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Readings on Indian Literatures

III. 1
Editorial

The Future of the Past

from The Hindu daily

Intro
‘The Future of the Past’ is an editorial from ‘The Hindu’ daily of February 9, 2010. It
was published on the occasion of the death of Boa Sr, the last speaker of the tribal language,
Bo. It tells us what happens when a language dies. It also reminds us about the need to
protect the future of the past.

Essay

Q. Comment on the significance of protecting the ‘Future of the Past.’

‘The Future of the Past’ is an editorial from ‘The Hindu’ daily of February 9, 2010. It
was published on the occasion of the death of Boa Sr, the last speaker of the tribal language,
Bo. It tells us what happens when a language dies. It also reminds us about the need to
protect the future of the past.
The death of a language means the passing of many things - a way of life, a cultural
identity, and a repository of indigenous knowledge. Bo is one of the ten languages of the
Andaman tribes. Boa Sr was its last speaker. Her death marks the irreplaceable loss of a part
of the world’s heritage. It represents the passage of the remnants of a living culture into
memory.
Three tribes survive in the Andamans. The Jarawas, 250 in number, are one of the
largest tribes. They resisted contact with outsiders until two decades ago. Their way of life is
threatened by the Great Andaman Trunk Road that cuts through their forest homeland. The
Onges, around 100, live in a remote pocket in the Little Andaman. The last tribe, the
Sentinelese, have fiercely resisted outside contact, and their numbers and language remain
unknown.
The indigenous people speak dialects of the Great Andamanese language. These
dialects are regarded as one of the five language families in India. It is very important that
we preserve this linguistic diversity. For that, the indigenous communities are to be

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empowered to protect their ancient traditions and tap into local resources in a sustainable
way. In the Andamans, more than elsewhere, we need to protect the future of the past.

Short answer

1) What does the death of a language suggest?

The death of a language suggests the passing of many things - a way of life, a
cultural identity, and a repository of indigenous knowledge.

2) What is the important observation that Wittgenstein made about language?

The Austrian philosopher, Ludwig Wittgenstein observed that the limits of one’s
language are the limits of one’s world.

3) What is Bo and who is Boa Sr?

Bo is one of the ten languages of the tribes that populated the Great Andaman
archipelago. Boa Sr was the last speaker of the Bo.

4) What does the passing of Boa Sr represent?

The passing of Boa Sr, the grand old lady, represents the irreplaceable loss of a part
of the world’s heritage, the passage of the remnants of a living culture into memory.

5) What caused the dwindling number of indigenous people in Andaman?

Most of them were either killed by British colonisers or died through diseases
imported by settlers. This is the reason for the dwindling number of indigenous people in
Andaman.

Paragraph
1) The surviving tribes in Andaman.
Originally there were around ten different tribes in the islands in the Andaman. Now,
only three tribes survive there. The Jarawas, 250 in number, are one of the largest tribes.
They resisted contact with outsiders until two decades ago. Their way of life is threatened by
the ‘friendly contact’ promoted by the Great Andaman Trunk Road that cuts through their
forest homeland. The Onges, around 100, are one of the most primitive tribes. They live in a
remote pocket in the Little Andaman. The third and last tribe is the Sentinelese. They have
fiercely resisted outside contact, and their numbers and language remain unknown.

2) Importance of the linguistic diversity of Andaman.

The linguistic and cultural diversity of the Andamans has largely been neglected. The
indigenous inhabitants of the Andaman Islands speak dialects of the Great Andamanese
language. These languages or dialects are regarded as one of the five language families in

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India. As some people believe, if Onge-Jarawa is derived from a separate linguistic ancestor,
then this remarkable region would have contributed to two of six language families. It is
very important that we preserve this linguistic diversity. For that, the indigenous
communities are to be empowered to protect their ancient traditions and tap into local
resources in a sustainable way.

3) Significance of the death of Boa Sr, the last speaker of Bo language.

The death of a language means the passing of many things - a way of life, a cultural
identity, a repository of indigenous knowledge. Bo is one of the ten languages of the
Andaman tribes. Boa Sr was the last speaker of the Bo language. Her death at the age of 85
marks the irreplaceable loss of a part of the world’s heritage. It represents the passage of the
remnants of a living culture into memory. It shows how fragile the indigenous people of the
Andaman are. It also reminds us of the importance of protecting their lives and their culture
from further degradation.

Prepared by:
Prof. MURUKAN BABU C.R.
(formerly) Associate Professor of English
Panampilly Memorial Govt. College
Chalakudy

email: [email protected]

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