By Belina Thapa, Lamjung, Aug. 26: The only remaining native speaker of the Dura language Soma Dura has died.

Soma, a resident of Handikhola, Madhyanepal Municipality Ward No. 10, Lamjung, died at the age of 94 on Sunday. According to her relatives, Soma died due to lung problems.

“Soma’s death is a huge loss for the Dura community,” said Purna Bahadur Dura, ward member of Madhyanepal–10, adding, “With the only native speaker of the Dura language gone, it will be quite challenging to preserve the language now.”

“Who will speak the language? Who will teach us? How will we preserve it?” Purna Bahadur worried.

Dambar Dhwaj Dura, Lamjung district president of the Dura Sewa Samaj Nepal, told The Rising Nepal that they tried a lot to save Soma. “We took her to Pokhara, Bharatpur and other cities for treatment. But unfortunately, her lung disease claimed her.”

Soma had taught the language to her children. But they are not as fluent as her. A teacher of the traditional Sati Ghantu dance as well, Soma’s death is a tragedy for the entire Dura community, Dambar Dhwaj exclaimed.

According to the Samaj, around 4,500 Dura individuals (83 per cent of the national population) live in Madhyanepal and Sundar Bazaar municipalities of Lamjung but only about 10 per cent of them speak the language. However, following Soma’s death, no one currently alive speaks the Dura language natively.

In addition to Lamjung, Duras also live in Kaski, Tanahun, Chitwan, Kathmandu, Nawalparasi, Mahottari, Salyan and Doti districts. However, Lamjung is believed to be the place of origin of the ethnicity.

Dev Bahadur Dura, central president of the Dura Sewa Samaj, said that the death of the native speaker at a time when the Dura language is fast disappearing marked a great loss for the community.