Tabu Taid
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Tabu Ram Taid | |
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Born | |
Notable works | -Mising Gompir Kumsung (A Granary of Mising Words), published in 2010 -A Dictionary of the Mising Language, published in 1995 |
Tabu Ram Taid (
Early life and education
Tabu Taid was born on 1 August 1942 in a geographically remote and economically challenged village Ghunasuti Ayengia in Lakhimpur district of Assam, India. His father was Ubbang Taid, a poor farmer who had to work hard to meet the needs of the family of two daughters, five sons and his wife, a nine-member family.
The village, 'Ghunasuti Ayengia' is a settlement of a small indigenous tribe of Assam, the Misings or Miri. Often visited by floods during the monsoon season, the villagers were poor subsistence level farmers. As of 1942, education or awareness of the need for formal education was not much prevailing in rural Assam. However, Ubbang Taid, being able to read and write in Assamese, the major language of the region, understood the need of formal education and sent his sons (excluding the eldest) to school.
Tabu Taid performed well in his academic life. After finishing lower primary in his native village, and upper primary and high school in the nearest town
Tabu Taid started his professional life as a lecturer of English in
He was recommended for the Indian Foreign Service by the Union Public Service Commission, Government of India, making him the first person in the Mising community to attain such an honorable distinction. However, he could not join the service due to health problems at that time.
Work as an educator and education administrator
Tabu Ram Taid started his career as a school teacher. After completing his higher education, he joined as a lecturer in English at
Public Service
Tabu Taid, over the years, has held various other positions of public responsibility and service. He was formerly:
Member, Education Reforms Commission, Assam, 1993; Member, Publication Board, Assam; Member, Regional Committee (Assam), Sahitya Akademi and National Book Trust; Member of a Committee, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India (for selection of institutes/organizations for disbursement of grants for tribal art and culture); Member, Executive Council, Gauhati University; Member, Executive Council, Dibrugarh University; Member, Board of Management, Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University; Consultant for the National Council of Educational Research and Training project on State Studies in School Education (for the state of Assam); Chairman, Zonal Committee of Council of Boards of Secondary Education (COBSE), North East Zone; Chairman, Executive Committee, Anundoram Borooah Institute of Language, Art and Culture; Founder President, Mising Agom Kebang (Mising Sahitya Sabha), 1972–1980.
Research works
Tabu Ram Taid has been active in preserving his native tribal language, Mising. In 1972, he founded the Mising Agom Kebang (Linguistic Society of the Mising), serving until 1980 as its president. The organization helped reintroduce the language into primary schools. He has published a number of papers about the Mising language as well as an orthography and dictionary of the language, and he has edited collections of Mising folk songs.
He has contributed three research papers on the Mising language published in the journal, 'Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area', University of California, Berkeley, USA. 1987 and 1995.[1]
Authorship and editorial work
Tabu Taid authored a series of lessons in English for school students which have been broadcast over radio multiple times since the mid-1970s. He has also authored a number of English textbooks for elementary students and several key volumes about Mising, Mising Bhaxar Banan Poddhoti (an orthography) and Mising Gompir Kumsung (a 900-page dictionary).
He has written widely in periodicals in Assamese, English and his native tribal language, Mising. There are two volumes of his collected articles, Ekunki Nibondho (Bouquet of Articles) and Glimpses. 'Banikanta Kakati, the Man and his Works' was compiled and edited by Prof. Tabu Ram Taid and Prof. Ranjit Kumar Dev Goswami in 1987 and published by the Publication Board, Assam. He authored 'A Dictionary of the Mising Language' which was the very first dictionary of the Mising language (published in 1995 by an association of Mising language teachers). His 'Mising Folk Tales' was published by the Sahitya Akademi in 2013.
The Government of Assam bestowed a literary pension on him to recognize his contributions to literature.
Honors and awards
Prof. Tabu Ram Taid was honored with the title of 'Agom Migang' conferred by the Mising Agom Kebang (Mising Sahitya Sabha) in 2007.[2]
He was awarded the prestigious ‘Bhasha Samman Award’ by the Sahitya Akademi for his contributions to Mising language and literature, in 2010. The Sahitya Akademi instituted 'Bhasha Samman' in 1996 to be given to writers, scholars, editors, collectors, performers or translators who have made considerable contribution to the propagation, modernization or enrichment of various Indian languages. The awards are given to three or four persons every year in different Indian languages on the basis of recommendation of experts' committees constituted for the purpose.[3]
Mr. Tabu Taid was conferred the Sukapha Award 2011–2012, by the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Assam, in recognition of his valuable contribution to education, literature, culture, scholarly work, linguistics, arts, authorship and public service. He was presented with the award on 2 December 2011, by the Chief Minister of the State, Mr Tarun Gogoi in a ceremony held in Dibrugarh, Assam.[4]
The ‘Basudev Jalan Award’, 2012, was awarded to Prof. Tabu Ram Taid by the Asam Sahitya Sabha. The award is conferred on an individual who has contributed towards the growth of language, literature and culture of the ethnic communities in the region.[5]
Prof. Tabu Taid was honored with the title ‘Axom Shreshtho 2015’ for his lifelong contribution to Education in the state of
References
- ^ "Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area". University of California, Berkeley. 7 November 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
- ^ "Mising Agom Kebang". Mising Agom Kebang. 7 November 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
- ^ "Bhasha Samman Awardees". Sahitya Akademi. 7 November 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
- ^ "Tabu Taid receives Sukapha Award". The Assam Tribune. 2 December 2011. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
- ^ "Tabu Taid presented Basudev Jalan award". The Assam Tribune. 16 February 2012. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
- ^ "Salute to 11 achievers, the pride of Assam". The Telegraph. 13 September 2015. Archived from the original on 17 September 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
- The Telegraph, Calcutta, India (Friday, 23 April 2010)
- Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area; Vol. 10 Issue 1, 1987; Vol. 18, 1995
- Mising Agom Kebang (Linguistic Society of the Mising) – History
- The Assam Tribune, 3 April 2010, AHSEC decision on CBSE syllabus decried
- The Telegraph, Calcutta, India, 17 June 2010; Conclave for Youth
- Cotton College, Department of English
- IGNCA Newsletter Vol. V November–December 2002 – National conference on cultural heritage and traditional knowledge base of the indigenous communities of north-east India
- Members of Academic Council, Gauhati University
- Banikanta Kakati, The Man and his Works – Book Listing (Open Library)
- A Short Note on Mising Phonology – Pdf file
- Google Books – Linguistic bibliography for the year 1996
- The Assam Tribune, 15 November 2010; Contributions of Banikanta Kakati recalled
- Mising Agom Kebang Presidents of the Mising Agom Kebang.
- Sahitya Akademi, Bhasha Samman Awardees, Sahitya Akademi, India.
- The Assam Tribune, 2 December 2011; Tabu Taid receives Sukapha Award
- The Assam Tribune, 16 February 2012; Tabu Taid presented Basudev Jalan award
- The Telegraph, 13 September 2015; Salute to 11 achievers, the pride of Assam