari is derived from the Tulu word ‘Byara’ meaning business or trade and closely linked to Urdu, Tulu, Konkani and Kodava languages. The language does not have a script of its own and uses Kannada alphabets for writing. However efforts are being made by a team of experts to come up with a Byari script considering numerous factors. While the Byari community was majorly into business earlier and hence the name, now they have made a foray into and achieved a lot in every field.

"Traditional utensils used by Byaris"

Although majorly spoken by Muslim communities in coastal Karnataka, the richness and grandeur of the language has spread beyond religions. It is also spoken by Kodava and Bechada people who are basically non-muslim communities. However, the term ‘Byari’ is most often used synonymously with the Muslim community that majorly speaks Byari and follows the culture associated with it. This beautiful language is now interwoven into the lives of more than 15 lakh people world-wide, particularly along the coastal belt that includes the undivided Dakshina Kannada and Kasargod region. Byari being common to a Muslim and a handful of Hindu communities, it is slowly uniting people from different religions.

"Traditional ornaments worn by Byari women"

Byari has some unique traditions, folklore and food associated with it. If you ever go to a Byari’s home, the way you would be honored would surprise you. A guest is welcomed with dates, bananas and a perfumed oil called ‘ittar’. ‘Daf’ is a specialty of Byari wherein children and elders play a percussion/ a drum and can play it with their fingers in 25 different variations. It is usually performed in groups, with a special dress meant for it. Byari folk culture also  includes ‘kolkali’ similar to ‘kolata’ wherein the performers dance using short wooden sticks, ‘Oppunapat’ during weddings where girls encircle the bride and sing songs and poetry. The Byari cuisine is something that one can hardly find in restaurants and commercial places. It includes the hardly known ‘muttedappa’, ‘basale pinde’ and ‘pudyampule’ that are prepared as delicacies during special occassions.

"Cultural programs under the Byari Sahitya Academy encouraging the participation of children and youth"

The academy has been doing a lot of activities to make Byaris proud about their language making them spirited enough to pass it on to the next generations and instill in them, the Byari culture. Literature festivals to inspire budding Byari writers, Cultural programs that showcase Byari art and culture, Folk fests that exhibit Byari folk songs, ‘Daf’ competitions at schools and colleges, Discussion forums with great thinkers and writers, Culinary competitions that focus on traditional cuisines – the efforts of the academy are abundant. Women Conferences are often held to discuss their issues, to appreciate talented women achievers and to encourage participation of women in preserving this language. Thousands of women are now inspired to step out of their homes to contribute their bit to ‘Byari’. There are already a number of books and magazines being published in the language and there are movies being made in Byari besides all the above efforts.

"The logo of the Academy depicting various aspects associated with the life of a Byari - daf, boat, mosque, education and business"

The Academy has a lot of plans and dreams for the future – to come up with libraries and research programs to strengthen Byari literature, to come up with a Byari dictionary with 16000 words, to build Byari Bhavana that showcases Byari culture to the common public, to have Vishva Byari Sammelan that would unite Byaris across the world and a lot more.

You could have a sigh of relief that Byari is now in safe hands. Unfortunately, there are many languages in India that are not as fortunate as Byari to get a push at the right time. The reasons could be cut- throat competition and increasing demands from schools, colleges and jobs in MNCs to have an edge and stay abreast with what the world wants. The reason could also be something that is hidden deep within us – our outlook towards our own language - our very own mother tongue. Also, with globalization and increased migration in search of better education and jobs being inevitable, we are all living in a diversified cultural environment – especially in the urban areas. It’s all fine. Let’s learn as many languages as we can. It’s fun and can only broaden our perspective. But it is high time we start thinking on these lines – Am I doing my part towards my mother tongue? Do I proudly communicate in my language? Am I celebrating my traditions and festivals, irrespective of where I am? Do I know enough about my ‘roots’? Am I passing on this knowledge to my next generation, instilling the same values in them? .......Or am I missing out something more important?

I just could not resist myself from including the lines below written by Evenki poet, ‘Alitet Nemtushkin’ (taken from the website of UNESCO). Evenki is a language native to Russia, Mangolia and China that is now on the list of endangered.

“If I forget my native speech,

And the songs that my people sing

What use are my eyes and ears?

What use is my mouth?

If I forget the smell of the earth

And do not serve it well

What use are my hands?

Why am I living in the world?

How can I believe the foolish idea

That my language is weak and poor

If my mother’s last words

Were in Evenki?”

So, think twice! Because if your language perishes, you are not just deprived of your history, culture, traditions and values but also of your ‘identity’ that defines ‘who you are’!