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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
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In February-March 1970, I visited different states in
the North- Eastern India on a pilot survey for identifying the languages
to be undertaken for descriptive studies on a priority basis by the
Central Institute of Indian Languages. It was _during that visit, the
existence of Nagamese (Naga Pidgin) as the lingua franca of
Nagaland came to my notice.. I also had the opportunity of going through
the English language textbooks used in the primary classes in Nagaland
and of discussing with the school teachers about the position of language
education in Nagaland. It Was then felt that a reappraisal of the role of
English in education jn Nagaland on the one hand and Nagamese on the other
was very essential. For this, it was essential to create a favorable
attitude on these issues amongst the various sections of Nagas. The
frequent visits to Nagaland on field-work during a period of decade and
discussions with the Nagas of all walks of life have partly been
successful in achieving botb these goas. The credit for this, in
the first instance, however must go to the rational approach of the Nagas
to the realities of life and pragmatism. I am therefore to express my
extreme gratitude to the Nagas of all walks of life including the
Ministers,
M.L.As, social workers, educationists, particularly to the Directors of
Education 1n Nagaland from 1970 onwards and the other offi- cials of the
Directorate of Education including Shri L. Medom, the then Dy. Director of
Education, and subsequently Member, Public Service Commission, Nagaland,
Sri Kiramwati Ao, Director of Technical Education, Nagaland, Shri
Maososong, the then O.S.D., NEHU, Kohima and presently Jt. Director of
Education, Nagaland. I am also to express my gratitude to all the Nagas
with whom I stayed in Nagaland who treated me as a member of their house.
hold in all the villages I had worked and thus making my visits to
Nagaland a pleasant memory. I am thankful to all the Nagas who provided me
the data on Naga Pledge including me the folktales. A few non Nagas also
helped me in my work, particular in introducing me to the Naga center. In
this special mention bas to be made of Shri K. E. Thomas, the
then Principal, C0.- operative Training Centre, Ghaspani', Nagland, Shri
A. K. Nair, Dimapur, Shri R. K. Sharma, the t)1en SpeCIal Officer, TBP,
Education Directorate, Kohima. I am thankful to these and the other non-Nagas
who helped me. |
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I am thankful to Dr. E. Annamalai, Director, CIlL for
giving me peace of mind for completing this work. I am thankful to my
colleagues Dr. M. R. Ranganatha and Miss Joy Reddy for going through the
earlier drafts and for offering suggestions for improvement.
Prof. Bh. Krishnamurti of Osmania University went
through the prepublication copy of the book and offered valuable sugges-
tions to improve. I am grateful to him for his comments and suggestions.
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I have to express my gratitude to a few creolists who
en- courage me in my work through letters and by posting copies of
their articles to me. These include: Prof. Charles James N. Bailey,
Prof. WiMiam Samarin, Prof. C. A. Ferguson and Dr. John E. Reinecke. In
fact, it was Dr. Reinecke who floated me into the creolist world through
his article on my work in Nagaland which appeared in the "working papers
in Hawaii, 1972". Since then, , till his last days, he continuously
encouraged me in my work. He had requested me to post a copy of this
book to him, when
completed. But it too late now. This book is dedicated
to his memory.
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I am also thankful to Shri C. S. Giri, Steno and to
Shri Arsha. dur Rahman, Typist, for the neat typescript and to Shri
H.L.N. Bharati, Asstt. Editor in CIIL and Shri P. Ramanarasimhan, OIC,
Publications for seeing the typescript through the press and also to
the Manager and staff of the Govt. of India Press, Nasik for the
expeditious printing.
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