Minister Sharma calls for cooperation from all quarters for conserving Kusunda language

Deukhuri (Dang), Nov 24: Minister for Communication and Information Technology Rekha Sharma underscored collaboration among all to preserve and develop the Kusunda language and promote cultures, traditions and customs of Kusunda ethnic community.     

Inaugurating the documentary on the Kusunda community here today, Minister Sharma pledged support from the government for preservation of Kusunda community.     

The documentary made by researcher Udayraj Ale spans 19 minutes and it is an outcome of research of five years, it was shared.     

According to the Minister, the government had been supporting preservation of the near-extinct languages in the country and in handing them to the next generation.     

Extending her gratitude to documentary maker Ale, she asserted, "Culture, customs, languages and traditions survive if only the old generation hand them to next generation."     

She appreciated efforts of Kusunda language speaker Kamala Sen Khattri for preserving the language from being extinct following the demise of the only speaker of the Kusunda language, Gyani Maya.     

Minister Sharma expressed her happiness that the new generation was so keen in preserving this language spoken by Kusunda people whose numbers stand at 253 according to the latest census in 2021.     

Researcher Ale shared that although the 2021 census put the number of Kusunda people at 253, there were only 162 people from that community all over the country in reality.     

Classes have been run in Kusunda language at Mahendra Secondary School at Ghorahi Sub-Metropolitan City-5 in the district in support of the government of Nepal.     

In a bid to preserve and promote Kusunda language, Ale has prepared four curriculum in Kusunda language.     

Dhan Bahadur Kusunda, Chairperson of the Kusunda Development Society, said that the new generation of Kusunda children could read and write in Kusunda language thanks to the support of the government.     

He viewed that if Kusunda people, scattered all over the country at present, were brought together and get to stay in a settlement, it would contribute in preserving and promote their language and cultures. (RSS)