Bangwang Losu

Choosing the preferable path with the true aim of the welfare of people.

The body is earthly, its arrival on the earth should be successful.

It is said that it is necessary to have words, expressions and language to explain one’s point. However, what can one do if there are no words to speak?

Bhartendu Harishchandra Ji has written splendidly on this subject:

“Developing one’s own language is the key to every development.

Without the knowledge of own language, the roots can’t be erased”

That is, the progress of any society is impossible without the advancement of the mother tongue. Further, it’s also tiring to cleanse the internal pain without the knowledge of one’s language.

The feelings of a man without language are like the jaggery of a dumb person, who feels sweetness, but cannot express his feelings through words. There are many such communities in our diverse country, there are many such states where there is a local dialect to express themselves. But there are no words to write because the accumulation of words without language seems impossible.

A corner of Arunachal Pradesh where the Wancho community lives is also similar. They didn’t have the script of their own language to write and read. Perhaps no one has ever paid attention to this problem that has been going on for ages, but someone has rightly said – where there is a will, there is a way.

When Shri Banwang Losu Ji’s attention was drawn to this problem, he didn’t look back and began marching towards his goal. In our country, language has been referred to as mother and it’s our duty to protect the mother.

Just as a child is identified by his mother, similarly a person is identified by his language. After 12 years of analysis, Banwang Losu Ji wrote a script and sent it to the government, but till now he has not received any kind of assistance from the government. On the contrary, the Sangh recognized his work and encouraged him with respect. With the help of ‘Seva International’, his efforts got recognition and today through this work, he made a script of the Wancho language and also made the people there understand the words for writing. The people are exuberant to get the script and words of their mother tongue. Currently, by this date, more than 100 teachers have been equipped, by training whom this language is also being propagated and spread.

There are innumerable dialects and languages in our country, but due to the lack of their script, they are becoming extinct. We all should be cognizant to take forward our culture and tradition and also make the future generations realize that this is their identity and it is only for creating an identity or for furthering it, but not to lose.

Due to Losu Ji’s diligence and perseverance, an endangered language got protection. Today, the Wancho language is being taught in most of the schools in Arunachal Pradesh. For this endeavour, he has also been honored by the ‘Mumbai Red Carpet’.

Losu Ji faced numerous setbacks as he began pursuing this work. Many people also discouraged and disappointed him, but he didn’t give up and without getting tired kept moving forward.

Losu Ji believes that there are countless languages in our country, but they are not able to develop independently, hence they are becoming extinct. We should keep striving for the development and promotion of our regional languages and the government should also take some concrete steps in this direction.

Just as a garden doesn’t look like one until it has all kinds of colourful blossoms. Similarly, in our country, also different types of dialects, languages and many arts are veiled. Until the development and propagation of these arts are not advanced, our country will also not be able to develop.

Our knowledge is in our language only. We all should understand its value because knowledge of one’s language is essential for carrying forward the native culture.

In the year 2001, Banwang Losu Ji commenced research to make this language accessible to the script. After 12 years of persistence, in 2018, the format of the Wancho language was made and following that in 2019 Unicode was sent as text. Currently, books in this language have been published in collaboration with the Sangh and are now being utilised in about 60 schools.

Losu Ji did all this work by forming an organization named ‘Wancho Literary Mission’. This task has not been undemanding, the destination is still far away and a lot of work is left. However, the efforts of Banwang Losu Ji are also continuing. The work of making this language accessible to the masses is still going on, due to the lack of any support from the government, teachers are being trained to teach it in schools. But there is no active strategy regarding the payment of salaries to those teachers.

The committee is doing more work than it can do at its level. There is still a ray of hope. Perhaps in the coming time, the attention of the government and social workers will also be drawn towards this cause.

All colleagues and benefactors are also requested to pay attention to whatever economic distress comes from the promotion of this language. The ‘Sant Eshwer Foundation’ has honored Shri Banwang Losu Ji with the ‘Sant Eshwer Samman’ for the year 2022 as a result of his 12 years of hard work for his special work in a particular field.