Unique alphabet chart to help tribal kids learn language

RAIPUR: A 61-year-old assistant project manager of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) has developed a unique alphabetical chart incorporating tribal languages Gondi and Halbi in an attempt to preserve tribal language and culture of Bastar region and assist tribal children in learning basics of Hindi and English.
The chart also has illustrative pictures of objects that are already a part of Bastar's tribal culture.
Dantewada based teacher Sikandar Khan came up with this idea on seeing the alarming drop out rate of students in five tribal dominated districts of Chhattisgarh, including Bastar, Dantewada, Sukma, Bijapur and Kondagoan.Talking to TOI, Sikandar Khan said, "I was born and brought up at Jagargunda village of Sukma district and have interacted with the tribal community throughout my personal and professional life. Being acquainted with their thought process, I was able to identify the learning gap faced by tribal students in learning Hindi and English languages."
Khan's alphabetical chart is published in English-Hindi to Halbi and Gondi tribal languages and vice-versa. Each alphabet has a representative image, which the students are familiar with and have seen before. While elaborating, Sikander explained that since many of the tribal children have never seen some fruits or their pictures, the traditional A for apple images used in urban schools don't help them. It becomes difficult for them to grasp those alphabets along with their pronunciation.
In tribal districts, Sikander's alphabetical charts and poems are included in syllabus books by State Council of Educational Research and Training. According to Sikander, tribal language Gondi is influenced by Tamil, Telugu, Kannad and Malayalam languages while Halbi has touch of Ayran languages including Marathi and Odia. Sikander has also written books for government school teachers, who speak either Hindi or Chhattisgarhiya languages, so that they can too learn Gondi and Halbi in order to communicate with students in their language.
In addition, he has written poems in tribal and Hindi languages to promote the idea of sanitation, health, value of education and ecology.
At present he is working on a translation dictionary of Hindi to Halbi-Gondi and vice versa and aims to secure tribal culture by keeping their language alive. "The tribal students must value their mother tongue along with other languages, as a medium to receive education in their lives," said Sikander.