Q. Can you tell us about the history of the Totos and their language?
A. We are Mongolian. To escape the cold and harsh terrain, our ancestors travelled to China, Bhutan and reached Alipurduar in the Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal. Then, they went back from Alipurduar and reached Genchu in Bhutan, staying there for a while. But soon, they had to start moving again as clashes broke out with the native tribe of Genchu. Our ancestors were involved in shifting cultivation and the tribes of Genchu were doing the same. Instead of going north, they moved south until they reached Salsalabari near Alipurduar, their final settlement. At that time the Koch dynasty ruled the region. In the process of travelling from the Mongol region we came across the Chinese, Bhutanese, Koch, the Ranjbanshi (Bengali-Assamese language spoken in Nepal) people, and the people of Nepal and so, the language kept developing and changing.
Q. Why is the language dying?
This story is from the February 2023 edition of Careers 360.
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This story is from the February 2023 edition of Careers 360.
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