Introducing Anjana Ramola, our esteemed community champion hailing from the Jad tribal community of Uttarakhand. Uttarakhand boasts a rich diversity with six indigenous communities, including Tharu, Buxa, Jaunsari, Jad, Rang, and Rajis. Anjana embarked on her journey with us in 2015 as a resource person and gradually developed a keen interest in Linguistics. Through her unwavering determination, she pursued and completed her Post Graduation in Linguistics. Along the way, she contributed significantly to various small projects. Currently, she is actively assisting her Principal Investigator, Dr Sumedha Shukla, in the creation of a booklet titled “Jad Alphabet Reader,” aimed at educating her fellow community members in their native language.

The Tharu community resides in Bihar, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh in India. Allow us to introduce our Community Champion, Rajendra Prasad, hailing from Uttar Pradesh and fluent in Dangaura Tharu. After earning his Master’s degree in Linguistics from the University of Lucknow, he’s actively engaged in a project conducted by SEL Tharu Folklore Preservation. In addition, he works in an insurance company to provide for his family. He dedicates his time to capturing audio-video recordings of Tharu festivals, where community members showcase their traditional folk songs.

A reserved individual, fluent in the gentle tones of the Pahari language hailing from the Pir Panjal region of Jammu & Kashmir, Murtaza has been a language activist since embarking on his MA Linguistics journey at the University of Lucknow. A polyglot proficient in Gojri, French, Hindi/Urdu, English, and, naturally, his native Pahari tongue, he is dedicated to conserving and safeguarding his mother tongue. His PhD research is intricately linked to the preservation of the Pahari language. Additionally, he has compiled and submitted a Swadesh Word List audio, IPA data encompassing all the languages of India known to him.

Since its establishment, SEL has been organizing ‘Awadhi Awareness Programs’ in Lucknow District. Sapna Kashyap, our Awadhi Community Champion, plays a pivotal role in these initiatives. Besides, she serves as a core team member of SEL, contributing to multiple projects. With a Master’s degree in Linguistics under her belt, she is currently pursuing her PhD, focusing on evaluating the Raji Revitalization Program. To preserve the Raji folk craft of bead jewellery, she has apprenticed under elderly Raji female members and now conducts workshops for young Raji boys and girls, passing on this traditional skill to the next generation.

Mukesh Rajbaar, a member of the Banraji community, one of Asia’s few remaining hunter-gatherer tribes, actively engaged with the SEL team’s workshops at his school. Over time, he recognized the significance of his language and culture, sparking a keen interest in their preservation. Through the Wiki Tongues Project, four Raji youths were trained to teach Raji language classes, with Mukesh emerging as the most dedicated among them. Later, he contributed earnestly to ethnobotanical documentation efforts. Following his completion of 12th grade exams, Mukesh visited our headquarters and stayed for 15 days. Currently, he is deeply involved in the Raji Folk Craft Preservation Project, honing his skills in crafting jewellery and sharing his knowledge with peers to inspire them to join the initiative.