Ishwardi (Pabna) Correspondent :
Residents of the Marmi tribal village of Ishwardir in Dasuria Union are on the verge of extinction of their mother tongue ‘Malto’. They used to speak Malto language. Their ‘Malto language’ was used everywhere inside and outside the house. Bengali is the mother tongue of Bengalis in Bangladesh. Although the Adivasis spoke Bengali with the Bengalis, they only spoke their own Malto language among their communities and tribes.
Sad but true, many of the children of the indigenous village Marmi village of Dashuria union of Ishwardi in Pabna district now do not know that they have their own language. The new generation of children and youth are losing interest in their mother tongue.
Even if one knows, he can no longer speak that language.
About 400 members of the indigenous Mal Pahariya community live in Marmi Palli. Thousands of tribal of this community live in the neighboring districts of Natore, Rajshahi and Naogaon. Their mother tongue is also Malto. The mother tongue of these indigenous peoples is slowly becoming extinct.
Peter Biswas, 60, a tribal elder and block head from the hill tribe of Marmi, said those who are older or older still speak the Maltese language of their community and family. The new generation of youth and children do not use Malto language very much. They speak more Bengali language. There are many children who do not know how to speak Malto language. Because the Malto language is not preserved in writing, we can speak the language but do not know how to write. “We don’t have our own alphabet,” he said. We do not have the ability to read or write in our mother tongue. That is why the younger generation is working by studying Bengali language. The new generation of children and youth are not practicing Malto language. Due to lack of practice, this language may be lost one day.
