Tabu Taid

Tabu Ram Taid
Born 1 August 1942
Ghunasuti Ayengiya, Lakhimpur, British India (now Assam, India)
Occupation Linguist, editor, professor, writer
Nationality Indian
Genre Linguist
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 (Assamese: টাবু ৰাম টাইড, Hindi: टाबु राम टाइड) known as 'Tabu Taid', is a Linguist, Author, Educator and Administrator. He was born in Ghunasuti Ayengia, a small village of Mising community in present-day Lakhimpur district in Assam, India in 1 August 1942, father (late) Ubang Taid. Belonging to the Mising community, a small community in Assam, India, and that too in an economically backward and remote village Ghunasuti Ayengia, where the importance of western style education was not very prevailing, he persuaded education, owing to his father's awareness eventually to achieve, postgraduate degree from Delhi University, which was quite uncommon in his community at that time. Starting career as a lecturer of English language in Cotton College, Guwahati, he further proceeded to obtain post graduate diploma in Applied Linguistics from University of Reading, and also undergone a course in distance education at University of London Institute of Education. He served in various senior level posts in various educational arms of Govt. of Assam. He was the founder President of Mising Agom Kébang (Linguistic Society of the Mising, also known as Mising Sahitya Sabha), the apex body of the Mising community Mising aiming for preservation and development of the Mising language. His body of works contains Ekunki Nibondho (Bouquet of Articles) on western paintings, Glimpses, a collection of English articles, research works on the Mishing and Assamese language, editorial works on traditional Mising literary artifacts like folk songs, lexicographical works like dictionary, grammar and phonology on the Mising language. His works on his mother tongue, Mising, are his most valuable contribution to the Mising community and hence to the greater Assamese people.

Early life and education

Tabu Taid was born in 1 August 1942 in a remote and economically backward village Ghunasuti Ayengia in Lakhimpur district of Assam. His father was Ubang Taid, a poor farmer 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 in 1942, education or awareness of need of education was not much prevailing in rural Assam. However, Ubang Taid, being able to read and write in Assamese, the major language of the region, understood the need of western style education and sent his sons (excluding the eldest) school.

Tabu Taid was a good student. After finishing lower primary, upper primary and high school in the nearest town North Lakhimpur, Tabu Taid went on to receive intermediate and undergraduate level education under Calcutta University and postgraduate level education at Delhi University. In the mean time, when Tabu Taid was in 7th standard, the infamous "Bor Bhumikampa" (the great earthquake) devastated the Lakhimpur area in Assam, affecting the already poor people living there very badly. To top it, flood situation worsened owing to the change of course of the rivers in the area due to the earthquake. So Tabu Taid's family was suffering acute financial crisis at that time. But, being a brilliant student, he was helped by the Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama at Narendrapur in Kolkata. They agreed to bear the cost for his post-Matric education. He received his graduation with honors from Narendrapur R. K. Mission College under Calcutta University in 1963 and moved on to Delhi for higher education. Working as a schoolteacher in Delhi for sometime, he enrolled in Hindu College, affiliated to Delhi University in 1964 and obtained his postgraduate degree in from Delhi University in 1966.

Tabu Taid started his professional life as a lecturer of English in Cotton College, Guwahati. He went to United Kingdom after winning state overseas scholarship and obtained postgraduate diploma on applied linguistics from University of Reading, UK (1973–1974). He also did a certificate course in distance education at the University of London Institute of Education (1982) under a British Council fellowship program.

He was recommended for UPSC by Govt of India, making him the first person in the small Mising community to attain such honorable distinction. However he could not join due to health problems.

Work as an educator and education administrator

Tabu Ram Taid started his career as a school teacher. Later he joined as lecturer in English at the Cotton College, Guwahati. Tabu Ram Taid left the teaching post he held at Cotton College for fourteen years (1967–1981) and joined as an educational administrator in 1981, being posted first as a Deputy Director of Public Instruction. Later he was elevated to different higher posts such as Director, SCERT, Director of Secondary Education, Director of Higher Education, Chairman, Board of Secondary Education, Chairman, State Selection Board (higher education), etc. under the Education Department of the government of Assam. The state government had also deputed Mr Taid as the first Director of the state-sponsored Institute, named Anundoram Borooah Institute of Language, Art and Culture, entrusting him with the responsibility of building it up as an institute for research and publications, especially in the areas of indigenous languages, literature and culture – a job which he accomplished well. He retired from state government service in the year 2000, but continued as the Chairman of the State Selection Board (higher education) till February 2004. During the years of his assignment as the chairman of the board of Secondary Education, Assam (1996–2000), he was the unanimous choice for the chair of the Zonal Council of Boards of Secondary Education (COBSE), North-East Zone, and he was due to take over as the Chairman of the national body (COBSE) on 4 April 2001, but meanwhile he had returned to his parent post on 1 April 2000.

Research works

Taid has also been active in preserving his native tribal language, Mising. In 1972, he founded the Mising Agom Kébang (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.

Authorship and editorial work

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 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.

The government of Assam bestowed a literary pension on him to recognize his contributions to literature.

Sukapha Award, Government of Assam

Mr Tabu Taid was conferred the prestigious Sukapha Award 2011–2012, by the 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.[1]

References

  1. ↑ "Tabu Taid receives Sukapha Award". The Assam Tribune. 2 December 2011. Retrieved 3 December 2011.