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Chinese crackdown on Tibetan language
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IANS | 07 Aug, 2021
Throughout the human civilisation, countless languages have emerged and
at the same time countless have been wiped out. Languages carry not only
the messages but also cultures and traditions from generations to
generations. If a language of certain community nears its extinction,
the traditions of that community would perish too. The 7,200-year-old
Tibetan spoken language and almost the 1,500 year-old Tibetan writing
system currently nears its extinction because of various eco-linguistic,
socio-linguistic and psycho-linguistic factors under the Chinese
government. Writers, singers, and artists promoting Tibetan language
have been frequently detained by Chinese authorities, with many handed
long jail terms, following protests that swept Tibet.
Before the
Chinese Communists took over in 1950, Tibetan was the only official
language in the territories under the Lhasa government's administration.
Chinese was completely unknown to the Tibetans except to a very few
Tibetan intellectuals and traders. One of the first tasks of the new
Chinese government in the Tibetan areas was to carry out the enormous
task of translation into Chinese of many modern texts, particularly
those of a political and technological nature. It also led to the
publications of bilingual dictionaries. In spite of these positive
factors, Tibetans have been witnessing, especially since the early
1990s, a very marked decline of the usage of Tibetan language in almost
every walk of life. Academically, since the mid-1990s, there has been a
steady decline in the use of Tibetan andconversely, Chinese is becoming
dominant.
Under the constant modification of linguistic policies
in Tibet in past few years, the reach of Chinese language and its usage
in Tibet have enhanced. The cultural-homogenisation strategy had played
a crucial role in shrinkage of Tibetan usage in parts of historically
claimed Tibetan areas other than TAR. As far as TAR is concerned, while
public statements by the authorities remain ambiguous, there are
increasing signs that they are using a range of indirect mechanisms to
pressure schools in the region to switch to Chinese-medium teaching.
These measures require Tibetan schools to increase Tibetan children's
immersion in Chinese culture and language. They include "mixed classes",
"concentrated schooling", the transfer of large number of Chinese
teachers to Tibetan schools, sending Tibetan teachers for training to
Chinese provinces, where Chinese is dominant language, and requiring all
Tibetan teachers to be fluent in Chinese.
China's constitution
enshrines the languages of its minority groups on paper, but authorities
have increasingly placed restrictions on their usage in the education
system, while those with limited proficiency in the Chinese language
often encounter barriers to employment and other services offered by the
state. These measures improve Tibetan children's exposure to Chinese
language but at the same time weaken children's access and familiarity
with their own language. The imposition of teaching practices that
encourage the switch to Chinese-medium instruction in the schools in TAR
is the result of increasing moves by the ruling Chinese Communist Party
(CCP). For instance, recent ban imposed by the Nangchen (Kham)
government suggests that officials are trying to stop school-children
from having contact with monks for even non-religious activities such as
classes in Tibetan language. It also shows that officials are
attempting to restrict children's religious activities in eastern
Tibetan areas such as Qinghai province. Previously, the restrictions
applied only to schools in the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR), where
restrictions are generally tighter. Moreover, after the introduction of
"Bilingual Education Policy" by communist party, Tibetan language loses
its significance inside Tibet. Although Tibetan was not officially and
publicly banned by the authority but it was indeed, systematically.
This
new trend can in part be explained by a series of measures which were
taken particularly in the field of education. Earlier this year in
January, the TAR Director of Legal Affairs Committee Shen Chungyuao
announced that schools in "minority areas" were not allowed to teach in
their own languages and deemed such education to be "unconstitutional".
The move was in direct contradiction with the founding provisions of the
Bilingual Education Law passed in 1951.
On July 21, China shut
down the Sengdruk Taktse middle school, located in Taktse county of
Lhasa City, and all its students were told to enrol in
government-affiliated schools in the region where education is designed
to 'Sinicize' the Tibetan people and their culture. No official reason
was given by the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for ordering the
school's closure.
Meanwhile, according to a notice issued by the
Ministry of Education in the Malho, Tsolho and Yulshul Tibetan areas of
Qinghai province, new �School Admission Entrance Exam' will now be
weighed equally to those for Chinese and English. In prior years,
Tibetan language scores were weighed the most heavily among all other
subjects in grading the exam and placing students in middle and high
schools. Reducing the weight of Tibetan language scores on entrance
exams for students in Tibetan areas of China has made it more difficult
for them to gain admission in secondary schools where they can pursue
formal study of their native language. Earlier, Tibetan students often
seek placement in national-level secondary schools that offer studies in
Tibetan as well as Chinese and other languages, but the bar to
acceptance in these institutions will now be more difficult because in
the change of exam scoring, said a Tibetan from Qinghai, who spoke on
condition of anonymity.
National middle and high schools are
considered more reputable, as the grades obtained in these schools carry
greater significance upon graduation. The new scoring system will have a
chilling effect on native language proficiency among Tibetans living
under Chinese rule. Due to the requirement of a high score margin to
gain admission to these national schools (which are the only that teach
Tibetan), many Tibetan students who wish to enrol in them are not able
to make it. Instead, they have to enrol in schools where more than 90
per cent of the instruction is in Chinese and that poses a long-term
threat to the Tibetan language. Tibetan language instruction is largely
phased out in Tibetan areas, leaving Tibetan students with few options
to pursue formal studies in their native tongue.
As a result of
such policies and system, the lack of interest in Tibetan can be
observed through several external signs. In the cities, over the past
decade, the mixture of Tibetan and Chinese has become considerably more
pronounced. This Tibetan-Chinese mixed language is so widespread that
many young people in the urban areas are incapable of forming a sentence
in Tibetan without using Chinese words. Tibetans, on the other hand,
were more and more concerned about their fading language and are
attempting different ways to pressure it. Hence, Informal classes taught
by monks during school holidays have become popular in Tibetan areas.
However, the objection from the authorities was immediate. The schools
and local education bureaus have issued bans on children attending such
classes and even warned about severe repercussions. The education policy
maker describes informal classes run by monks as "ideological
infiltration among the young," "dangerous", and "harmful". It calls on
local officials and Chinese Communist Party cadres responsible for
managing monasteries to "understand the harmful nature of monasteries
running open schools", and to stop them from doing so.
It seems
that the education experts in China have not weighed up the heavy
socio-linguistic consequences of a linguistic policy that targets only
the development of Chinese language and neglects Tibetan Language. In
less than fifty years, Tibetan, which is currently part of the cultural
heritage of China, has become an endangered language. It is therefore
urgent that the Party's cadres and the education experts in China
rethink their linguistic policy in the Tibetan-speaking regions. It is
time for all who believe in human rights to listen to Tibetans who have
raised the alarm about this policy and to challenge Beijing directly.
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